Egyptian sets himself on fire outside parliament



CAIRO, Jailan Zayan- An Egyptian man set himself on fire outside parliament on Monday, after the same action by a protester in Tunisia sparked an uprising and triggered copycat attempts in Algeria and Mauritania.
Across the Arab world there have been grievances similar to those in Tunisia over unemployment, housing difficulties and soaring prices, as well as demands for more political openness.



Abdo Abdelmoneim, 50, who runs a small food outlet in Qantara near the Egyptian port city of Ismailiya, poured fuel on himself and set himself on fire on a busy Cairo street in front of the People's Assembly.
In a rapid response, a nearby policeman managed to put out the fire and Abdelmoneim was immediately taken to hospital, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported.
Three senior government ministers were also quick to react, in a sign of anxiety after Tunisian graduate Mohammed Bouazizi set himself alight last week, unleashing a wave of street riots that forced President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to flee the country after 23 years in power.
Health Minister Hatem al-Gabali said Abdelmoneim torched himself because of an "administrative problem." The 50-year-old father of four had superficial wounds and would be out of hospital in 48 hours, MENA quoted him as saying.
Upper House speaker Safwat al-Sherif said the problem was personal and did not warrant a parliamentary debate.
"But at the same time, we must look into these kinds of problems, and if an administrative body failed to act correctly, it must be held accountable and the man should get his rights," Sharif said.
MENA said Abdelmoneim set fire to himself because he was refused extra coupons to buy subsidised bread.
State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mufid Shehab, a stalwart of veteran President Hosni Mubarak's ruling party, said it was "important not to jump to conclusions in these cases."
In Ismailiya, governor Abdelgeleel Fakharani said in a statement to reporters that Abdelmoneim had a history of mental problems and had been in and out of hospitals.
But Abdelmoneim's friends deny this.
"You cannot say he had mental problems. You can say he had personal or emotional problems like most Egyptians do these days," Hamid Megahed said outside Cairo's Al-Mounira hospital where Abdelmoneim was being treated.
"He has a large family to look after. He has a mother, a wife, and four children," he said.
Egyptians have long complained of economic hardship in a country where close to half of its 80-million people live below the poverty line of two dollars a day.
In Mauritania on Monday, 42-year-old Yacoub Ould Dahoud stopped his car in front of the Senate, which is several metres (feet) from the presidency in the capital, and set himself alight inside the vehicle, witnesses said.
He had tipped off journalists in advance and said he was "unhappy with the political situation in the country and angry with the government."
In Algeria, at least four attempted public suicides -- all over jobs and housing -- have been reported this week after the self-immolation of Bouazizi, who later died in hospital.
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Monday, January 17th 2011
Jailan Zayan
           


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