Journalist Mona el-Tahawy arrested

Journalist Mona el-Tahawy Cairo – Mohamed Sami al-Bouhi A journalist was arrested in New York after spraying paint on a racist and pro-Israeli advert in the subway. Egyptian-American journalist Mona el-Tahawy announced on Twitter that she was planning to spray paint on the advert, declaring her right to insult Israel if Israel had the right to insult her. The advert reads: "In any war between the civilised man and the savage, support the civilised man. Support Israel, defeat Jihad." The New York Post published a video of Tahawy as she attempted to spray paint on the poster. A woman is seen trying to prevent the journalist from doing so. Mona el-Tahawy replied that she was using her freedom of expression. The woman stood in Tahawy’s way and as a result of the argument, police arrived and arrested Tahawy. Mona contested the arrest, claiming that she did not commit any crime according to American law. El-Tahawy was subjected to physical abuse for 12 hours inside the Egyptian Interior Ministry in February 2011, following her arrest within the Mohamed Mahmoud incidents. She was released without charge, but her arms were broken and had been physically assaulted. The interior ministry incident came while journalists were being arrested and attacked by security forces. A Spanish photographer was taken to hospital at the time after being beaten, his equipment was stolen inside Tahrir Square. El-Tahawy, 45, is an Egyptian-American journalist and rights activist born in Port Said. She lives in the US and writes opinion editorials for the Washington Post, New York Times and Al-Masry Al-Youm.