AFP PHOTO / KHALED DESOUKI
Three reporters were arrested following an altercation with the Salafi founder of Al-Umma Channel. The reporters claim they were assaulted by the channel owner, Abu Islam.
The reporters were interviewing Abu Islam about a Bible burning lawsuit pending against him. According to an activist, Ahmed Douma, Abu Islam attacked one of the reporters, Sarah Ramdan, after she asked him questions about a female protester who was beaten and stripped by soldiers in December last year.
Douma claimed that her two male colleagues were then assaulted by Abu Islam’s aides and all three were detained until the police arrived and arrested them.
Abu Islam denied that he was filing a complaint against them, but called the police “to prove that they attacked my son.”
He accused all three of intentionally provoking him and his two sons who also attended the meeting. “She set up the meeting to discuss my current case [burning the Bible], but kept asking other questions like what do I think of Morsy, Maspero and the girl who was stripped in Tahrir.”
Abu Islam said he said, “I believe [the girl in Tahrir] has to bear the responsibility of her being there” to which Ramdan rolled her eyes. One of Abu Islam’s sons then told her to “behave,” to which she took issue.
Both sides claimed the other was the first to resort to physical violence.
Abu Islam confirmed he detained the reporters, “until the police got there to prove that they attacked us in my office.”
Assault charges may be laid from both sides if a reconciliation is not reached.
