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Protest to the Egyptian Embassy: Help Manal Timraz come home to the UKInboxX



Dear All
Forgive this circular e-mail, but I think the matter is urgent.
I am writing to ask for your help in protesting to the Egyptian authoritiesover their continued refusal to allow Manal Timraz and her two sons toreturn home to UK.
Manal owns the Habibi restaurant in Far Gosford Street in Coventry.She wasan organiser of humanitarian relief to the people of Gaza at thebeginningof 2009 following the bombardment and occupation by Israeli forces, inwhichshe lost 15 members of her family. In Coventry, and beyond, shepromotedthe One Million Candles campaign.
Manal was on a family holiday in Egypt with her 15 and 13-year-oldsons,Ahmed and Omar, and was due to return to the UK on Monday September7th,2009. The family was detained at the airport in Cairo on Sundaynight,questioned by the security services and, although released from thatdetention nine hours later, were told that they would not be allowedtoleave Egypt due to "matters of national security". They are stilltherenow.
Manal is of Palestinian descent and holds Norwegian citizenship. TheNorwegian Ambassador in Cairo has been trying to find out from theEgyptianauthorities what it is that Manal is suspected of and why it is thatshe'snot allowed to leave the country, but unfortunately those enquirieshave notyet been successful. I have contacted the Norwegian Consul in London,andsent a protest to the Egyptian Embassy. The Coventry South MP, JimCunningham, has contacted the Egyptian Embassy in London and writtento theForeign Secretary, David Miliband, on Manal's behalf. The localpapers inCoventry and Kenilworth have reported Manal's detention and the WestMidlands BBC TV is now preparing to cover the story, but we need tostep upthe protests to pressurise the Egyptian authorities to let the familygo.
Could I ask you to contact the Egyptian embassy in London as a matterofurgency to press the Egyptian authorities to allow the family tocontinuetheir travel back home to the UK. The quickest way would be to send ane-mail to: eg.emb_london@mfa.gov.eg or to ring: 020 7499 2401 / 02074993304
If email or phone aren't possible, the address for letters is:
Egyptian Embassy26 South StreetLondon W1Y 6DD
The Egyptian authorities in London have Manal's full name, date ofbirth andpassport number, and also the same details for her sons, so theyshould beaware of about whom it is that you are emailing.
I hope you agree it is frankly intolerable that a family can bedetained inthis way without having proper charges laid or even any explanationgiven.The quicker we act, the sooner Manal and her sons (who were due tostartback to school this week) can come home. Please let me know of anyrepliesreceived from the Egyptian authorities.
Finally if you're a member of Facebook, there is a support groupestablishedthere yesterday which I would ask you to join so that updates canreach you,the group is at:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/350483
If you could pass this email on to others, that would also beappreciated.
Many thanks
Dave Nellist
---Cllr Dave Nellist(e) dave@nellist.net(t) 024 7683 1044(m) 07970 294 237