Knowledge (XXG)

September Arrests of 1981 (Egypt)

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month of September. Official government statements released by the Sadat regime declared that only 1536 dissenters had been arrested, however, independent sources claim that these figures only represented the number rounded up in the first three days of arrests, and that several thousands more were detained after the initial crackdown on 3 September.
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between the two long-feuding countries. The peace treaty, while held by Sadat to be a victory for Egypt, was unpopular both at home and abroad in the Arab world. A diplomatic crisis arose shortly after as many Arab leaders severed ties with Egypt in protest over its "normalization" of relations with
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Following the arrests, Sadat gave an address to the Parliament on 5 September 1981. In his speech, he aimed to justify the arrests through a legal guise. He claimed that the arrests were warranted and were the result of the sectarian violence that had broken out in June, citing the emergency powers
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On 6 October 1981, four weeks after the arrests began, Sadat was shot down by Islamists during a military victory parade celebrating the eighth anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. Following his death, the prison conditions were slightly improved for the prisoners. In 1983, the then new President of
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frustrated by years of opposition to the Camp David Accords, Sadat decided to take action against public figures who opposed the treaty. In the early hours of 3 September 1981, Egyptian forces began arresting lists of Sadat's Opponents. These arrests would continue to be carried out throughout the
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to counteract sectarian violence and insurrection. Thus, in his speech Sadat aimed to use the sectarian violence as justification for his enaction of emergency measures, however, months had passed since the events. Sadat blamed the alleged continuation of civil strife on
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The arrests and the crackdown on free speech were attested at that time to be the widest wave of arrests in the history of Egypt, hitting all political wings, and people from all walks of life. They are commonly referred to as "Sadat's Final Act of Repression."
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Throughout his reign, Sadat had used Islamists to combat leftist and socialist movements in the country. These Islamists, however, had their own agenda and goals, and did not fully cooperate with Sadat's regime. Part of the Islamist Agenda was fostering
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as well as six other Islamic societies, and three Christian societies. Government employees in the media, education, as well as other sectors who had any opposition tendencies were shifted to less desirable positions and placed under surveillance.
190:, an Egyptian literary critic claimed that the arrests were an attempt by Sadat to demonstrate his control over the country and Egyptian society as a whole. She also reported that those imprisoned were deprived of basic human dignity and rights. 115:, claiming that his declaration of a state of mourning and refusal to celebrate the feast of the Resurrection had contributed to animosity between Christians and Muslims. As a result, Sadat withdrew State recognition from Pope Shenouda III as 32:. Over 1,600 people were arrested and falsely imprisoned, including leaders of the opposition, as well as intellectuals, writers, journalists and religious leaders (both Christian and Muslim); countless others were placed under house arrest. 170:
began gradually releasing the arrestees. Some were released automatically, others were released through court orders. The last of Sadat's September Arrestees to be released was Pope Shenouda III on 1 January 1985.
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suburb of el-Zawya al-Hamra. The attack left 80 Copts dead and hundreds injured. This rise in sectarian violence would be used by Sadat's government as a justification for the September arrests.
139:, where he was staying for a spiritual retreat. Following this operation, the Egyptian government continued to hold Pope Shenouda III under house arrest within the Monastery of Saint Pishoy. 614: 58:
Israel. Reactions to the treaty at home were mixed. Many were glad to be rid of the wars which had cost them so much, however, there was diverse opposition to the treaty.
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The arrests were accompanied with the shutdown of numerous religious, political, and independent publications and organizations. A decree was issued to disband the
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He wrote that the arrests on influential journalists, party leaders, and religious leaders, were quasi-militaristic operations carried out by special task-forces.
437: 182:, an influential Egyptian Journalist and intellectual was among those arrested on 3 September. He would later document the events in a his book 540: 127:
Following the speech made by Sadat withdrawing state recognition from Pope Shenouda III, the Egyptian Military Police laid siege to the
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and one of the last September Arrestees to be released, said that the imprisonment made him and the other bishops stronger.
54: 107: 302: 378: 642:"Sadat's final act of repression: The September 1981 arrests of 1650 Egyptians was a 'purge' of the intelligentsia" 128: 179: 404: 689: 230: 72: 462:"اعتقالات سبتمبر 1981 م. (قرارات التحفظ من الرئيس السادات) والكنيسة القبطية الأرثوذكسية | St-Takla.org" 615:"Days of Prison and Prayer … Pages from the memoirs of the bishops and priests imprisoned in 1981; Ca" 684: 195: 191: 119:, and declared that the state would form a delegation of five bishops to govern the Coptic Church. 357: 284: 148: 68: 29: 661: 548: 515: 349: 276: 589:"يوميات نسائية فى سجن "السادات".. كفاح توفير "الخبز الملكى" خلف أسوار القناطر | المصري اليوم" 653: 641: 341: 268: 345: 136: 46: 486: 678: 588: 187: 167: 330:"Sadat's Negotiations with the United States and Israel: Camp David and Blair House" 28:
starting on 3 September 1981. The arrests aimed at silencing all opposition to the
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were a series of political arrests conducted by then Egyptian President
361: 329: 288: 256: 438:"President Anwar Sadat announced sweeping measures to confront 'a..." 75:
minority in Egypt. In June 1981, Islamists attacked the Copts in the
272: 49:, Egypt and Israel began a series of American backed Peace talks at 76: 541:"AROUND THE WORLD; Egypt Will Release Coptic Church's Leader" 379:"Roots of religious violence lie in both state and society" 71:
and conduction of pogroms and massacres against the
303:"40 Years On, How Egypt Saw The Camp David Accords" 334:The American Journal of Economics and Sociology 257:"Camp David and Peacemaking in the Middle East" 231:"Massive Arrests Precede Sadat's Assassination" 8: 106:given to the president by Article 74 of the 229:Ufheil-Somers, Amanda (23 November 1981). 214: 516:"Egypt Ends Banishment of Coptic Pope" 405:"Factbox: Sectarian violence in Egypt" 92:Upon his return from a trip to the USA 510: 508: 7: 432: 430: 428: 426: 373: 371: 224: 222: 220: 218: 41:Opposition to the Camp David Accords 346:10.1111/j.1536-7150.1991.tb03341.x 14: 192:Metropolitan Wissa of El Balyana 1: 547:. Reuters. 30 December 1984. 487:"Obituary: Pope Shenouda III" 261:Political Science Quarterly 255:Quandt, William B. (1986). 706: 123:Exile of Pope Shenouda III 658:10.1080/03064228208533339 129:Monastery of Saint Pishoy 73:Coptic Orthodox Christian 18:September Arrests of 1981 573:Heikal, Mohamed (1983). 180:Mohamed Hassanein Heikal 133:Monastery of the Syrians 640:Naseef, Magdy (1982). 161:Assassination of Sadat 53:which culminated in a 593:www.almasryalyoum.com 108:Egyptian Constitution 88:September 3rd Arrests 328:Safty, Adel (1991). 143:Extra Measures Taken 646:Index on Censorship 196:Metropolitan bishop 621:. 15 December 2011 545:The New York Times 149:Muslim Brotherhood 117:Pope of Alexandria 101:5 September Speech 69:sectarian violence 47:6th of October War 30:Camp David Accords 383:Egypt Independent 309:. 12 October 2018 113:Pope Shenouda III 62:El-Zawya al-Hamra 22:September Arrests 697: 670: 669: 637: 631: 630: 628: 626: 611: 605: 604: 602: 600: 585: 579: 578: 570: 564: 563: 561: 559: 537: 531: 530: 528: 526: 512: 503: 502: 500: 498: 483: 477: 476: 474: 472: 458: 452: 451: 449: 447: 434: 421: 420: 418: 416: 411:. 4 January 2011 401: 395: 394: 392: 390: 375: 366: 365: 325: 319: 318: 316: 314: 299: 293: 292: 252: 246: 245: 243: 241: 226: 705: 704: 700: 699: 698: 696: 695: 694: 675: 674: 673: 639: 638: 634: 624: 622: 613: 612: 608: 598: 596: 587: 586: 582: 577:. Random House. 572: 571: 567: 557: 555: 539: 538: 534: 524: 522: 514: 513: 506: 496: 494: 493:. 17 March 2012 485: 484: 480: 470: 468: 460: 459: 455: 445: 443: 436: 435: 424: 414: 412: 403: 402: 398: 388: 386: 385:. 13 April 2013 377: 376: 369: 327: 326: 322: 312: 310: 301: 300: 296: 273:10.2307/2151620 254: 253: 249: 239: 237: 228: 227: 216: 212: 184:Autumn of Fury. 177: 163: 158: 145: 125: 103: 90: 85: 64: 43: 38: 12: 11: 5: 703: 701: 693: 692: 687: 677: 676: 672: 671: 632: 606: 580: 575:Autumn of Fury 565: 532: 504: 478: 453: 422: 396: 367: 340:(4): 473–484. 320: 294: 267:(3): 357–377. 247: 213: 211: 208: 176: 173: 162: 159: 157: 154: 144: 141: 137:Wadi al-Natrun 124: 121: 102: 99: 89: 86: 84: 81: 63: 60: 45:Following the 42: 39: 37: 34: 26:Anwar al-Sadat 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 702: 691: 690:1981 in Egypt 688: 686: 683: 682: 680: 667: 663: 659: 655: 651: 647: 643: 636: 633: 620: 616: 610: 607: 594: 590: 584: 581: 576: 569: 566: 554: 550: 546: 542: 536: 533: 521: 517: 511: 509: 505: 492: 488: 482: 479: 467: 463: 457: 454: 442: 439: 433: 431: 429: 427: 423: 410: 406: 400: 397: 384: 380: 374: 372: 368: 363: 359: 355: 351: 347: 343: 339: 335: 331: 324: 321: 308: 304: 298: 295: 290: 286: 282: 278: 274: 270: 266: 262: 258: 251: 248: 236: 232: 225: 223: 221: 219: 215: 209: 207: 203: 201: 197: 193: 189: 188:Saifnaz Kazem 185: 181: 174: 172: 169: 168:Hosni Mubarak 160: 155: 153: 150: 142: 140: 138: 134: 130: 122: 120: 118: 114: 109: 100: 98: 95: 87: 82: 80: 78: 74: 70: 61: 59: 56: 52: 48: 40: 35: 33: 31: 27: 23: 19: 652:(1): 37–39. 649: 645: 635: 623:. 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Index

Anwar al-Sadat
Camp David Accords
6th of October War
Camp David
peace treaty
sectarian violence
Coptic Orthodox Christian
Cairo
Egyptian Constitution
Pope Shenouda III
Pope of Alexandria
Monastery of Saint Pishoy
Monastery of the Syrians
Wadi al-Natrun
Muslim Brotherhood
Hosni Mubarak
Mohamed Hassanein Heikal
Saifnaz Kazem
Metropolitan Wissa of El Balyana
Metropolitan bishop
El Balyana




"Massive Arrests Precede Sadat's Assassination"
"Camp David and Peacemaking in the Middle East"
doi
10.2307/2151620
ISSN

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