Hundreds of Islamists stone Egypt's ElBaradei

[cali]

By Mona Salem (AFP) – 6 hours ago

CAIRO — Islamists hurled stones and shoes at Mohamed ElBaradei, Nobel Peace laureate and a secular contender for Egypt's presidency, as he tried to vote Saturday in a referendum on constitutional amendments.

ElBaradei was hit in the back by a stone thrown from the crowd of hundreds but managed to escape unhurt and slammed as "irresponsible" the holding of a referendum without adequate law and order.

"We don't want you," the mob shouted, throwing stones, shoes and water at the former UN nuclear watchdog chief as he turned up at a Cairo polling station, five weeks after president Hosni Mubarak was ousted by mass protests.

"He lives in the United States and wants to rule us. It's out of the question," one of them said.

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http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gem9Kx0MIS57hXR6bplIhQAG11LA?docId=CNG.4ff2e782ea3c513ce60adb517b709f8e.6e1

[Uzybone]

1. its what Islamists do

they love freedom as long as its freedom to impose a theocracy.

[Bosonic]

2. Hopefully this is not representative

[joshcryer]

5. Nice political comic.

Very clever.

[BOG PERSON]

8. yes

the cartoon shows that as long as the economic base of egyptian society isn't affected, it doesn't matter what changes are made at the very top. whether there is a proper bourgeoisie ready to govern competently and build up the productive forces of the society instead of skimming aid money and sitting pretty, or whether the responsibility must fall on the clergy (as a sort of stand-in bourgeoisie), the situation of the toiling masses will not change unless they tear down the whole structure and build society anew.

[BOG PERSON]

3. sounds fishy

Members of the crowd interviewed by AFP before the assault identified themselves as Islamists without elaborating on their precise allegiance.

An official from the Muslim Brotherhood, the largest and most organised opposition movement, denied members of his group were involved.

"There are many types of Islamists. It's impossible that it was Muslim Brotherhood members, 100 percent impossible. We work with ElBaradei and coordinate with him," Gamal Nassar told AFP.

[cali]

7. here's a much better accounting

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Mohamed ElBaradei, an Egyptian presidential candidate and Nobel laureate, was attacked by thugs at a polling station in Cairo on Saturday, his brother told CNN.

ElBaradei described the attack, which occurred during a referendum on changes to the constitution, on his Twitter account. Voting was completed Saturday evening, when all polling districts were reported closed, according to the judicial committee overseeing the elections.

"Went 2 vote w family attacked by organized thugs," he tweeted. "Car smashed w rocks. Holding referendum in absence of law & order is an irresponsible act."

The former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency also tweeted that two members of his campaign team were detained at a separate polling station in Cairo.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/19/egypt.referendum/

[riderinthestorm]

4. Stoning a candidate, preventing ANYONE from voting...

I don't care if they are secular, islamist, or a fucking purple martian, that isn't democracy. The Egyptian people are going to have to do better than this in order to create a civil society.

[David__77]

6. I'd be surprised if he could clear 5% of the vote.

The future of Egypt is Islamism.