Egyptians debate over draft law limiting protests

 CAIRO, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The draft law limiting protests in Egypt, which is currently being studied after recently being announced by Justice Minister Ahmed Mekki, stirred up an overwhelming debate in the Egyptian political arena¹.

Contradictory² reports emerged these days on whether the Shura Council, the country's temporary legislative³ authority, had received a proposed law to regulate demonstrations⁵, sit-ins and strikes.

Mekki's statement made it clear that the intended law was not a ghost but a reality, even if it has not yet been submitted to the Shura Council for discussion.

Leaked reports said the controversial law specifies⁶ the time of protests from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., regulating that protests can neither cause traffic jam nor include damage or sabotage⁷ and they cannot be held outside the presidential palace.

The proposed law also stipulates⁸ that strikes must be staged at least 14 days after prior notice and cannot affect work and production, which is seen as "ridiculous" by opposers of the law, as strike worldwide means halting production as a means of pressure.

Most political parties and movements in Egypt, including some Islamist ones, strongly rejected the draft law, arguing it limits freedom of expression and serves only the current administration.

The main opposition⁹ bloc¹⁰ dubbed¹¹ "the National Salvation¹² Front" denounced the law as "notorious," saying it represents a copy of the repressive laws adopted at the time of former President Hosni Mubarak.

"The Front, with its various political parties and revolutionary forces, will stand against this law and will take all necessary political and legal measures to hold protests against such a freedom-limiting law," Hussein Abdel-Ghani, the Front's spokesman, told Xinhua.

For his part, political activist¹³ and Front member Karima al- Hifnawi said the law "is an unforgivable crime against human rights. Whoever proposed this law is more evil than the devil as it prepares for a terrorist, repressive, fascist¹⁴, police state."

Al-Hifnawi added that Egyptians broke the barrier of fear and held anti-government protests despite the emergency law during the time of Mubarak and they would not give up their right of expression under any circumstances.

The April 6 Movement, a well-known Egyptian movement that helped spark the upheaval¹⁵ that ended Mubarak's rule, condemned¹⁶ the intended law as a step back toward the Mubarak era.

"We as a movement had unique experience with Mubarak's police. In 2010, we sent the Interior Ministry¹⁷ an official notice through a police station that we intended to hold a demonstration⁴. The result was that 100 of our members were arrested," Mohamed Adel, member of the movement, told Xinhua, rejecting any law stipulating¹⁸ prior notice beforehand.

1 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

2 contradictory   

adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立

参考例句：

• The argument is internally contradictory.论据本身自相矛盾。
• What he said was self-contradictory.他讲话前后不符。

3 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

4 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

5 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

6 specifies   

v.指定( specify的第三人称单数 )；详述；提出…的条件；使具有特性

参考例句：

• The third clause of the contract specifies steel sashes for the windows. 合同的第三款指定使用钢窗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The contract specifies red tiles, not slates, for the roof. 合同规定屋顶用红瓦，并非石板瓦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 sabotage   

n.怠工，破坏活动，破坏；v.从事破坏活动，妨害，破坏

参考例句：

• They tried to sabotage my birthday party.他们企图破坏我的生日晚会。
• The fire at the factory was caused by sabotage.那家工厂的火灾是有人蓄意破坏引起的。

8 stipulates   

n.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的名词复数 )；规定，明确要求v.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的第三人称单数 )；规定，明确要求

参考例句：

• The trade contract stipulates for the settlement of balances in RMB. 贸易合同规定余额以人民币结算。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The contract stipulates for the use of seasoned timber. 合同上订明用干透的木料。 来自辞典例句

9 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

10 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

11 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 salvation   

n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困

参考例句：

• Salvation lay in political reform.解救办法在于政治改革。
• Christians hope and pray for salvation.基督教徒希望并祈祷灵魂得救。

13 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

14 fascist   

adj.法西斯主义的；法西斯党的；n.法西斯主义者，法西斯分子

参考例句：

• The strikers were roughed up by the fascist cops.罢工工人遭到法西斯警察的殴打。
• They succeeded in overthrowing the fascist dictatorship.他们成功推翻了法西斯独裁统治。

15 upheaval   

n.胀起，(地壳)的隆起；剧变，动乱

参考例句：

• It was faced with the greatest social upheaval since World War Ⅱ.它面临第二次世界大战以来最大的社会动乱。
• The country has been thrown into an upheaval.这个国家已经陷入动乱之中。

16 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

17 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

18 stipulating   

v.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的现在分词 )；规定，明确要求

参考例句：

• Shall we first sign a barter trade agreement stipulating the general terms and conditions? 我们先签一个易货贸易协议，规定一般性条款，行吗？ 来自互联网
• The other firm are stipulating for and early exchange of information regarding the contract. 作为协议条件，另一家公司坚持要求早日交换有关合同的信息。 来自互联网