INDONESIAN MPs, NGOs URGE EGYPT TO REVOKE MASS DEATH PENALTY By Fardah

     Jakarta, May 7, 2014 (Antara) - A number of Indonesian legislators and mass organizations have denounced Egypt's death penalty against hundreds of the Islamic Brotherhood's leaders and members, and urged the Egyptian government to revoke the ruling.  
    The Indonesian Ulema (Cleric) Council (MUI) urged the Indonesian government to approach the government in Egypt to ask its court to cancel the mass death penalty ruling.

         "The government must help defend the rights of those who are innocent," Saleh Daulay, the chairman of the MUI's Fatwa (religious edict) Commission said recently.  

INDONESIA CONCERNED OVER EGYPT'S MASS DEATH PENALTY by Fardah

      Jakarta, April 30, 2014 (Antara) - Many countries, including Indonesia, reacted to another preliminary mass death sentence handed by a court in Egypt, where more than 680 people were reportedly on trial.

         The legal decision announced on April 28, followed the March 24 conviction of 529 defendants on various charges, including membership of an unlawful organization Ikhwanul Muslimin (the Muslim Brotherhood), incitement to violence, vandalism, unlawful gathering and the killing of one police officer. All the charges related to events in August 2013 after the government of President Mohamed Morsi was ousted.

INDONESIANS SHOW SOLIDARITY WITH EGYPTIAN PEOPLE by Fardah

     Jakarta, Aug 18, 2013 (Antara) - Following the escalation of the political tension and the increase in the number of fatalities in Egypt, a number of Indonesian NGOs organized rallies to show their
solidarity with civilians who have become victims of mass killings.

         Since the bloody crackdown by the Egyptian military on civilian supporters of ousted President Muhammad Morsi on August 14, 2013, a number of rallies have been held in many parts of Indonesia such as in Jakarta, Palu (Central Sulawesi), Surabaya (East Java), Solo, Purwokerto (Central Java), Banjarmasin (South Kalimantan), Pekanbaru  (Riau), Mataram (West Nusa Tenggara), Batam and Tanjungpinang (Riau
Islands), Bogor (West Java), Palembang (South Sumatra), Medan (North Sumatra), and Banda Aceh (Aceh Darussalam).

INDONESIA CONCERNED OVER SECURITY SITUATION IN EGYPT by Fardah

    Jakarta, Aug 3, 2013 (Antara) - Various parties in Indonesia - from the president to the ordinary people - have expressed their concern over "dangerous" situation in Egypt, which has so far been considered a very good friend of Indonesia.

         Most of them have prayed for the Egyptian people to be able to go through the transitional period toward democracy peacefully by reaching reconciliations and compromises to avoid further bloodshed.

         "As a good friend of Egypt, we should help the Egyptian people through prayers and our experiences," Muhammad Najib, a legislator, said in Jakarta on August 2, 2013.

INDONESIA PRAYS FOR PEACEFUL, DEMOCRATIC EGYPT by Fardah

    Jakarta, July 12, 2013 (Antara) - Given its close relationships with  Egypt and the fact that thousands of Indonesians are in Egypt, Indonesia has prayed for peaceful and democratic political transition in the Arab world's most populous nation.

        "We pray so that political upheavals in Egypt could end immediately and political transition in that country could run peacefully, democratically based on the will of the Egyptians," President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said when hosting a fast-breaking dinner in Islam's holy month of Ramadan (Fasting) at the State Palace in Jakarta on July 11, 2013.

EVACUATION PROCESS OF INDONESIAN CITIZENS IN EGYPT BEGINS by Fardah

     Jakarta, Feb 2, 2011  (ANTARA) - Some 455 Indonesian evacuees are expected to arrive at Soekarno-Hatta international airport Wednesday (Feb. 2) morning, as the first fleet of thousands of Indonesians to be evacuated from Egypt where around 300 people were killed in the political violence.
      The government has sent a special Garuda Indonesia flight (Boeing 747-400) to take them out of Egypt on Tuesday evening (Feb. 1) at around 10 pm Cairo time, the Indonesian foreign affairs ministry said in a press statement here late Tuesday .

Egyptian Ambassador Asks for Return of Egyptian Citizen

    Jakarta, February 6/2003 (ANTARA) - Egyptian Ambassador to Indonesia Ezzat Saad has asked Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra to send an Egyptian national back to Egypt after being detained by the Indonesian Immigration Office.
        The Egyptian national, Moataz Attia Mohamed alias Abu Quaessy, has been put into custody by the Indonesian Immigration Office for a suspected involvement in people smuggling to Australia.
        The suspect was arrested last year.

EGYPT'S TOURISM ALSO AFFECTED BY SEPT 11 TRAGEDY - ENVOY

        Jakarta, Jan 18/2002 (ANTARA) - The impact of the Sept 11 terrorist attacks on the United States has been felt by many countries including Egypt, Egyptian Ambassador to Indonesia Dr Ezzat Saad El Sayed has said. 

     "More or less, like Indonesia, the sector that has suffered most is tourism. But for Egypt, tourism is our main source of income, which brings in a total earning of US$ 5 billion annually. Now it has decreased by 60 percent. As you know, September to February is the peak season for tourists coming to Egypt," he told ANTARA during an interview here Friday.
     Because of the drop in income, Egypt has run out of foreign currency and is facing a budget deficit, he said.

MESIR, NEGERI KAYA WARISAN SEJARAH SERBA MEGAH oleh Fardah Assegaf

     Bangunan peninggalan Firaun, raja-raja kuno Mesir, pada umumnya berukuran raksasa, sehingga bisa dimaklumi jika ada pendapat yang menyebutkan bahwa mungkin orang Mesir mendapat bantuan dari makhluk luar angkasa, ketika membangun Piramid dan candi-candi yang serba megah.
        Belum lagi kehebatan warisan budayanya yang merupakan karya yang bisa bertahan selama ribuan tahun.  Kumpulan Piramid di Giza, di pinggiran kota Kairo, misalnya, menyuguhkan pemandangan deretan piramid yang megah dan berdiri kokoh.

ASWAN, SI MUTIARA HITAM DARI MESIR oleh Fardah Assegaf

     Cuaca pada akhir bulan Februari lalu sangat sempurna bagi wisatawan yang sedang melewat ke Aswan, sebuah kota kecil di Mesir bagian selatan. Langit biru di atas Aswan begitu jernih, suhu sekitar 25 derajat Celsius cukup sejuk ditambah lagi dengan angin sepoi-sepoi yang melewati air biru sungai Nil.

Banyak wisatawan asing yang berjemur di atas kapal pesiar yang berjejer di sepanjang Sungai Nil sambil menikmati pemandangan pulau-pulau kecil yang hijau serta birunya air sungai.

DUBES MESIR HARAPKAN DEFISIT DAGANG DENGAN RI BERKURANG

   Jakarta, 23/3/1996 (ANTARA) - Dubes Mesir untuk Indonesia Mahmoud Osman mengharapkan agar defisit perdagangan negaranya dengan Indonesia bisa dikurangi supaya neraca perdagangan kedua negara seimbang.  
       "Kami mempersiapkan kunjungan para pengusaha Mesir ke Indonesia pertengahan Mei 1996 guna mempromosikan komoditi serta barang-barang buatan Mesir kepada calon pembeli Indonesia," ujar Dubes Mahmoud Osman di kediamannya kepada ANTARA Jakarta, Sabtu.

EMIL SALIM: PERLU PEMBANGUNAN BERMORAL UNTUK LAWAN MATERIALISME

    Jakarta, 26/7/1995 (ANTARA) - Prof Dr Emil Salim di Jakarta, Rabu, menekankan pentingnya pembangunan bermoral sehubungan dengan munculnya konflik antara nilai-nilai agama dan materialisme, yang menggantikan konflik antara komunisme dan kapitalisme yang telah mereda.
    "Saya tidak setuju dengan pendapat bahwa kini terjadi benturan peradaban Islam dan konfusianisme lawan barat, yang tengah terjadi adalah benturan agama lawan materialisme," kata mantan Menteri Kependudukan dan Lingkungan Hidup itu, pada seminar tentang "Hubungan Mesir-Indonesia dari Perspektif Sejarah".