Background:

This interview is with Raʾfat Saʾīd, a merchant, who was in a way or another was forced to leave his city due to constant terrorist threats by Al-Jamā'ah al-Islāmīyah to pay them money. He explains the incidents and the role of the police in fighting the escalating terrorism in the city of Banī ʿEbid, (not far from Ābū Qurqaṣ), al-Minyā. Raʾfat Saʾīd later moved with his family to ‘Izbat al-Nakhl in Cairo where he set up a shop in the main street starting from the metro station carrying the same name in this district.

Side A:

Raʾfat Saʾīd gives an account on the actions of the terrorist group for 6 years through which he and his family had to leave their money and business to escape from terrorist threats. It started in Ābū Qurqaṣ' incidents which included the killing of many people (mostly Christians) and burning many of their shops. Saʾīd's shop was burned after he and his family received a threat letter to pay the extremist group 10,000 pounds which he had refused.

Although he and his family lived next to the police station, the extremists continued on coming even in the early morning. As the family sought the help of the Church; they were told not to pay the money. The police advised them to leave their city for a period of time. Thus, they left for a month. During this period other incidents took place in their city. Saʾīd's neighbor, a brother to one of the members of the extremist group Bahāʾ Muḥammad ʿAbbās, was killed by the group after helping the police to reach them. He was set as an example to those who help the police against Al-Jamā'ah al-Islāmīyah.

Later, family heard that the group was looking for them again to take money. This time a police officer insisted that they would leave. Considering it more of a command rather than an advice, the family left again but tried to sell their property.

Saʾīd expressed his sorrow by adding how the police forces are not active enough to arrest this group even when they do operations with a limited number or in a small setting. He adds that people actually started paying them money to protect themselves.

Side B:

Saʾīd adds that all of these events were mentioned in the newspapers. Even though, the family left for 5 months, the group kept on looking for them to gain money. Saʾīd stresses on the matter that the police is not capable of arresting them as this group seemed to be more organized than the former. He even accused the police of being an accomplice of the group. The family's financial status was now even worse than before. Saʾīd admits that he would have saved more money by paying them the ransom. The deficiency in the police is that it's corrupt. He describes the catastrophe as sporadic from a city to another. There are even other incidents of converting girls into Islam by tempting them with money and or manipulating them into marriage