CAIRO: The April 6 Youth Movement is taking legal action against MP Abdel-Ahad Gamal El-Din for accusing them of betraying Egypt and working on behalf of foreign entities.
Tension struck between the leader of the ruling National Democratic Party’s parliamentary bloc and members of the youth movement Monday during a protest against the iron barrier being constructed along Egypt’s border with the Gaza Strip.
During the protest, which was held by Egyptian and foreign activists, a quarrel erupted between members of both groups when Gamal El-Din accused the movement of working for foreign entities.
The movement is suing Gamal El-Din for slander and defamation.
In a statement released Tuesday, the movement said: “Building the iron wall without informing the Egyptian people and without outlining the budget required for construction is the real betrayal.
“Egypt’s national security should not be used as a scapegoat for suspicious deals and personal benefits, and such matters should not be decided by the NDP, its head and MPs who all came to power through forgery and repression, the statement read.
In response, Gamal El-Din told Daily News Egypt in a telephone interview, “I was passing by where the protest was held by accident. I was upset to see Egyptian activists relying on their foreign counterparts while protesting against the iron wall, which is essentially a matter of national security to be decided by Egypt’s political leadership.
“I told them that whoever is protesting the wall is either ignorant of the reasons behind it or works for a foreign entity, he explained, adding that the building of the iron wall is a matter of national security and that Egypt has the right to protect its borders.
“Foreign activists ought to protest against Israel because it is responsible for the siege on Gaza, not Egypt, he said.
The April 6 movement was joined in its Monday protest by some of the foreign activists who were not permitted to enter Gaza to commemorate the first anniversary of the Israeli offensive on the Strip and draw attention to the ongoing blockade.
“All of a sudden he [Gamal El-Din] started scolding me and accusing me of working for foreign entities for the mere fact that I was protesting along with foreign activists, said Asmaa Mahfouz, a member of the movement.
“I will hold on to my legal rights and will personally take legal action against him for slander and defamation, she added.
