Islamist media is reporting on the death of Saif El-Islam, one of the two sons of the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood. According to the Middle East Monitor report, the funeral service was canceled upon orders from the Egyptian government:
The family of Hassan al-Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, announced on Sunday that the funeral service of his son Ahmed Seif El-Islam had been cancelled in compliance with a decision made by the Egyptian government and security services.
The funeral service had been scheduled to take place after sunset prayers on Sunday.
A statement from the family read: ‘Yesterday, the Ministry of Interior and Awqaf cancelled the funeral service that was to be held at Omar Makram Mosque. Also the Ministry of Awqaf announced that it would not host the service at any of the state-owned mosques.’
The statement said that the Egyptian government was forcing the family to receive condolences on the street ‘by closing the doors of mosques throughout the state in our faces’.
‘The family cannot take the responsibility of protecting the masses of visitors and ensuring their safety against any risks that they might be subjected to. Therefore, the family confirms the cancellation of the service,’ it added.
Ahmed Seif El-Islam died on Friday at the age of 82. His death was mourned by the Muslim Brotherhood group, however many were absent from his burial ceremony, which one source attributed to the security issues the group is facing.
Born on 22 November 1934, Saif El-Islam graduated from the Faculty of Law in 1956 and earned a university degree from the Faculty of Dar Al Uloom at Cairo University in 1957. He was elected a member of the People’s Assembly in 1987 and served in 2001 as the secretary-general of the Egyptian Bar Association. He was also a member of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Shura Council.