Unrest back in Egypt worries students in Philly

For some college students in Philadelphia, the protests in Egypt hit close to home.

Students - either from Egypt or with family members in the country - over the past week have been trying to learn of their relatives' well-being, with varying degrees of success.

Some have been able to reach their loved ones. Marwa Ibrahim, a Penn junior from Egypt, has gotten through to her family in Cairo by calling their land line by using Skype.

"They are all safe, mainly because they haven't been going outside," Ibrahim wrote in an e-mail. "They are reporting that the youth in the neighborhood have taken it upon themselves to protect the area against looters."

Penn junior Patrick Elyas, who has uncles and cousins in Egypt, said that his mother was able to reach an uncle there and found out that his family is safe.

Other students, however, haven't been so lucky. Hend Salah, a sophomore at Temple and the public-relations chairwoman of the school's Muslim Students Association, said that her mother has not been able to contact relatives in Egypt.

"We don't know how everything's going," Salah said. "All we see is what's on TV. It's not very promising."

Temple's Muslim Students Association is working with other groups in the city to organize a march in support of the protesters Wednesday afternoon, beginning at 22nd and Market streets and ending at City Hall. Salah said that the hope is to have about 120 people in attendance, weather permitting.