For democracy and freedom to take over in the Middle East blood has to be shed?

The Egyptian liberal Al Wafd party headquarters in Dokki was stormed yesterday by the 71 year old disposed leader and last September presidential runner Nomaan Gomaa with 60 armed thugs and gang members.

Gomaa who was dethroned last January by the reformists of Al Wafd leaderships on allegations of hidden agenda and conspiring with the current regime of Egypt under President Hosni Mubarak that does not spare a moment to stifle liberal reformers for the best interest of the ruling National Democratic party and the Muslim Brotherhood.

The current regime which is continuously containing rising movements calling for freedom of the press, independent judiciary and the formation of liberal parties that can compete with the Islamist movement of the Muslim Brotherhood, gave protection to Nomaan Gomaa. Egypt’s General Attorney ordered his return as a leader to the party following his disposition last January which is considered blatant intervention in independent parties affairs.

Yesterday, the disposed leader of Al Wafd party, together with 60 armed loyalists stormed the headquarters of the party claiming seizer of the party. Gomaa and his loyalist opened fire on the party’s journalists while working wounding at least one of them.

The 10-hour clash ended with the arrest of Nomaan Gomaa and his failure to reclaim control of the party headquarters. The arrest of Gomaa saved him from the angry members of the party who were standing with the acting party leader outside the headquarters in shock as Nomaan Gomaa opened fire on his opposition that inhured 23 and killed one. Gomaa and his loyalits did not leave the party before setting fire in the Al Wafd party headquarters.

The acting party leader Mahmoud Abaza prominent member of the party Munir Fahkry Abdel Nur complained that the police looked idly on as Gomaa and his supporters stormed the compound. Nur said "There were 50 policemen this morning and all they did was phone for ambulances as they looked idly on and Gomaa fired his gun.” Abaza said "It's an act of madness. Someone who is mentally sane does not open fire on journalists simply trying to do their work."
Gunshots were fired as Gomaa and his gang removed employees of the party and of its official newspaper. Witnesses said Gomaa himself fired shots at Wafd journalists.

Outside the entrance to the party headquarters, Abaza supporters scattered old campaign posters of Gomaa on the muddy ground and shouted anti-Gomaa slogans as they trampled the pictures.

Imagine which is far-fetched thought, that this Nomaan Gomaa won last September’s presidential elections, the result is another gangster ruling regime. This man has a PhD degree in law and apparently he believes in nothing but usurpation of power. I have no idea how Egypt reached this level political moral decomposition and decay. Al Wafd party history before the 1952 military coup d’etats is a source of pride to all free Egyptians regardless of their political inclinations.