'Conditions in prison were terrible': SA Muslim cleric describes 500-day Egypt detention ordeal

Two days after returning to South Africa after being detained in Egypt‚ Muslim cleric Sheikh Abdul Salaam Bassiouni is already back at work.

Bassiouni‚ who heads the Al Tawheed Islam Centre in Lenasia‚ Johannesburg‚ was said he was thrilled to be back in the country. The centre‚ which has branches across the country‚ caters to orphans‚ the homeless and the impoverished.

He had spent almost 500 days in Egyptian custody after he was detained without charges in December 2014.

Bassiouni was detained when he entered Egypt with his family to attend his daughter’s engagement. On arrival at Cairo International Airport‚ he and his son Bilal were taken into custody.

They were interrogated separately about their political affiliations and questioned whether they were members of the Muslim Brotherhood‚ which Egypt’s government has declared a terrorist organisation. Bilal was released 20 hours later.

The 66-year-old was released in March last year under house arrest.

Bassiouni‚ who holds dual Egyptian and South African citizenship and has lived in South Africa for 25 years‚ arrived in Johannesburg on Sunday.

“I feel safe and at peace in South Africa. It was very difficult in Egypt. Conditions inside the prison were terrible. I had to sleep on a blanket on the floor in a small room with many people. I fell in the bath and injured my back and received no treatment except one painkiller a week. I received no help from the courts‚” he said.

He said he had gone with his family to Egypt to get his daughter married and was surprised when he was taken and interrogated.

“I told them I came with my family and was in South Africa when there was a military coup in Egypt and had nothing to do with it. I tried to explain I did nothing wrong‚” he said.

Bassiouni said he and the family usually visit Egypt once a year on holiday and this was the first time something like this happened.

“I would not risk going back. I wouldn’t want to go through those days again‚” he said.

Bassiouni said he was happy to be at work at the centre.

“The support I received from people in the community has been unbelievable. When I got home on Sunday there were lots of people waiting to see me. Until late Sunday night people were still visiting my home‚” he said.

- TMG Digital/The Times