Akef continues to slam government through statements CAIRO: The Muslim Brotherhood's secretary general and 16 other leading group members were arrested during a recent meeting. State security has also revoked an earlier decision to release three senior group leaders, including the Brotherhood's official spokesman Essam Al-Arian. "Through this excessive measure, [the government] has confirmed that it will continue its aggressive policy against [Egypt's] biggest opposition force in order to throttle its actions and stop its expansion, said the Muslim Brotherhood in a statement released Saturday. "However, we tell them [their hope is far-fetched]. You have arrested more than 20,000 of our members in the past 10 years, and it only increased people's love for the group and their support for it. In this latest crackdown, members were rounded-up on Friday as they discussed their plans for future sessions of parliament, a body in which the Muslim Brotherhood constitutes the largest opposition bloc. The arrests come less than a week after Al-Arian was granted a promise of release. The senior leader had spent more than two months in custody. "Prison never changed thought, reads a phone message Muslim Brotherhood members have been circulating in the wake of these arrests. "For us, it brings reward, God willing. Less than a week earlier, another 16 senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood were arrested following a wedding party north of Cairo. The Muslim Brotherhood affiliates are originally from the Nasr City district in Cairo, but were celebrating an Islamic-style wedding of one their friends in the Menufiyya governorate hours before they were rounded-up. A friend, who is also a member of the religious group, had asked them to spend the night at his house instead of going back to Cairo. However, close to dawn, shortly following the party, he and the 15 members were rounded up from his house, according to Muslim Brotherhood sources. The group of 16 was primarily charged with affiliation with a banned group and propagating for the group's beliefs. The members are expected to undergo questioning and will remain in custody for 15 days. The Muslim Brotherhood is recognized through legal representation in the upper house of parliament, but the MPs were elected as independents. Membership in the group is often grounds for charges and even imprisonment. The group has an office that acts as headquarters, called the Guidance Office, from which their supreme leader and senior members operate. The address of the office is not a secret, though. Most of the Brotherhood statements originate from there and the group often holds press conferences from the office. Meanwhile, Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohammed Mahdi Akef gave a statement to the press in which he recounted his life experiences, stressing the fact that he had been jailed during his early years. "Being imprisoned in the cells of the tyrants increased my faith. It was never an obstacle in the path of working for the religion of God. The prison served more as spiritual nourishment, said the leader in what seems to be a message to the government, and a "real preparation for hardships during the fight for the way of God. The leader also continues to slam Egyptian and Arab regimes for foreign and local policies. Late last week, Akef, in another statement to the press, laid responsibility for Monday's train crash on the government, saying that their negligence led to the tragic event. The railway accident in Qalyoub, 20 km from Cairo, killed at least 60 people and injured more than 140, according to the latest reports. Such incidents are not uncommon in Egypt where poor train safety and maintenance is infamous. As recently as 2002, a train fire broke out due to a gas cylinder explosion in one carriage, killing over 300 people in the wake of an Islamic holiday break. "Like always, in such events, the responsibility was laid on the shoulders of an [ordinary] employee, Akef said in his Tuesday statement. "The authorities have completely overlooked [the accountability of] the 'perfect' executive systems that are swarming with negligence, apathy, and corruption. Akef added that the Muslim Brotherhood calls for a serious in-depth investigation by an independent non-governmental entity into the event. Akef's heated statements were also coupled with intense criticism of the regime and its "lack of supervision over executive systems in the country. As the leader's condemnation of the regime increases, his tone becoming fiercer, the state security's tolerance for the Brotherhood continues to wane. Only last week, Akef condemned Egyptian and Arab leaders and blamed them for the latest conflicts in Lebanon. In his violent rhetoric, the Islamist leader told the press that, "Had [the leaders] not been monotheists (declared faith in one God), we would have killed them all, adding that they are worse than the Israelis and more oppressive than the Americans. The statement shocked even Muslim Brotherhood sympathizers, according to press reports.
