CAIRO: In conjunction with the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, the American Islamic Congress (AIC) opened an office in Cairo on Tuesday in the hopes of heightening awareness of civil rights and fostering nonviolence in Egypt and the rest of the Arab world. The initiative is spearheaded by Hamsa (Hands Across the Middle East Alliance) a civil rights organization under AIC established in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. It aims to promote inter-ethnic understanding and mobilize American citizens to aid the fostering of civil rights in the Middle East. The organization currently maintains offices in Washington DC, Boston, and in Iraq. The new Cairo office is intended to serve as the movement's headquarters for the Middle Eastern region. "On Sept. 11, 2001, Mohammad Atta, one of the hijackers of American Airlines Flight 11 that hit the World Trade Center, brought his destructive vision to the US. On this day, Hamsa hopes to bring its creative vision of civil rights and nonviolence to Egypt in return, Dalia Ziada, head of Hamsa in Egypt, told Daily News Egypt. According to Ziada, Hamsa Egypt will devote much effort to spurring religious freedom and freedom of expression, but will also work extensively with issues pertaining to other Arab countries. A writer, translator, and human rights activist, Ziada is a long-term member of Hamsa and also involved in the "Free Kareem Coalition , a movement dedicated to support imprisoned Egyptian student blogger Kareem Amer. Moreover, Ziada told Daily News Egypt that in a few months Hamsa will launch a new Egyptian movement entitled "Itkallim , (Speak Out), with the aim of inspiring ordinary Egyptians to speak out about civil rights abuses in the country. "The intention of this grassroots movement is to provide ordinary people with a voice. We want regular Egyptians to stand up and speak out about the situation in their country. It's getting worse and worse here everyday, Ziada stressed.
