Security, Allied Advances Mute War Protests in Egypt

The streets of the Arab world’s largest city were quiet after Friday prayers for the first time since war began March 20, as a massive security presence aborted two planned demonstrations and the public seemed increasingly resigned to the likelihood Saddam Hussein’s regime would fall.

“Heavy security and events in Iraq are taking the steam out of the protests,” political activist Marwan Hamdy said outside Al Azhar Mosque, where an announced street demonstration never materialized. “People are exhausted and frustrated. Their attitude is: ‘What’s left that we can do? Baghdad is falling.’ ”

Although the Arab media continue to give more prominence to the “massacre” of civilians in Iraq than to events on the battlefield, word spread quickly in the streets Friday that American forces had pushed through diminishing Iraqi resistance to take Baghdad’s main airport. After the elation people felt when the coalition advance was stalled by Iraqi fighters in the first days of the war, the sense of deflation was palpable.

“I really thought for a while Iraq had better than a 50-50 chance to win the war, or at least force a standoff so America would have to negotiate a cease-fire,” said Ahmed Mustafa, a university student. “Now I see that won’t happen. I guess I feel let down, but thinking about an Arab victory gave me pleasure.”

Elsewhere in the Middle East, there were scattered antiwar protests, but they were less intense and less widespread than those that followed noon prayers on other recent Fridays, the Muslim holy day. In Cairo and some other cities, government authorities ordered sheiks to tone down the rhetoric in their sermons so as not to inflame worshipers.

In Amman, about 1,500 Jordanians marched through the streets shouting, “Down, down, USA” and burning American and British flags.

At the Wihdat Palestinian refugee camp in southern Amman, the people who streamed out of the main mosque at midday did not lash out about the war. Instead, they looked to blame the violence on their own leaders, who they believe failed to challenge the United States.

“King Fahd [of Saudi Arabia] has sold the holiest sites of Islam for $10 and Zayed has sold the Emirates! Arab leaders are villains!” the crowd shouted.

And then they turned to Egypt, accusing President Hosni Mubarak of being an American agent, shouting: “Egyptian people, what’s your news? Get up and trample Mubarak! Egyptian people, how are you? Hosni Mubarak is CIA!”

Despite the angry words, the mood seemed almost depressed as those leading the demonstration struggled to work people up. “Where are your voices? Unify yourself, Arab youth, unify!” the leaders exhorted.

In Bahrain, home of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, 7,000 people marched in the capital city of Manama, some with Iraqi flags. “Children are dying, women are dying, let’s go on jihad [holy war],” they chanted. An effigy of President Bush and an American flag were dragged behind a pickup truck.

Egyptian leftists and pan-Arabists had planned to demonstrate -- without the government-required permit -- at Cairo’s Sayeda Aisha Mosque at 1 p.m. But hundreds of riot police showed up at 9 a.m. and sealed off the house of worship. People put their prayer mats on the sidewalk and prayed there instead, then went home.

At Al Azhar, another massive show of force by security troops -- aided by numerous informers and plainclothes police officers -- prevented a demonstration in the streets. It was believed to be the first time since the Palestinian intifada rebellion began in September 2000 that no protest followed Friday prayers at Al Azhar.

Human rights group have been critical of the tactics Egyptian security forces have used to defuse antiwar tension, which governments in Cairo and Amman fear could jeopardize their stability if allowed to get out of control. Arbitrary arrests in Cairo are common, and some organizers have been beaten so severely in jail that they required hospitalization.

About a dozen people were arrested Friday outside the Sayeda Aisha Mosque, including Ashraf Bayoumi, 68, an Egyptian American civil rights activist who has taught chemistry at the University of Michigan.

Since there was no demonstration or attempt to protest, observers were puzzled why the group was detained.

“There was no provocation,” Bayoumi said in a brief cell phone call to Associated Press’ Cairo bureau as he and his wife were put into a police car. “The demonstration didn’t work out. We were heading back home when we were arrested without any reason. I’m not concerned about myself, but concerned about the country.”

*

Lamb reported from Cairo and Rubin from Amman.