Revolutie in Egypte #196: 2 jaar na de revolutie

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Op vrijdag 25 januari 2013 15:11 schreef Drifter__ het volgende:
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‘Black Bloc’ stops tramway in Alexandria, protests in Cairo

A group of masked men stage protests in Cairo and Alexandria, call for 'the fall of the regime'

http://english.ahram.org.(...)ndria,-protests.aspx

Ook in Egypte het Zwart Blok gebeuren. Deze jongeren dreigen met geweld en hier en daar al gespot met brandbommen....

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Op vrijdag 25 januari 2013 15:18 schreef Drifter__ het volgende:

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Ja en nee.

Aan de ene kant sloop je je eigen land. Aan de andere kant: wie niet luisteren wil, moet maar voelen...

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Rellen in verschillende Egyptische steden

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De broederschap kan zonder corruptie of fraude de parlementsverkiezingen, waarschijnlijk in april, niet meer winnen. Dit betoogde vrijdag de Egyptenaar Umar Ryad die islam in de moderne wereld doceert aan de Universiteit van Leiden. Hij ziet de Moslim Broederschap als een verstard ondemocratisch apparaat dat duidelijk moeite heeft een andere rol te spelen dan die van onderdrukte oppositie. 'Ze doen alsof ze nog in de oppositie zijn en hebben een rigide houding' die de zo noodzakelijke gezamenlijke aanpak van de problemen belemmert. De verdeeldheid van de echte oppositie helpt ook niet mee, maar volgens Ryad ligt het grootste probleem bij 'de tunnelvisie van Mursi en de Moslim Broederschap'.

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Op zondag 27 januari 2013 00:13 schreef Joost-mag-het-weten het volgende:
Welke kant kiest het leger momenteel ?

سحل وضرب مواطن من الامن المركزي علي كوبري قصر النيل

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Sexual assault in Tahrir: What it means, and how to stop it

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Egypt: trapped and terrified in Tahrir

A Cairo-based journalist and photographer describes how she narrowly escaped a mob in Tahrir Square

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The shouting and flamethrowers continued. Two middle-aged women were guided around the tent to us the men protecting us had rescued them from the mob. While we were being urged into the field clinic, the group moving out of the square included remnants of the Egyptian Women for Change march, mostly women over 40, which had been attacked and dispersed in the square. Many women made it away from Tahrir, but a few got stuck in the throng including the women now with us.

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Op zondag 27 januari 2013 20:26 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

The Guardian:

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Op zondag 27 januari 2013 22:30 schreef rakotto het volgende:
Kan het niet zien, maar verbaast me niets wat jij zegt.

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Noodtoestand in drie Egyptische steden

AMSTERDAM - De Egyptische president Mohammed Mursi heeft de noodtoestand afgekondigd voor een periode van dertig dagen in Port Said, Ismailia en Suez. Ook is een avondklok ingesteld.

Mursi deed deze aankondigingen in een televisietoespraak zondagavond. De avondklok gaat zondagavond om middernacht in.

Het besluit volgt op dagenlange rellen en protesten. Daarbij zijn tientallen mensen om het leven gekomen en honderden gewond geraakt.

Mursi waarschuwde verdere maatregelen te zullen nemen, mocht de situatie verder uit de hand lopen. Hij wil maandag met toppolitici om tafel over de toestand in Egypte.

Demonstratie
Na de toespraak van Mursi zijn in Ismailia ongeveer 200 mensen de straten opgegaan om te demonstreren. Volgens een getuige riepen betogers ''Weg met Mursi, weg met de noodtoestand''.

Volgens mensenrechtenactivisten geeft de afkondiging de politie het recht om mensen aan te houden die zij zien als een gevaar voor de veiligheid.

Oppositie
De grootste Egyptische oppositiegroep juicht de maatregelen van Mursi toe. Dat heeft een woordvoerder van het Nationaal Heilsfront (NSF) gezegd. ''Het was de juiste stap, omdat er gewelddadigheden en criminele praktijken aan de gang zijn.''

De groep kijkt uit naar een uitnodiging voor het gesprek waar Mursi het in zijn toespraak over had.

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Op zondag 27 januari 2013 22:46 schreef zuiderbuur het volgende:

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Het was trouwens een Britse reportage van Channel 4:
http://www.channel4.com/p(...)ries-2012/episode-14
(misschien ook al op een Nederlandse zender uitgezonden)

twitter:

TheBigPharaoh twitterde op maandag 28-01-2013 om 13:22:48 Worth a billion words. Nun praying near the Lyc�e school in M. Mahmoud St. Graffiti behind her reads "be with chaos" http://t.co/beYIXI0M reageer retweet

twitter:

RawahBadrawi twitterde op maandag 28-01-2013 om 20:04:21 It is 9.07pm & according to the screens in front of me #PortSaid #Suez & #Ismailia are all breaking their curfew. Army standing by. #Egypt reageer retweet

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Egypt protests galvanised by video of police beating naked man

Opponents of Mohamed Morsi say the footage proves that the president has chosen to order a brutal crackdown

A video of a protester being beaten and stripped naked has galvanised protests against the police and government in Egypt.

Hamada Saber, a middle-aged man, remained in a police hospital on Saturday, the morning after he was shown on television, dragged over naked tarmac and beaten by half a dozen policemen who had pulled him to an armoured vehicle near the presidential palace.

President Mohamed Morsi's office promised an investigation into the incident, which followed the deadliest wave of bloodshed of his seven-month rule. His opponents say it proves that he has chosen to order a brutal crackdown like that carried out by Hosni Mubarak against the uprising that toppled him in 2011.

Another protester was shot dead on Friday and more than 100 were injured, many seriously, after running battles between police and demonstrators who attacked the palace with petrol bombs.

That unrest followed eight days of violence that saw dozens of protesters killed in the Suez Canal city of Port Said and Morsi respond by declaring a curfew and state of emergency there and in two other cities.

"Stripping naked and dragging an Egyptian is a crime that shows the excessive violence of the security forces and the continuation of its repressive practices - a crime for which the president and his interior minister are responsible," the liberal politician Amr Hamzawy said on Twitter.

The incident recalled the beating of a woman by riot police on Tahrir Square in December 2011. Images of her being dragged and stomped on - her black abaya cloak torn open to reveal her naked torso and blue bra - became a rallying symbol for the revolution and undermined the interim military rulers who held power between Mubarak's fall and Morsi's rise.

Morsi has had little opportunity to reform the police and security forces he inherited from Mubarak and the military.

But the police action against protests this time has been far deadlier than it was even a few months ago, when bigger crowds demonstrated against a new constitution. That suggests to opponents that Morsi has ordered a tougher response.

Khaled Daoud, a spokesman for the opposition National Front said: "The instructions of the interior minister to use excessive violence in confronting protesters does not seem like surprising behaviour given the clear incitement by prominent figures in the presidency, and leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood to which the president belongs, and other parties in solidarity with them."

Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood accuse the opposition of stoking unrest to further their demands for a national unity government as a way to retake the power they lost at the ballot box.

In announcing an investigation into the beating of Saber, Morsi's office made clear he was still pointing the blame at the political opponents who have encouraged protests.

"What has transpired over the past day is not political expression, but rather acts of criminality. The presidency will not tolerate vandalism or attacks on individuals and property. The police have responded to these actions in a restrained manner," Morsi's office said.

"Doubtless, in the heat of the violence, there can be violations of civil liberties, and the presidency equally will not tolerate such abuses. In one incident, an individual was seen to be dragged and beaten by police. The minister of interior has, appropriately, announced an investigation."

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Op zaterdag 2 februari 2013 19:16 schreef Drifter__ het volgende:

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Tranen in mijn ogen van het lachen net!

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Het slachtoffer: het is mijn schuld, sorry politie, de demonstranten hebben mij van mn kleren ontdaan. De politie probeerde mij te redden uit hun handen...

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Egypte doet YouTube in de ban

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Egypte heeft videowebsite YouTube voor een maand in de ban gedaan omdat daar een voor moslims beledigende film te zien was. Dat hebben staatsmedia zaterdag gemeld.

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Op zaterdag 9 februari 2013 14:48 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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Vreemde timing.

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Op zaterdag 9 februari 2013 14:48 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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Vreemde timing.

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Sheikh Osama Qassem, a prominent Egyptian Islamic Jihad member, has said that violence is an option to defend President Mohamed Morsy, while also supporting a hardline cleric's recent fatwa allowing the assassinations of NSF members.

Qassem said in an interview with Al-Masry Al-Youm published on Saturday that Islamists would carry weapons to defend Morsy if "saboteurs" continued to attack state establishments.

Qassem is considered the mufti for the once violent Egyptian Islamic Jihad, and spent 25 years in prison after being accused of assassinating the late president Anwar Sadat.



Asked about the latest statement by hardliner cleric Mahmoud Shaaban, Al-Azhar University professor, who had earlier issued a fatwa allowing the killing of NSF leaders, Qassem said that secular figures "deserved" to die.

Qassem added that Sharia allowed the killings, saying that people who protest violently against a ruler were guilty of "Haraba," a Quranic term defined as committing grievous crimes that "sow corruption and chaos on earth." Perpetrators are subject to severe punishment such as amputation and, in some cases, execution.

“The front deserves Haraba punishment,” he added, describing it as a head of sectarianism.

Qassem also criticized Salafi parties' stances against such edicts, accusing them of "revolving within universe of the former president Hosni Mubarak."

“I’m not wondering of the Salafis' standing," he said. "If we remembered some of their stances before the revolution, we will find that they used to revolve within the deposed President Hosni Mubarak’s universe. Some of them used to report [on] people for the sake of the ousted president."



Qassem also said that the organization would return to its former violent ways as a last resort if security forces were "reluctant" to confront opposition members.

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Hundreds on Police Force Protest Egypt’s Government

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Hundreds of police officers shut down the headquarters of the Interior Ministry in at least seven provincial capitals on Tuesday in a series of protests against what they called political exploitation by the government of President Mohamed Morsi.

The demonstrations were a rare instance of open dissent by the country’s security forces.

Officials of a police union that called for a strike on Tuesday charged that Mr. Morsi and his Islamist allies had used the police as tools to beat back demonstrations by his political opponents. They said the government had wrongly scapegoated the officers for the resulting fatalities.

Over the last three weeks, more than 50 people — almost all civilians — have died in clashes with security forces around street protests. Human rights activists have accused the police of excessive force, although the protesting officers sought to shift the blame to the government.

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The cabinet of Prime Minister Hisham Qandil approved a new law Wednesday to regulate protests.

The law puts restrictions on protests, including articles that stipulate that notice must be submitted to the interior ministry five days prior to any protest, including the time, place and objectives of the demonstration.

Minister of Justice Ahmed Mekki said in a press statement Wednesday that the interior ministry does not have the right to forbid protests, but may resort to a judge to change the route of a proposed demonstration.

The law will exclude certain locations from the obligation to notify authorities of protests, justice ministry spokesperson Mahmoud Abu-Shusha told the Turkish Anadolu news agency.

Another article forbids protests within a 200-metre radius of presidential palaces, parliament, ministry headquarters, diplomatic missions, courthouses, hospitals, places of worship, security directorates, and other public buildings and sites.

According to Abu-Shusha, the limit was amended from an earlier draft that stipulated a 500-metre ceiling.

The law also puts limits on graffiti on public or private property, as well as the wearing of masks or head covers.

The cabinet is expected to send the draft legislation to the Shura council for debate.

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'Morsi schrijft verkiezingen Egypte vanaf april uit'

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Leger Egypte komt tussen betogers en politie in Port Said

Het Egyptische leger heeft zich zondagavond opgesteld tussen duizenden betogers en de politie in de stad Port Said.

Daar is het al sinds eind januari onrustig nadat 21 mensen ter dood werden veroordeeld wegens hun aandeel in de dodelijke rellen in het plaatselijke voetbalstadion in februari 2012. Bij de protesten tegen de doodvonnissen kwamen meer dan veertig mensen om het leven.

Demonstranten eisen maatregelen tegen de politie, die zich te buiten zou zijn gegaan aan excessief geweld. In Port Said geldt een avondklok, waar echter weinig mensen zich iets van aantrekken. In de stad wordt al meer dan een week gestaakt.

Ongeveer vijfduizend betogers bekogelden de politie in Port Said zondag met stenen en brandbommen. De oproerpolitie schoot terug met traangas en hagel.

Gewonden
Lokale gezondheidsdiensten meldden 325 gewonden. Het ministerie van binnenlandse zaken zegt dat een agent is gedood door een kogel en dat minstens tien leden van de veiligheidstroepen gewond zijn geraakt.

Soldaten stelden zich zondagavond in een lange rij op tussen de demonstranten en de politie. Betogers beklommen de tanks en betuigden hun steun aan de militairen. "Het volk en het leger zijn ��n hand", scandeerden ze.

Botsingen
De jongste botsingen in Port Said ontstonden nadat bekend was geworden dat 39 verdachten van de rellen in het voetbalstadion werden overgeplaatst naar een gevangenis buiten Port Said.

Een zegsman bij de politie verklaarde dat dit nodig was om de rust te bewaren voor een nieuwe rechtszitting op 9 maart. Daarin wordt mogelijk uitspraak gedaan over de rol van andere verdachten en die van de politie in het stadion.

Ca�ro
Ook in de hoofdstad Ca�ro neemt de spanning in de aanloop naar de rechtszitting toe. De meeste slachtoffers in het stadion van Port Said waren fanatieke aanhangers van de bezoekende club Al-Ahly uit Ca�ro. De zogenoemde Ultra's eisen dat hooligans van de club uit Port Said en de politie worden bestraft.

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The Egyptian government is currently studying the possibility of using private security firms for domestic policing, Justice Minister Ahmed Mekki said at a Tuesday press conference at which he also discussed the controversial case of slain activist Mohamed El-Gendy.

"There is a proposition to legalise the status of private security companies to combat the ongoing security vacuum," Mekki said. "The state is also seeking draft legislation aimed at restricting the activities of outlaws and armed groups, in addition to a law to oversee the funds and expenditures of private [political] organisations."

Mekki's statements came after the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) announced that it was mulling draft legislation aimed at allowing the state to employ private security firms for domestic policing. The move comes amid an ongoing strike by large numbers of Egyptian police officers.

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Op woensdag 13 maart 2013 01:17 schreef rakotto het volgende:
Het leger heeft eerder al gezegd dat ze dit nooit toe zullen staan. Naar mijn mening is dit gewoon een verkapte manier om legaal milities te cre�ren.

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Op woensdag 13 maart 2013 01:18 schreef leeell het volgende:
een vriend (en fokker) zit in Egypte vanwege zn studie, hij zegt dat dit erg gevaarlijk gaat worden, het zijn echte milities, er is al een afgezant van de NL ambassade langs geweest om over evacuatie te praten.

ik moet erheen over 2 weken

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Op woensdag 13 maart 2013 01:35 schreef johnnylove het volgende:

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In de grondwet staat dat je een arrest mag doen als je als burger zijnde crimineel gedrag ziet, aldus Ikwhan.

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Jama'a al-Islamiya and the Muslim Brotherhood announced Tuesday that they are working to form groups known as the civilian police in cooperation with other Islamist groups.

The militias will be able to arrest people they deem to be criminals or breaking laws.

Ahmed al-Iskandarani, a spokesman for the Jama'a al-Islamiya’s Construction and Development Party, said the groups would not take action if police were on the streets. However, should police call for further strikes or withdrawals, community police groups would step in under the supervision of the Interior Ministry. “This system is applied in other countries,” he said.

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To garner further support for the militias, the organizers have issued an open call online.

The civilian police initiative is due to growing strike action of police across much of the country. Many are also distrustful of the police after reports of torture and excessive force used against protesters.

Yehia al-Sherbini, coordinator of the Muslim Rebels Movement, said his group is willing participate as civilian police to maintain security and protect public and private property. “Islamist movements are capable of replacing the police,” he said. “We can arrest outlaws and hand them over to the police or the army.”

“We already started organizing committees in the Assiut and Minya,” he added.

Youth members of the Muslim Brotherhood also demanded on Tuesday that they be allowed retribution after the group’s supreme guide was insulted while dining at a restaurant in Citystars mall on Monday evening.

However, Brotherhood leadership is shrugging off the incident.

“It is a trivial incident,” said Brotherhood member Islam Fares. “The prophet himself was insulted and pelted with stones.”

He added that Egyptians are not known for such behavior and called for residents to respect each other.

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Egypt calls in favours as credit crunch hits key imports

LONDON/CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt has hit breaking point in its ability to pay for imports of oil, wheat and other basic commodities, forcing it to call in diplomatic favours or seek easy payment terms from suppliers who hope for future advantage in return.

Two years after ousting Hosni Mubarak, new, Islamist leaders are struggling to win a credit line from the IMF as they try to manage the hopes of 84 million people with a depreciating currency and an economy hooked on state subsidies but starved of tourism revenues since the political upheavals began.

Fuel shortages, tighter security at petrol stations and scuffles in the streets are becoming common in Egyptian towns as state importers struggle to meet demand for diesel and gasoline.

Though Egypt's strategic importance means world powers seem unlikely to let its economy collapse, the credit crisis is now so acute that it can no longer buy crude in the market, leaving its oil minister scrambling to cut diplomatic deals with Libya, Qatar and Iraq, to add to an existing oil lifeline from Kuwait.

Fearing especially the unrest that might follow a shortage of subsidised bread, the government may prioritise fuel for the food industry. Richard Mallinson, an analyst at Energy Aspects in London said: "The focus is probably on ensuring farmers get enough diesel ahead of the harvest season and bakeries don't run out of fuel as this could trigger food shortage."

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Op vrijdag 29 maart 2013 17:14 schreef leeell het volgende:
Hier in cairo zijn de prijzen van het brood ook echt omhooggeschoten sinds een paar weken

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Op vrijdag 29 maart 2013 17:15 schreef rakotto het volgende:

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Waar zit je in Cairo?

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Op vrijdag 29 maart 2013 17:22 schreef leeell het volgende:

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Agouza

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Op vrijdag 29 maart 2013 18:21 schreef rakotto het volgende:

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Merk je nog wat van MB protesten? Of valt het mee in agouza

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Al-Masry Al-Youm

A Cairo Security Directorate official said the majority of files burned in a fire at the South Cairo Court on Thursday morning in the Bab al-Khalq neighborhood were related to cases regarding events in Tahrir Square following the revolution and regarding the prosecution of public funds.

A security source told Al-Masry Al-Youm denied rumors that the burnt files included documents from the case against former President Hosni Mubarak and former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly accused of killing protesters. They had been moved to another location two months ago, he said.

The offices on the burnt floor housed files for cases related to the prosecution of public funds and events that took place in Tahrir Square after the revolution, in addition to documents from closed cases, the source said.

Mohamed Hanafy, assistant justice minister for court affairs, said it had not yet been determined which files were burned in the fire. "Some files are copied on CDs," he assured.

The official added that he does not know whether the fire was accidental or deliberate. “Forensics are working on it,” he said.

It is not yet known if the documents of Ahmed Qazaf al-Dam’s case, the former coordinator of Egyptian-Libyan relations, were saved.

In an interview with Anadolu news agency, Justice Minister Ahmed Mekky said the incident will prompt the ministry to move ahead with a scheme to digitalize legal documents and adopt an electronic submission system for legal petitions as of October.

The president of the court Hany Abbas said told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the fire destroyed all the files that were kept in the offices of third floor. Some documents in the second floor were destroyed as a result of water leak, he added.

He pointed out that the South Cairo Court is one of the most important courts in the history of the Egyptian judiciary, and seen a number of cases on the killing of demonstrators since the beginning of the revolution until the present day.

Abbas pointed out that documents related to cases in which final rulings have been issued were kept on a microfilm, while the cases that are still being considered before courts or investigated by the general prosecution were lost in the fire.

He ended his comments saying, "Egypt's history has been burnt."

The General Prosecution, however, denied rumors that documents related to the revolution and public opinion cases were burnt, stressing that: "All important documents related to public opinion and revolution cases were taken out [of the court]."

The public prosecution said in a statement on its official page on Facebook, Thursday, "We followed up on what has been reported about the damaging and burning important [documents] that were in South Cairo Court. The prosecution asserts that all important [documents] related to cases of importance to public opinion and the revolution had already been taken out."

The prosecution confirmed that electronic copies of those documents were stored on computers, and demanded that the media ensure the accuracy of its reporting in order to prevent the spread of rumors.

Civil protection forces were able to put out the fire one and a half hours after it broke out. Prosecutors and criminal experts reached the scene Thursday morning to examine the causes of the fire that had broken out at dawn.

Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim also visited, accompanied by a number of Cairo Security Directorate leaders, and praised the efforts of civil protection forces who managed to extinguish the fire before it spread to other floors in the court building.

Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the fire or the extent of damage.

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Op vrijdag 5 april 2013 00:55 schreef Aloulou het volgende:
Waarom zijn de Azhari�s boos op de Moslimbroeders? Uit geleerden van al-Azhar komt duidelijk via hun facebookpagina's terug dat ze boos zijn en gaan demonstreren, omdat de Moslimbroeders met de salafisten samenspannen tegen al-Azhar en Ahmad at-Tayyeb? Zondag is een demonstratie volgens mij.

Egyptenaren hier die daar meer over kunnen vertellen?

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Op vrijdag 5 april 2013 01:10 schreef rakotto het volgende:
Los van het vergiftiging probleem, geloven veel mensen dat de MB de Azhar over willen nemen. Ook gelooft men dat de Salafisten dat willen doen, vooral na de Salafistische schandaal van een paar maadnen terug toen de grondwet gemaakt werd.

Iedereen ziet dat de MB alle belangrijke plekken in nemen en willen nemen, dus ook de titel van de grote Sheikh om een dikke vinger in de pap te kunnen krijgen.

Om heel eerlijk te zijn, ik heb nog niets vernomen over protesten op zondag. Wat ik wel weet is dat er grote protesten worden verwacht op 6 April tegen de huidige regering.

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Op vrijdag 5 april 2013 02:08 schreef Aloulou het volgende:

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Wat de salafisten betreft in Egypte klopt dat, die hond al-Borhami heeft letterlijk dat gezegd in een filmpje dat ik hier een tijd geleden postte waar hij op zijn salafistische bijeenkomst vragen kreeg over "wat hij nou gedaan bereikt heeft" wat de grondwet betreft...erdoorheen geramd door de Moslimbroeders en salafisten vooral. En hij ook over Azhar begon en dat hij helaas daar geen salafistische voet tussen de deur kon krijgen wat de grondwet betreft, omdat alle Egyptenaren "Azhar hoog aanslaan en dat gevoelig ligt". Dat had wat meer tijd nodig en een subtielere politiek zei hij. De salafisten willen maar al te graag invloed in Azhar om van daaruit hun Islam verder bij de Egyptenaren aan de man te brengen, omdat ze dondersgoed weten dat Azhar bij alle Egyptenaren van links tot rechts respect geniet.

Wat ik zoal lees op facebookpagina's van Azhari geleerden en vooral Mahmoud Gibril is dat Azhar een document heeft opgestelt in samenwerking met de regering en vooral Morsi's adviseurs, op hun verzoek overigens, maar dat document nog steeds niet ondertekent is...en ook niet gaat worden. Dat werkt bij Azhar veel argwaan op. Het gaat daarbij ook om de positie van de groot-sheikh Ahmad el-Tayyeb. Het valt mij wel op dat zo'n sheikh Mahmoud Gibril (Azhari) zulke harde taal gebruikt tegen de Moslimbroeders en ook in heel veel berichten...hij maakt ze voor van alles en nog wat uit, "nep Moslims", "geen liefde voor het vaderland en juist alleen maar liefde voor macht" en stelt hen direct verantwoordelijk voor het tot op het bot verdelen van het land overigens en samen te zweren tegen al-Azhar.

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Mubarak forces 'had official approval' to fire live rounds at Suez protesters

Latest leak shows high-level sanction for violence in which 24 protesters died – and raises hopes of jailing perpetrators

Senior interior ministry officials sanctioned the use of live ammunition against protesters in Suez during the opening days of Egypt's revolution, according to a leaked fact-finding report commissioned by the president.

Under the watch of the interior ministry's most senior representative in the region, police fired indiscriminately at crowds from the roof of a police station, according to the report, and senior police officers allowed their deputies to remove weaponry from official stores without presenting identification. The report also describes how a military officer ordered plainclothes police to carry firearms through the streets even after police had been officially evacuated from the city.

These are the latest revelations from a tranche of a report commissioned by the president, Mohamed Morsi, that has been leaked to the Guardian. The new material covers the events of January and early February 2011 in Suez, the first large city to hold major protests against the rule of the then president, Hosni Mubarak.

Earlier leaks documented allegations that the military were involved in torture, killings and forced disappearances during the uprising.

According to the new material, senior interior ministry officials were responsible for the order to use live ammunition to disperse large gatherings, resulting in the deaths of 24 protesters. It claims that high-level officials including Ashraf Abdallah – the ministry's most senior representative in the region – remained in Suez for the opening days of the uprising, and were present in the city as gunmen stationed on the roof of a police station shot "extensively and indiscriminately" into crowds of demonstrators.

Extensive police brutality in Suez has long been alleged by residents and rights campaigners. But the report is significant because it is the first hint of an official state acknowledgment of the crimes. No police officer has ever been jailed for their treatment of protesters, nor has it ever been proved that their behaviour was sanctioned centrally.

"This report is incredibly important because it contains internal orders from the ministry of the interior," said Heba Morayef, Egypt director for Human Rights Watch. "That is incredibly important evidence that hasn't come to light yet. The key question is whether or not police were ordered to arm themselves with live ammunition – and the report concludes that the ministry of interior classified the protest as riots, and that then justified an excessive response on the part of the police."

The chapter documents an "excessive use of force" in densely populated residential areas, with police using tear gas, bird shot and live ammunition. According to one witness, the scene resembled "war in the streets" – and overall the report creates an impression of a chaotic police response that was nevertheless sanctioned by central powers.

In at least one instance, security forces targeted with live rounds citizens standing on balconies as they threw water bottles to the crowds below, testimony compiled by the report alleges. In other evidence, witnesses describe how three noncommissioned officers were joined on the roof of a police station by a chief inspector, and fired machine guns and pistols into the crowds below.

The strength and intensity of the protests in Suez took officials by surprise, and it is where the first deaths of revolutionaries occurred. Fearing the kind of unrest that had swept Tunisia's president from power 10 days before, security officials in Suez issued instructions on 24 January that sanctioned extensive police surveillance and deployments in areas where large crowds could gather.

Police in Suez were the first security officials to kill protesters during the revolution – but none has since been sent to jail. According to the relative of a dead protester who gave testimony to the commission, security officials would later try to avoid culpability by refusing to hand over bodies from the city's mortuary in order to minimise the likelihood that complaints would be filed against them.

Throughout the uprising, armed police in plainclothes roamed the streets of Suez, according to interior ministry documents compiled in the report. In one video seen by the committee, a man identified as a plainclothes police officer is shown firing erratically in the streets. The report claims the practice of disguising armed security personnel in civilian clothes continued even after 29 January when the police were officially evacuated from the city.

The report also alleges that shotguns and other weapons were handed over to police conscripts without IDs. Although security experts could not confirm whether this represents an explicit breach of protocol, they argued that it reflected the chaotic nature of decision-making within police stations as the security services struggled to bring protests under control.

Rights activists hope the leaking of the report will lead to the conviction of the many Suez policemen and officials who remain at large.

"One of the main problems over the past two years has been the difficulty in identifying the perpetrators. In this report, a number of police officers and sub-officers who are not included in current trials are explicitly identified," said Karim Ennarah, a researcher on police and criminal justice at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights. "All should be suspended and, based on the evidence contained in the report, should be prosecuted."

He added: "The findings of the report, based on witness accounts, an inspection of areas surrounding police stations, and a review of the ammunition issue orders and deployment orders, prove excessive use of firearms doesn't even come close to what has been documented in Suez.

"This was nothing short of cold-blooded murder. Police officers identified in the report can be charged for murder, at the very least attempted murder if a direct link cannot be established between weapons used and deaths."

But this week, that did not look likely. One lawyer involved in an ongoing trial of police accused of crimes in Suez during the 2011 uprising – and who was also involved in the drafting of the report – said his findings had not been taken into account by the trial judge. "If the prosecution had done their job, they would have investigated and used it. But I don't think they have done anything," said Mohsen Bahnasy, a human rights lawyer.

The report was presented to the president himself in January, but so far it has not been officially published, creating the impression that Morsi wishes to sweep its damning contents under the carpet.

The presidency told the Guardian on Wednesday that he had not yet read it because it was still be investigated by the prosecutor general. There is a feeling that Morsi wants to avoid angering senior members of the military and police, on whose support the success of his administration depends.

But campaigners stressed it was essential that the report's recommendations were first published officially and then acted on. Any other response, they said, would give the police the green light to continue to behave with impunity.

"This report needs to be made public by the president. It needs to be published so that it can have that official stamp of endorsement," said Morayef. "If we haven't even had a [presidential] condemnation of the repressive response by police during the revolution, then that's what creates this impression that they [still] have absolute discretion."

Egypt's interior ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

quote:

On Saturday, former president Hosni Mubarak will be retried before a criminal court for the charges on which he was convicted last summer: turning a blind eye to the killing of demonstrators during the 18 days of Egypt's 25 January 2011 revolution.

The indictment came with a life imprisonment sentence for the former president, who turned 85 years old on Friday.

The litigation process, during which the public got to see their former president – who ruled the country for three decades – taken into court on a stretcher, lasted for about two years. Mubarak was first interrogated in the spring of 2011 by a prosecutor's office located next to his Sharm Al-Sheikh residence, to which he retreated with his family after stepping down.

The litigation process was marked by endless speculation about the waning health of an old and frail cancer patient whose health condition was all but a military secret during his rule.

Mubarak was reported to have died several times. The former president is, however, still holding up.

"He had his ups and downs, but he has improved slightly recently as he feels that his legacy is being done justice to," said one lady close to the ousted head of state's family.

During the last few months, as outrage grows over the performance of Egypt's first-ever freely-elected president, some of Mubarak's biggest critics have suggested that a fair comparison between the rule of Morsi and that of Mubarak might well favour the latter.

"We are aware that the anti-Mubarak sentiment now is less than it used to be, but our assessment is that if Mubarak was to be freed on Saturday there would be considerable anger from the political forces who have the capacity to garner supporters and start wide demonstrations," said a government official who monitors public opinion.

There is a legal debate among lawyers on whether or not the judge who would start the Mubarak retrial on Saturday has the right to acquit him or not. Lawyers agree that, having been stripped of his liberty for two years, Mubarak is now eligible to be freed pending retrial.

"A two-year temporary imprisonment is the maximum for a citizen charged with a crime and sentenced to life imprisonment. By law, the judge should allow him to go home on Saturday if he is not being held on other charges," explained Hoda Nasrallah, a lawyer for the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights.

On Friday, Mubarak ended his two-year temporary custody and the case is to be litigated on 13 April.

As such, Nasrallah explained, Mubarak should be attending at the court of law, but not behind bars. This will not be the case, however, because he was already ordered into 15-day custody over new charges of embezzling state funds allocated for the restoration of presidential palaces. "Mubarak will still be there, behind bars," she said.

According to an official source who is following the prosecution's examination of the embezzlement charges, "it might well be the case that when the 15-day custody ends in nine days from the start of the retrial, Mubarak will be slapped with another 15-day custody. "Let's face it: there is a political concern here that cannot be overlooked. Such matters are obviously taken into consideration."

For Nasrallah, what counts most from the point of view of "rights" is for justice to be done. "The case file is full of evidence that deserves a closer and more careful look from the court of law that will start examining the case on Saturday. Most of this material was already there during the first trial, but was not considered by the court," she said.

According to Nasrallah, it is too optimistic to expect police to provide sufficient evidence in a case in which the minister of interior was first charged before Mubarak was later charged as well. However, she added, the file includes some solid evidence and testimonies, in addition to new evidence that has been provided, which deserves the thorough attention of the court.

Nasrallah says it is hard to predict the course of the retrial or the time it will take. It is indeed hard to decide whether or not Mubarak will be re-indicted, especially since the charges made before the court that had tried Mubarak the first time were amended from "implication in the killing of demonstrators" to "failing to take the necessary measures to prevent the killing of demonstrators."

One thing Nasralh is sure of: if Mubarak is re-indicted, he will appeal.

According to lawyer and activist Mahmoud Kandil, what is really at stake is the matter of transitional justice "for which one sees no political will."

Several attempts to introduce transitional justice schemes have failed since Mubarak was toppled over two years ago. Today, Kandil noted, it seems that what the regime is interested in is reaching separate deals with key businessmen and regime figures by which the latter would pay back some of the money they were accused of unfairly acquiring in return for their freedom.

"This is not transitional justice. Transitional justice requires a process that starts with admitting wrongdoing and ends with reconciliation," Kandil said.

Mubarak had already paid back a few million pounds that he was charged with having unlawfully taken. Today, lawyers familiar with his case say that the ex-president's family is still willing to pay back more money if he is freed, but they know that ultimately this is a political decision that the Muslim Brotherhood-led government may not yet be willing to take.

Along with charges of "failing to take measures to stop the killing of demonstrators," Mubarak was charged with ordering the illicit sale of natural gas to Israel at below-market prices and of unlawfully acquiring state funds. He was acquitted of the first charge and paid back money to make good on the second.

When Mubarak was first imprisoned, several Arab Gulf countries offered to pay a few billion dollars into Egypt's state coffers to help offset the economic slowdown that followed the revolution. Under public pressure, however, Egypt's then-ruling Supreme Military Council declined the offer.

The offer was made again to President Morsi during the first week of his presidency, but it was again turned down for the same reason: fears of widespread public anger.

There is no clear assessment of the otherwise visible declining dislike of Mubarak, two years after he was removed from office.

quote:

The suicide mission of the Muslim Brotherhood. An outsider’s perspective.

The day Mohamed Morsi was elected as the first civilian president of Egypt in June last year most reform minded people were hopeful. With many leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood Morsi spent many years in prison. No doubt they would do everything to change this ‘society of paranoia’, wouldn’t they? In his first speech as elected president Morsi also promised to form an inclusive government and to appoint a female and a Coptic vice-president. The main question back in June was how Morsi would deal with the army. In a ‘mini-coup’ the army curtailed the president’s position and absolved the People’s Assembly.

And yes, Morsi’s first decisions were bold. He tried to reinstall the People’s assembly. He turned back the ‘mini-coup’ of the army and took the power back. On top of this he fired Field-Marshall Tantawi (and his number two Sami Anan), to replace him with general Sisi. Morsi also appointed as his presidential advisors people from all over the political and religious spectrum. All these steps were of major importance. Not only for Egypt that seemed to be on the way to a rapid reform from a autocratic to a democratic state. The entire world was watching closely.

Moreover, it is hard to underestimate the leading role of Egypt in the Arab world. Egypt is by far the most populated country and claims the historical leadership of the Arab society. Not less important is the fact that the largest political organisation in the Arab world has its origins and its leadership in Egypt: the Muslim Brotherhood. The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is like the communist party in Russia in times of the Soviet-Union. All sister parties in the region are following very closely what they are saying and doing.

Generous in victory, gracious in defeat.

Contrary to their promises the Muslim Brotherhood was not very generous in victory. No female or Coptic vice-president was appointed. The government appeared to be not inclusive. The presidential advisors from outside the Brotherhood were not listened to, while the ones of the Brotherhood had nothing to say. Very soon the old underground culture of following orders instead of discussing them found back its place at the presidential palace. What came back as well was suspicion: every one is against us. The consequence was a bunker mentality: outside the bunker there is a huge conspiracy against the Muslim Brotherhood. The only option is to fight back.

So, that’s what the Muslim Brotherhood did, fighting back. First they replaced the editors in chief of most of the main newspapers. Then they tried to sideline liberal and Coptic voices in the Constitutional Committee. Then Morsi took all power by presidential decree. He sidelined the Constitutional Court and installed his own public prosecutor. He finished the Constitution and put it to a referendum two weeks later.

As the reaction of the people was much bigger than they thought, the Muslim Brothers saw their conspiracy theory confirmed. The only way was fighting back even harder. On the streets and by court. The new public prosecutor started accusing opposition politicians, activists and random people in the street.

However, it must be said that the opposition wasn’t gracious in defeat either. After they organized themselves in the National Salvation Front (NSF) they boycotted as good as everything. By doing so the NSF didn’t miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. They refused to talk to president Morsi, to vice-president Mekki and to the Muslim Brotherhood. They boycotted the Constitutional Committee, the referendum and the elections. If 38 percent of the Egyptians went to vote against the referendum, it was despite and not thanks to the opposition.

The collapse is becoming very close

If all political turmoil would happen in an economic prosperous environment, then the citizens would react with increasing apathy. Unfortunately, the exact contrary is happening. Morsi launched his presidential decree and the constitution during the negotiations with the IMF. Although the IMF is politically neutral, turmoil and fights in the street does make them doubt about the political stability and thus the ability to reform.

Today the IMF doubts proved to be right. No deal has been made. This means that Egypt misses a loan of in total 14,5 billion dollar as the loans of institutions as the EU, the EBRD and the African Union are connected to the one of the IMF. At the same time the Egyptian Pound is faltering, power cuts become a daily issue, rows of cars and trucks waiting for diesel are growing. Tourism – the main source of income – is a disaster. Investors are waiting, while large foreign companies are one after the other leaving the country.

For the average Egyptian the cost of living is becoming a nightmare. The anger is clearly growing. And instead of seeing politicians working hard to improve this situation, they see them fighting and taking decisions about blocking porn on the internet or allowing police officers to grow a beard. Instead of creating an investment friendly environment, the Muslim Brothers are targeting activists, journalists and comedians for insulting the president or insulting religion.

The question is not if but when it will explode

It is hard to overestimate the anger and the fear of the Egyptian people. You could compare it with a room full of gas. It only needs one spark in order to make it explode. That spark could well be the subsidies for bread and energy that need to be reformed. The last time Egypt tried to cut subsidies was in 1977, under Sadat; it immediately lead to the only uncontrollable riots ever. If we see the anarchy today in cities as Port Said, Suez or Malhalla, it is clear that no party will be able to control the streets if the situation explodes.

In the meantime, president Morsi and his government are making the one mistake after the other. It’s as if the Muslim Brotherhood is on a suicide mission. Not only for Egypt but also for the entire Arab world. The same day Morsi issued his decree in November 2012, the protest for political reform in Jordan halted as they feared only the Jordanian Muslim Brothers would profit from it. A few days ago the Syrian Muslim Brothers even complained that their Egyptian counterparts were ruining their reputation.

We know from history that the situation of Egypt is not exceptional. France for example did eighty years from revolution to a stable democracy. And the transition in Central-Europe took almost two decades. History teaches us that the biggest danger in times of collapse and anarchy is the rise of a new populist or a new strong man. That could be someone like the Salafist Abu Ismael or again someone of the army. That would bring the Muslim Brotherhood as well as the opposition back to square one.

But that doesn’t mean chaos is the only way. Although it is already very late, it isn’t too late to move this country forward. Egypt has everything: natural resources, a young ambitious population and the most attractive touristic combination in the world. The only thing that is needed is parties and politicians forgetting their ego and their honour and start a real dialogue about solving problems together. The last window of opportunity is closing rapidly. Dear politicians, for the sake of the people of Egypt, don’t miss this last chance. Otherwise, there will be no winners left.

http://blogs.euobserver.c(...)tsiders-perspective/

quote:

Op zaterdag 13 april 2013 12:50 schreef Drifter__ het volgende:

علاء مبارك في حديث "الابتسامات" داخل القفص

Chilling like a boss.

Deze mensen gaan we binnenkort weer in de politiek zien...

quote:

Spokesman of Egypt’s general prosecution Mahmoud El-Hefnawi stated Saturday that the "revolution’s safeguard prosecution" provided the criminal court retrying Hosni Mubarak with new evidence and testimonies regarding the killing of protesters during the January 25 Revolution.

Former president Mubarak, who was slapped with a life sentence last June for failing to protect peaceful protesters, was granted a retrial in January on appeal due to procedural irregularities in the initial trial.

On Saturday, Judge Mostafa Hassan Abdullah, presiding over the re-trial, recused himself and referred the case to the Cairo Appeals Court.

Facing re-trial along with Mubarak for their role in the murder of protesters during the 2011 uprising are Mubarak's former interior minister, Habib El-Adly, and six of his aides.

El-Hefnawi told Al-Ahram's Arabic-language news website that the binder of new evidence drafted by the fact-finding committee formed by President Morsi contains around 700 pages.

Last November, incumbent President Morsi issued a constitutional declaration of eight articles, among them one ordering the reopening of investigations into charges of murder, attempted murder and wounding of protesters, as well as crimes of terror committed against revolutionaries by anyone who held a political or executive position under the former regime.

The new dossier includes confirmation of evidence looked into earlier by Cairo Criminal Court.

“The accusations against the defendants have been supported with clear evidence,” added El-Hefnawi.

quote:

Op zondag 14 april 2013 01:09 schreef rakotto het volgende:
'Revolution's safeguard prosecution' provides more evidence against Mubarak

[..]

Ahram

quote:

Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has arrived at court to hear if he will be released from prison.

Defence lawyer Fareed El-Dib submitted a memorandum stating his client had already spent two years in provisional detention, which is the maxium allowed under Egyptian law.

Hosni Mubarak was arrested on 12 April 2011.

On 7 April, Prosecutor-General Talaat Abdullah announced Mubarak would be detained for an additional 15 days pending investigations into new charges related to the illegal use of state funds.

Last June, Mubarak received a life sentence for failing to protect peaceful protesters during the January 25 Revolution, but was granted a retrial in January due to procedural irregularities in the initial trial.

The judge overseeing the retrial recused himself on Saturday and referred the case to the Cairo Appeal Court.

Also facing retrial for their role in the killing of protesters during the revolution are former interior minister Habib El-Adly, and six of his aides.

Since his detention in April 2011, the ousted president has complained of health problems and has been moved back and forth from the hospital at Tora Prison to Maadi Military Hospital.

On Saturday, Prosecutor-General Abdullah requested that Maadi Military Hospital transfer Mubarak back to Tora Prison hospital if his health permits.

quote:

Op woensdag 17 april 2013 13:56 schreef rakotto het volgende:
De minister president moet een jaar in de gevangenis brommen. Hij moet ook onmiddelijk zijn positie verlaten.

Dit allemaal omdat hij een uitspraak heeft tegen gewerkt waarin de Tanta Textielfabriek terug in de handen zou moeten van het land.

Totaal onverwacht nieuws en een beetje vreemd om eerlijk te zijn.

Arabische bron:

http://www.almasryalyoum.com/node/1657501

quote:

Op woensdag 17 april 2013 14:19 schreef leeell het volgende:

[..]

huh ?

quote:

The Dokki Misdemeanor Court on Wednesday gave Prime Minister Hisham Qandil a suspended sentence of one year in prison with a LE2,000 bail, on charges of abstaining from implementing a verdict by the Administrative Court that ordered the renationalisation of the Tanta Flax and Oil Company, and rendered invalid the selling of the company to Saudi businessman Abdullah Al-Kaaki.

The company was privatised in 2005 for a sum that was less than its total value, forcing hundreds of workers into retirement, and depriving some workers of annual bonuses that they received when the factory was under state ownership.

The lawsuit against Qandil was brought by a number of the company’s workers.

Wednesday’s court verdict also ordered the sacking of Qandil from his post as prime minister.

Qandil was appointed in August by President Mohamed Morsi.

quote:

Op zaterdag 13 april 2013 10:46 schreef Aloulou het volgende:
De Moslimbroeders op zelfmoordmissie:

[..]

quote:

Op woensdag 17 april 2013 23:00 schreef Drifter__ het volgende:

[..]

Is een voorwaardelijke straf h�. Dus hij gaat niet de cel in.

quote:

April 6 founder Ahmed Maher has survived a serious car accident in which his car was written off.

Maher's car hit a parked truck on the Cairo ring road on Monday.

He was taken to Ahly Bank Hospital and released shortly afterwards.

Maher is currently at South Cairo police station filing a report into the incident.

Mohamed Adel, a founding member of April 6, said Maher has injuries to his arm and leg but they are not serious.

Maher doesn’t know if the accident was caused by a criminal act or not, Adel added.

Police arrested Maher on Friday for "inciting protests" outside the interior minister’s Cairo residence in March.

He was released from detention on Saturday, pending investigations into the allegations by the prosecutor-general.

After his release on Saturday, Maher said, "What is taking place now is worse than what was being experienced during Mubarak’s time," and the only difference is that Morsi is doing it with a religious tint.

quote:

Fuel-short Egypt faces long, hot summer

CAIRO (Reuters) - A gift of gas to Egypt from tiny Qatar shows just how tough this summer is shaping up to be for the government in Cairo, facing a funding crunch and power cuts as it struggles to contain explosive public discontent.

Daily blackouts have darkened homes and businesses across the country over the past few weeks, aggravated in recent days by an early summer heatwave that has Egyptians cranking up their air conditioners.

Qatar on Monday offered five cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG), worth perhaps $300 million, "as a gift to the Egyptian people during the summer months".

It is a small gesture from a Gulf ally which has already lent Egypt some $7 billion in the past year but highlights how tough times are for the 84 million Egyptians.

Falling living standards since the 2011 revolt that ended six decades of military rule have led to disillusionment focused on Islamist President Mohamed Mursi and his Muslim Brotherhood. Opponents have called for mass protests on June 30, the first anniversary of Mursi's election.

The country's budget deficit has widened, the Egyptian pound has weakened, and investors have taken fright, sending the Cairo share index on Monday to its lowest close in more than 10 months.

A vicious circle of unrest and slumping tourism revenues has drained government cash reserves, leaving ministers scrambling for favours abroad, notably to maintain supplies of heavily subsidised fuel and bread that account for a quarter of all government spending.

"We will suffer this summer," said Mohamed Shoeib, who until recently ran EGAS, the state natural gas concern, and is now a managing director at private equity firm Citadel Capital.

"This will be the hardest and most difficult and darkest summer Egypt has ever seen."

quote:

Violent clashes between Muslim Brotherhood members and supporters of the anti-government 'Rebel' (‘Tamarod’) campaign took place in the coastal city of Alexandria late on Wednesday, leading to the local headquarters of the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party being destroyed.

The Rebel campaign is a signature drive launched in May with the intention of "withdrawing confidence" from President Mohamed Morsi, who hails from the Brotherhood, by collecting 15 million citizens' endorsements before the end of this month.

As campaign members were seeking to collect signatures from pedestrians in the central Raml district, hundreds of Brotherhood members coming from Tawhid Mosque locked horns with the campaigners.

Al-Ahram's Arabic-language news website reported that, as well as fist fights, both camps exchanged stones. The same report also quoted a local, Mohamed Abdulla, as saying that Brotherhood members "fired live rounds in the air."

The use of firearms, according to Abdulla, angered the residents of the area and caused them to "completely destroy" the headquarters of the Freedom and Justice Party, which is located in the area.

Al-Ahram reported that thousands of angry residents later gathered around the Tawhid Mosque, where Brotherhood members were hiding.

By contrast, the Arabic-language website of the Freedom and Justice Party said that dozens of Rebel supporters attacked FJP and Muslim Brotherhood members as well as residents, using bladed weapons and birdshot.

Khaled El-Kadi, coordinator of the Rebel campaign in Alexandria, said that six members of the campaign had sustained serious injuries in the clashes and had been hospitalised.

According to Al-Ahram, a large number of security forces arrived at the scene after the clashes and surrounded Tawhid Square, where the mosque is located, while residents chanted: “Down with the rule of the [Brotherhood] Supreme Guide,” and “Mr. Brotherhood wake up, 30 June is the last day.”

The 'Rebel' campaign has called for nationwide protests on 30 June to coincide with the end of Morsi's first year as president.

Most Egyptian opposition parties and groups have endorsed the planned protests, including the main opposition umbrella group, the National Salvation Front, which is led by former presidential hopefuls Mohamed ElBaradei, Hamdeen Sabbahi and Amr Moussa.

quote:

Op donderdag 13 juni 2013 12:20 schreef rakotto het volgende:
FJP's Alexandria office destroyed by angry residents after clashes

[..]

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/73876.aspx

quote:

Op donderdag 13 juni 2013 14:40 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

[..]

De broederschap is niet meer zo populair, nee.

quote:

Egypt's Cabinet has approved a draft law proposal carrying increased prison sentences for street crime offences and assaults on police officers.

The draft law, which was submitted to the Shura Council's Legislative and Constitutional Affairs Committee Saturday, assigns the death penalty for those convicted of forming street gangs to assault groups of citizens or resisting policemen with firearms.

The law also includes a new punishment of two years imprisonment and a fine of LE5000 for blocking roads and halting traffic and rail passage intentionally.

Assaulting a policeman with light or live fire would be punishable by three to 10 years instead of six months to two years, with fines ranging from LE20,000 to LE60,000 instead of LE200.

A senior police official told Egypt's state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper that Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim had requested to meet President Mohamed Morsi to present him with the draft proposal.

The Egyptian police has been the target of increased hostility since the January 25 Revolution, which was in part triggered by anger at widespread police brutality.

Police have been relatively absent from the streets since the revolution, leaving a national security vacuum.

quote:

Communists aim to bring chaos to Egypt’s streets, says Tarek El-Zomor, head of the political bureau of Gamaa Islamiya’s political arm, the Construction and Development Party.

In comments made Saturday on Twitter, El-Zomor said: “There is no doubt now that communists are the main inciters of violence in Egypt’s streets.” El-Zomor called on citizens to “defeat them this time" as they (Egyptian citizens) "did once before.”

El-Zomor further claimed weapons were being stolen from the police and crimes committed in the name of the government, to discredit it and “add fuel to fire.”

The statements of the Islamist figure comes amidst calls made by the anti-Mohamed Morsi Rebel campaign to demonstrate 30 June for early presidential elections.

In that context, El-Zomor warned that violence was being prepared, asserting: “Molotov Cocktails and pellets cannot defeat a people’s will,” and assuring that the opposition will not be successful in toppling President Morsi.

The anti-government grassroots Rebel petition campaign was launched in May with the intention of "withdrawing confidence" from President Morsi and forcing early presidential elections by collecting 15 million citizens' endorsements — more than the number of votes that elected him.

The campaign, which announced 29 May that it had collected seven million signatures, called for the mass protests to coincide with Morsi's first anniversary in power. The campaign has accused the president's administration of "failing to implement policies to improve the life of ordinary people."

Leading Islamist figures from the Muslim Brotherhood, the group from which the president hails, as well as other Islamist groups have criticised the campaign and accused its members of infringing on popular will.

Morsi was elected last year in Egypt's first post-Mubarak presidential elections.

quote:

Jamaa al-Islamiya leaders have slammed Egyptian opposition groups, accusing them of waging war on Islam ahead of anti-government protests planned for 30 June.

Assem Abdel Magued, a member of Jama'a al-Islamiyas Shura Council, dubbed Tamarod opposition campaign leaders hostile to Islam on Friday.

In an interview with the pro-President Mohamed Morsy Salafi-oriented Hafez satellite channel, Abdel Magued said that Tamarod is led by communists, Nasserist, remnants [of former President Hosni Mubaraks regime] and Coptic extremists.

The campaign, which translates as "rebel" in Arabic, had been financed by corrupt businessmen, he claimed.

All the remnants of the former regime have signed the rebellion petition, notably [former prime minister] Ahmed Shafiq, [former Arab League secretary general and foreign minister] Amr Moussa and the former defendants in the Battle of the Camel [case], in order to overthrow the revolution...They do not want a regime brought by the revolution, Abdel Magued argued.

The Jama'a al-Islamiya leader said that 30 June, a day when opposition forces plan huge protests against Morsy's government, would witness another "Battle of the Camel," one of the worst days of violence during Egypt's 2011 revolution.

On 1 February 2011, men on horses and camels attacked peaceful protesters inside Tahrir Square. Scores were injured during the skirmish.

Another Jama'a al-Islamiya Shura Council member, Safwat Abdel Ghany, meanwhile said the current dispute was not in fact about President Morsy, his policies or Egypt's economic crisis.

Rather it represented a "war on Islam," he claimed.

Abdel Ghany, a leading figure in the groups Construction and Development Party, said Islamist forces would not advocate violence or thuggery at protests, speaking during a Fayoum rally organised by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party on Friday.

We say it clearly. We are against any drop of blood shed from any Egyptian. But, if we are forced, it is our right to defend ourselves by force, Abdel Ghany added. We will not be the first to attack or to use violence, but whoever wants to burn down our headquarters or the nation, we will confront them.

Abdel Ghany, a Shura Council member, pointed to unrest in Turkey's Taksim Square as well as Tunisia, the Gaza Strip and Palestine and Libya, stressing that the "war on Islam" could be seen across the Middle East.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

عاجل وخطير جدااا جداااااا من شيخ سلفى يحرض ويكفر الشعب الى هينزل يوم 6-30 فى حضور الرئيس مرسى

quote:

Rising unemployment combined with rapid inflation has left many Egyptians jobless and desperate. High-profile violence and political instability have tanked Egypt’s tourism industry, a major player in the Egyptian economy. During the Mubarak era, before the Arab Spring of 2011, the police were more or less omnipresent: stationed on most street corners and extremely diligent when it came to snuffing out any sign of public dissent, crime, or infraction. Now though, many view the police as inept, undisciplined, corrupt, or simply absent. Their disappearance from the streets is leaving a power vacuum that is being filled by a crime wave.

In this fraught climate, families and business owners have taken to arming themselves. The porous border with Libya, combined with the widespread looting of police stations during the revolution, has flooded the country with a new stock of weapons. I sat down with Sayed—a lingerie salesman turned arms dealer, based in Port Said—to learn more about Egypt's burgeoning private gun market.

VICE: How did you get into this business?
Sayed: I started right after the revolution. With all the bad economic conditions, some businessmen in Port Said were getting robbed by thugs. They would stop the trucks carrying containers and take the shipment. So, we thought about it. I have money riding on these shipments, and could lose it all in a second. We decided to arm ourselves. I went to Arish [The largest city in the Sinai peninsula], bought 600,000 Egyptian pounds' [about $86,000] worth of weapons, came back to Port Said and got three well-known criminals to market my guns. Step by step, we became weapons dealers.

quote:

Egyptian activists hope for 'second revolution' a year after Morsi's election | World news | The Guardian

Opposition plans large-scale demonstrations on Sunday, with some hoping army may step in to facilitate transition of power

Egypt is holding its breath for mass demonstrations to mark the first anniversary of President Mohamed Morsi's election on Sunday, amid speculation the army might intervene in the event of large-scale civil unrest.

Opposition activists claim an unverifiable 15 million Egyptians have signed a petition demanding Morsi's removal, and expect a significant proportion of that number to take to the streets on 30 June. There have already been outbreaks of fighting in two cities, where Morsi's still-sizeable support base has launched counter-protests. As a result, many opposition actors hope the army, who deployed armoured vehicles on Cairo's streets on Wednesday, will be forced to intervene and facilitate a transition of power.

A senior military source told the Guardian on Thursday that the army did not want to intervene. But they stated that if Sunday's protests were as widespread and prolonged as those that drove Egypt's 2011 uprising, and if serious fighting broke out between Morsi's supporters and his opponents, then the army may regard the protests as a more legitimate representation of the people's will than the elections that brought Morsi to office a year ago – and would step in to facilitate a transition of power to a technocratic caretaker government.

The eventual scale of the protests nevertheless remains uncertain, and could yet prove highly exaggerated. But some of Morsi's opponents are convinced 30 June will be as pivotal as the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak.

"It's a second revolution," claimed Ahmed Said, a leader of the National Salvation Front (NSF), the secular opposition's largest coalition. "The semi-final was played on 25 January 2011. This is the final. I don't know how long it will take, but Morsi's going to go – and Egypt will never be the same after the 30th."

But protesters may have underestimated the size of Morsi's support, as well as the lethargy of Egypt's silent majority – many of whom may have been won over by Morsi's earthy speech to the nation on Wednesday night. Though recent polls suggested his popularity had halved since last autumn, his core following remains strong, and can mobilise just as easily as his opponents. At least 100,000 Islamists gathered in east Cairo last Friday to recognise Morsi's democratic legitimacy – and will do so again this week. They suggest his critics put their energy into campaigning for parliamentary elections, which are expected to be held in the next six months.

"Democracy all over the world works in the same way," said one of them, Sabry Roushdy, a teacher from Kafr-el-Sheikh, northern Egypt. "You come by the ballot box, and you go by the ballot box. It's not right that a section of society should bring him down just because they don't think he is good for the country."

Morsi himself refused to consider standing down during his two-and-a-half-hour speech on Wednesday. He apologised for some of his mistakes, and offered to let opponents help amend parts of Egypt's divisive new constitution. But in the main he focused on shoring up his own support – and blamed attempts to unseat him on "enemies of Egypt" bent on undermining democracy.

With all factions unwilling to make compromises acceptable to their opponents, neutral observers fear a violent outcome. "Egyptians are living in their own bubbles," said Nathan Brown, a professor of Middle Eastern politics at George Washington University. "The number of actors who think they speak for the entire Egyptian people is a little bit troubling. The presidency thinks it has been elected by the entire Egyptian people. The army think they are one hand with the people. The opposition think they are the entire society."

Brown said that "in almost any other country", such profound polarisation might lead to civil war. He ruled out such an outcome in Egypt, where the various factions have no organised militias, but nevertheless anticipated some kind of breakdown in political and civil order.

Clashes have already broken out between Islamists and their opponents in some northern cities, with two killed and more than 200 injured in Mansoura and Tanta. Many Egyptians expect even worse on Sunday, and have resorted to panic-buying food and petrol, leading to snaking queues at most gas stations, sparse shelves at many shops – and a shortage of cash at some banks.

In a sign of international concern at developments, the US ambassador to Egypt, Anne Patterson, spent much of last week trying to convince opposition leaders to rein in their demands.

Some want early presidential elections to end the impasse – but others demand Morsi's immediate departure. They want the army to help replace him with a neutral, technocratic cabinet who would oversee the re-writing of Egypt's new constitution before organising new polls.

It was the creation of the Islamist-slanted constitution last November that first sowed the seeds of major dissent. For his opponents, Morsi's unilateral decision to fast-track its completion – despite major secular objections – was the act of a dictator. It showed that while he may have been elected democratically, he is unconcerned about the wider democratic values on which successful democracy depends. For some, it also indicated Morsi was unwilling to build the political consensus that many of those who tentatively voted for him expected him to seek.

"Yes, the opposition must share their portion of the blame," said Yasser el-Shimy, Egypt analyst for the Crisis Group. "But President Morsi should have done more to reach out. The most detrimental act of Morsi's tenure so far has been that he has not assiduously built consensus and reconciliation as much as he should have."

Morsi's decision to award key government positions to his allies rather than his opponents has angered the latter camp, while he has been blamed for the repression of dozens of journalists and activists such as Bassem Youssef and Alaa Abdel Fattah. Rights campaigners also lament his failure to reform the police, whose brutality helped spark the 2011 uprising, and continues unabated. Most notably, following the deaths of more than 40 protesters in Port Said during gun battles with the police in January, Morsi chose to praise police actions, rather than investigate them. "For me, that was pretty much the end," said Heba Morayef, Egypt director for Human Rights Watch. "Those last shreds of optimism that I had were lost finally and conclusively in January, with his response to the Port Said crisis."

Morsi's allies maintain that his attempts to reform Egypt have been hampered by Mubarak-era holdovers. But that is scant consolation for Egypt's poorest, many of whom blame his government's incompetence for a marked fall in living standards. Egypt's economy is on the brink, leading to ballooning food prices, and widespread fuel shortages. "He's ruining the country," said Yasser Abdel Samir, a Mansoura resident who had spent hours queuing for petrol. "Look at this petrol queue. That's because of him. There's no water. There's no electricity. Salaries are low. Food prices are high. He's going down on the 30th."

But such an outcome is unlikely without the intervention of the military. Analysts emphasise that the army has little desire to involve itself after its mixed attempt at interim government following the fall of Mubarak. "The military will only intervene as a last measure – to prevent the collapse of the state itself," said Shimy. "They know that they will be trying to catch a falling knife if they try to take over."

Shadi Hamid, director of research at the Brookings Doha Center, argued that Morsi and his political opponents might yet agree to a compromise before such an intervention was necessary.

"I think you'll see very large protests, clashes here and there, and a certain amount of deaths around the country," said Hamid. "But the fundamental balance of power will remain. Morsi will stay, and we'll have an effective stalemate. Perhaps the reality of that stalemate, when it dawns on people that Morsi hasn't left power, will force both sides to finally get serious about sitting down and making concessions."

But for now Egypt remains dangerously split, with many past the point of assigning any legitimacy to their opponents' points of view. "Are you Brotherhood," asked one opposition activist of passersby in Mansoura this week, "or are you Egyptian?"

Bron: www.guardian.co.uk

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Al Ahram updates

16:05 All Brotherhood offices in Alexandria are closed and its local leaders have not been seen on the streets or been reachable by phone, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reports.

Large numbers of people from the historically pro-Islamist Wardiyan, Al-Qabary and Al-Ma'wa districts of Alexandria are marching to demand the removal of President Morsi.

15:40 Back in Alexandria, violent clashes are taking place between hundreds of anti-government protesters and members of the Brotherhood outside it’s local headquarters.
Gunshots can be heard in the vicinity of the clashes, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reports.

15.35 A march has left Sphinx Square in Cairo's Mohandiseen calling on people to protest against President Morsi on 30 June. The march is moving towards Agouza in the presence of security forces and an ambulance. Participants are distributing Egyptian flags and red cards to drivers and chanting against the Muslim Brotherhood.

15.30 Meanwhile, numbers are increasing in Cairo’s Tahrir Square as several anti-Morsi marches arrive, including those from Sayeda Zeinab and Al-Azhar Mosque. Protesters carrying Egyptian flags and holding up red cards are chanting, "On 30 June at Ittihadiya, down with Morsi and the Brotherhood."

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Op vrijdag 28 juni 2013 20:50 schreef Drifter__ het volgende:
Over Amerika gesproken, dit komt net binnen.

[..]

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Op vrijdag 28 juni 2013 22:39 schreef Meki het volgende:
Jammer Egypte gaat zijn eigen graf.

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Geweld in Egypte bij protesten

_{Toegevoegd: vrijdag 28 jun 2013, 20:10
Update: vrijdag 28 jun 2013, 22:11}

In Alexandri�, de tweede stad van Egypte, hebben aanhangers en tegenstanders van president Morsi met elkaar gevochten. Een Amerikaan werd met een mes in zijn borst gestoken en overleed later in het ziekenhuis.

Tientallen demonstranten raakten gewond. De politie gebruikte traangas om de demonstranten uiteen te drijven.

Manifestatie
Tegenstanders van Morsi bestormden vanmiddag het hoofdkwartier van de Moslimbroederschap in Alexandri�. Ze stichtten brandjes in het gebouw en gooiden papieren en meubels uit het raam. Ook in Ca�ro demonstreerden vandaag tienduizenden mensen pro en contra de regering.

De laatste dagen zijn in verschillende steden in Egypte aanhangers en tegenstanders van de Moslimbroederschap met elkaar op de vuist gegaan. In totaal zijn zeker vijf mensen omgekomen. De oppositie organiseert zondag een grote manifestatie waarin Morsi wordt opgeroepen om af te treden. Zondag is hij precies een jaar aan de macht.

Politieke onrust
Het leger heeft uitgebreide veiligheidsmaatregelen genomen. De legerleiding roept op tot verzoening in Egypte en waarschuwt dat het zal ingrijpen als de betogingen uit de hand lopen. De democratie zal beschermd worden, heeft de legertop gezegd.

Het eerste jaar van de regering is gekenmerkt door voortdurende politiek onrust en een inzakkende economie.

Verzoening
Morsi zei woensdag dat het land verlamd wordt door politieke tegenstellingen. Zijn aanbod tot een dialoog is door de oppositie afgewezen. Volgens zijn politieke tegenstanders is de Moslimbroederschap niet ge�nteresseerd in het delen van de macht.

Religieuze leiders in Egypte hebben gewaarschuwd voor het uitbreken van een burgeroorlog in het land. Zij hebben een oproep gedaan tot verzoening, nadat gisteren een aanhanger van Morsi bij een betoging om het leven was gekomen. Hij is volgens de Moslimbroederschap al de vijfde aanhanger van Morsi die in de afgelopen dagen door geweld is omgekomen.

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Op vrijdag 28 juni 2013 22:39 schreef Meki het volgende:
Jammer Egypte gaat zijn eigen graf.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2013 00:46 schreef tass het volgende:
Ik ben net terug uit Egypte en wat me opviel de laatste week is dat zelfs het gewone personeel in de resorts praat over zondag.
De gewone mens in zelfs toeristenplaatsen praten openlijk hun afschuw uit over Morsi. De stap vooruit toen Moebi aftrad is veranderd in 2 stappen achteruit.
ik kan alleen maar hopen dat er geen onnodige doden gaan vallen, maar ik ben er bang voor....

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2013 01:06 schreef Veldkamp het volgende:

[..]

Oh, natuurlijk.

Net zoals premier Erdogan stimuleert Mursi het terrorisme en extremisme.

Vorige maanden is Mursi openlijk door de Salafisten (Al Nour-Partij en anderen) omarmd en gesteund wegens zijn sektarische islamistische programma.

En als de gewone bevolking (zoals in Egypte ook in Syri� en Turkije) geen islamistische extremisten accepteert, dan "graaft men zijn eigen graf".

Welk graf?

Het massagraf voor de afgesneden hoofden van onschuldige mensen door jouw islamisten en salafisten (knokploegen Mursi en Erdogan en Al Qaradawi)?

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2013 01:07 schreef Veldkamp het volgende:

[..]

Dit is wel verontrustend.

Egypte is een prachtig land, maar de Moslimbroederschap en Salafisten storten het land al maanden in een burgeroorlogachtige toestand.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2013 08:21 schreef tass het volgende:
Als het blijft gaan zoals het nu gaat is Egypte daadwerkelijk het nieuwe Iran over een paar jaar, maar ik hoop dat dat niet gaat gebeuren. Morgen is daadwerkelijk de 2e revolutie omdat de meeste mensen dat ook zien en dat niet willen. De revolutie van 2 jaar geleden ging niet alleen om het afzetten van de dictator maar ook om de boodschap dat de mensen mee willen in de 21e eeuw en niet willen blijven hangen in de 13e eeuw.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2013 10:56 schreef Meki het volgende:

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Moet jij zonodig zeggen die assad openlijk steunt en voor massamoorden is in Syri�.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2013 11:11 schreef Veldkamp het volgende:

[..]

Iran is veel moderner onder de islamitische ayatollahs dan Egypte nu is. Mursi gaat terug naar stenen tijdperk met zijn salafistische vrinden.

Iran is totaal anders en voor jou onbegrijpelijk.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2013 11:18 schreef Aloulou het volgende:

[..]

Iran is moderner dan Egypte? In welke zin? Je Iranese Islamistische shariavrienden passen de sharia toe in alle facetten van het leven hoor en zijn fel tegen secularisme, in Egypte is de sharia dan wel "bron van wetgeving" maar worden niet alle facetten ervan toegepast in het leven.

Jij denkt toch niet dat de taal die je uitslaat ten overstaande van soennitische Islamisten en shariastrijders in Syrie ook in Iran mag uiten tegenover Islamisme daar? Seculiere en zeker socialistisch/communistische lui maken ze gehakt van. Na de Islamitische revolutie in Iran zijn duizenden vooral linkse Iranezen (vraag het aan Afshin Elian) gevlucht voor Khomeini's regime. Marxisten, commies, socialisten....eigenlijk je ideologische maatjes die wel in Syrie regeren nu....hadden ze in Iran gewoond kort na de Islamitische revolutie dan waren ze nu als politiek vluchteling ergens in Europe of Amerika.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2013 11:12 schreef Veldkamp het volgende:

[..]

Ik ben voor massale "moorden" (legeroperaties en anti-terreuracties) door het legitieme regeringsleger tegen terroristen inderdaad. Zoals elk weldenkend mens daarvoor is.

Overigens ben ik nog meer voor vrede, compromis, wapenstilstand en vreedzame dialoog. Anders dan jij en jouw soortgenotenhelaas.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2013 12:06 schreef Veldkamp het volgende:
Iran is veel vrijer dan de staten waar Moslimbroederschap en Salafisten vandaan komen en vandaan gefinancierd worden.

Ik ben geen voorstander van sjiitisch islamisme van Khomeini. Integendeel.
Toch is Iran in praktijk vrijer. Veel vrijer en toleranter, ook naar minderheden toe.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2013 12:06 schreef Veldkamp het volgende:
Niet naar monarchisten en communisten toe inderdaad.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2013 12:21 schreef Meki het volgende:

[..]

Jij bent de enige in Fok die smerige rat assad steunt. De meesten hier op Fok steunen geen rebellen en geen assad. Ik steun de onschuldige bevolking en geen rebellen omdat ze niet georganiseerd werken.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2013 12:21 schreef Meki het volgende:

[..]

Jij bent de enige in Fok die smerige rat assad steunt. De meesten hier op Fok steunen geen rebellen en geen assad. Ik steun de onschuldige bevolking en geen rebellen omdat ze niet georganiseerd werken.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2013 12:26 schreef Veldkamp het volgende:

[..]

De onschuldige bevolking van Syri� staat voor wel 70 % achter Assad, terwijl slechts 10 % de terroristen steunt.

Dat zijn de feiten.

Anders was president Assad allang weg geweest.

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Op het Tahrirplein in Ca�ro is een 22-jarige Nederlandse vrouw aangevallen. Berichten dat zij is verkracht wil het ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken bevestigen noch ontkennen.

Een medewerkster van de Nederlandse ambassade heeft de vrouw opgevangen. De Egyptische autoriteiten zijn een onderzoek gestart naar het incident.

Geweld
Voor later vandaag staat een grote demonstratie tegen president Morsi gepland in de Egyptische hoofdstad. Het Tahrirplein is al volgestroomd met tienduizenden mensen. Dit weekend is Morsi een jaar aan de macht.

Er wordt rekening gehouden met gewelddadigheden bij de demonstratie. De afgelopen dagen was het bij de betogingen tegen Morsi ook al onrustig. Verschillende mensen kwamen om het leven, onder wie een Amerikaan. Er raakten honderden mensen gewond.

De Verenigde Staten hebben een deel van het ambassadepersoneel teruggetrokken en roepen burgers op niet naar Egypte te reizen

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2013 22:46 schreef aerdt het volgende:
Verontrustend is ook dat ze het meer en meer over 'moslims tegenover niet-moslims' hebben, wat de spanningen alleen maar erger maakt.

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Op zondag 30 juni 2013 10:57 schreef sonnyspek het volgende:

[..]

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Op zondag 30 juni 2013 11:52 schreef wikwakka2 het volgende:

[..]

Zo doen ze dat. Lekker tegen elkaar ophitsen en "strijders van de Islam" (lees: makkelijk be�nvloedbare schapen) die zich dan aangesproken voelen om wat medemoslims met een andere mening af te maken.

[..]

Hoewel ik het erg voor die vrouw vind, ben je ook niet helemaal snugger meer als je je als vrouw bewust in die mensenmassa mengt.

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Op zaterdag 29 juni 2013 12:21 schreef Meki het volgende:

[..]

Jij bent de enige in Fok die smerige rat assad steunt. De meesten hier op Fok steunen geen rebellen en geen assad. Ik steun de onschuldige bevolking en geen rebellen omdat ze niet georganiseerd werken.

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Op zondag 30 juni 2013 11:52 schreef wikwakka2 het volgende:

Hoewel ik het erg voor die vrouw vind, ben je ook niet helemaal snugger meer als je je als vrouw bewust in die mensenmassa mengt.

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Egypt's Mohamed Morsi remains defiant as fears of civil war grow

In exclusive interview with the Guardian, Morsi defiantly rejects call for elections, setting stage for trial of strength on the streets

Egypt's Mohamed Morsi remains defiant as fears of civil war grow
In exclusive interview with the Guardian, Morsi defiantly rejects call for elections, setting stage for trial of strength on the streets

Protests against the rule of Mohamed Morsi in Tahrir Square. Photograph: ITAR-TASS/Barcroft Media
David Hearst and Patrick Kingsley in Cairo View all 49 comments
The Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi, vowed there would be no second revolution in Egypt as thousands planned to gather outside his presidential palace calling for his removal after only a year in power.

In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, Morsi rejected opposition calls for early presidential elections and said he would not tolerate any deviation from constitutional order. He said that his early resignation would undermine the legitimacy of his successors – creating a recipe for unending chaos.

"If we changed someone in office who [was elected] according to constitutional legitimacy – well, there will people or opponents opposing the new president too, and a week or a month later, they will ask him to step down," Morsi said.

"There is no room for any talk against this constitutional legitimacy. There can be demonstrations and people expressing their opinions. But what's critical in all this is the adoption and application of the constitution. This is the critical point."

With at least seven already dead and over 600 injured in clashes between Morsi's Islamist allies and their secular opposition over the past few days, and with tensions set to rise on Sunday, Morsi's defiant stance sets the stage for a trial of strength that will be played out on the streets of Cairo in front of his official residence. Once gathered, the opposition have vowed not to leave it until he resigns.

The man at the centre of a national storm was uncannily certain of himself and his staying power. Asked if he was confident that the army would never have to step in to control a country that had become ungovernable, Morsi replied: "Very."

But Morsi's assured demeanour contrasted to the tense atmosphere that surrounded him on Saturday afternoon. Morsi held back-to-back meetings with top-level state officials, including the prime minister, Hisham Qandil, the interior minister, Mohamed Ibrahim, and several senior officers, including the head of the armed forces, General Abdel Fattah Sisi – whose ambiguous comments in recent days have led to widespread hopes in opposition ranks of military intervention.

Morsi had decamped from Itahadiya palace, the traditional seat of the president, which is now surrounded by makeshift concrete walls in anticipation of Sunday's protests. In its place, he held court on Saturday at the Quba Palace, the birthplace of Farouq – the last king of Egypt.

Morsi claimed Egyptian private media channels had exaggerated the strength of his opponents – and blamed this week's violence on officials loyal to former president Hosni Mubarak.

Morsi said the media had taken "small situations of violence and then magnified them as if the whole country is living in violence". He dismissed the organic nature of the opposition to his rule, and maintained that the fighting had been co-ordinated by "the deep state and the remnants of the old regime" who had paid off hired thugs to attack his supporters in the Muslim Brotherhood.

"They have money, and they got this money from corruption. They used this corrupt money to pull back the regime, and pull back the old regime into power. They pay this corrupt money to thugs, and then violence takes place."

The president refused to name which countries were meddling in Egypt's affairs, but maintained that it was happening. Asked whether he was referring to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Morsi replied: "No, I am talking in general terms. Any revolution has its enemies and there are some people who are trying to obstruct the path of the Egyptian people towards democracy. I am not saying it's acceptable, but we observe it everywhere."

Morsi admitted for the first time in the English-language media that he regretted making a constitutional declaration which gave him wide powers – a move that the opposition saw as dictatorial, and which he soon rescinded.

This was the pivotal moment of his first year, sowing the seeds for widespread dissent against his administration.

"It contributed to some kind of misconception in society," Morsi said, distancing himself from one of the most divisive clauses in the new Islamist-slanted constitution, which allows for greater religious input into Egyptian legislation. "It's not me who changed this article. I didn't interfere in this constitutional committee's work. Absolutely not."

The president added that once MPs were finally elected to Egypt's currently empty lower house of parliamentary, he would personally submit constitutional amendments for debate in the house's very first session.

But Morsi's contrition only went so far. Amid opposition claims that the failure to achieve consensus had led to Egypt's current polarisation, Morsi blamed the refusal of secular politicians to participate in the political process for the impasse. He denied that his government was unduly loaded with Islamists. He went on to list numerous offers he claimed he had made to bring non-Islamists on board, while simultaneously defending the right of a popularly-elected president to promote his allies. "This is the concept of real democracy," he said.

Morsi denied that he had ever offered leading secular politician Mohamed ElBaradei a job – but named Mounir Fakhry and Gouda Abdel Khalif as two opposition ministers who left his cabinet against his wishes. "That's the situation," Morsi claimed. "We offer people [jobs] and they refuse." Even now, Morsi said the offer for dialogue with opposition members remained open – though the opposition say such meetings are a waste of time because Morsi only pays lip-service to their point of view.

Morsi has been criticised for betraying a key goal of the 2011 uprising that toppled Mubarak: security sector reform. Since rising to power, Morsi has avoided criticising the police – even in the face of allegations of extreme malpractice. This January, after over 40 people died in gun-battles with security officials in Port Said, Morsi even praised the police, and gave them more powers.

Asked why he had repeatedly refused to criticise specific instances of police malpractice, the president claimed that his praise was meant in a more general sense. "When I say I am supporting the police or the army, I am talking about the army in general and the police in general. In general, those institutions are good institutions. Accordingly if there are certain violations, or crimes, or abuses by certain individuals – well, the law takes its course."

But Morsi has even been accused of kicking into the long grass allegations of security force brutality under previous regimes. After his election, he commissioned a fact-finding report into police and military wrongdoing during and after the 2011 uprising. But he has never published its findings, and when its damning contents were leaked to the Guardian in April, Morsi chose to praise the army and police, and promoted three generals.

"I'm supporting the institution," he again claimed this weekend. "I'm not supporting the individuals. And of course, the number of people who committed the violations are very small in comparison to the institutions."

Morsi appeared to be treading a fine line between blaming stubborn state institutions for the failures of his administration in one moment, while embracing them in the next – perhaps to avoid making the situation worse.

Throughout the one-hour interview, Morsi hinted that the intransigence of Mubarak-era state officials was holding up reform of state institutions such as the interior ministry, who control the police. He noted the stubbornness of "a deep state and its impact on running the country, and the desire of some people who come from the previous regime to [create] corruption", calling the extent of state corruption one of the most unpleasant discoveries of his first year.

While peppering his remarks with frustration at Egypt's "deep state", Morsi stressed his faith in Egypt's military high command – and in particular in Sisi. He admitted that he had not had prior warning of Sisi's comments last Sunday, in which the general appeared to give civilian politicians a week to resolve their differences.

"We constantly talk together over time," Morsi said, but "we can't restrict every single word announced by officials in this country". Glancing at his spokesmen for the first time in the interview, Morsi also claimed that the army had been burned by their previous involvement in power and that "they're busy now with the affairs of the army itself".

Morsi emphasised his democratic legitimacy. But while acknowledging that he was elected freely and fairly, many of his opponents argue that he does not uphold the wider democratic values on which a successful democracy relies. Among many other complaints, critics condemn his appointment of Talaat Abdallah as attorney general, claiming that Abdallah pursues political cases against activists and media personalities critical of the president – such as Alaa Abdel Fattah, who rose to prominence during the 2011 uprising, and Bassem Youssef, Egypt's leading satirist. But Morsi refused to accept this argument, arguing that Abdallah operated completely independently of Morsi.

"The cases you're talking about – they were filed by citizens or by lawyers, and the prosecution dealt with [them]. And the prosecution and the judicial system are fully independent," Morsi argued.

"If someone wants to say that I interfered in the work of the public prosecutor, he has to provide evidence of that, and an example of that."

As his opponents bank on this year being his last, Morsi confidently predicted that he would serve a full term.

"It has been a difficult, very difficult year. And I think the coming years will also be difficult. But I hope that I will all the time be doing my best to fulfil the needs of the Egyptian people and society."

The problem remains that Egypt is bitterly divided on whether he should be allowed to do so.

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Op zondag 30 juni 2013 14:27 schreef YazooW het volgende:
Wat voor een boodschap zou het leger willen afgeven door met die Apaches over Tahrir te vliegen? Dat ze achter het volk staat of als waarschuwing dat ze maar beter rustig kunnen blijven?

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Op zondag 30 juni 2013 15:15 schreef De_Guidance het volgende:
[ afbeelding ]

Dit zou "leave" beteken. Voorpagina van een krant.

Dus rood is tegen Mursi denk ik.

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Op zondag 30 juni 2013 15:30 schreef aerdt het volgende:

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Ja. Heel veel mensen lopen ook met een rode kaart in hun handen om aan te geven dat het genoeg is geweest en dat hij moet vertrekken.
In Al-Arish is nu ook een grote demonstratie begonnen tegen de Muslim Brotherhood, wat ik vrij opvallend vind. Al-Arish is zo'n 50 km van de grens met Gaza en is behoorlijk -heel Sinai trouwens- conversatief. De afgelopen dagen echter hebben de grootste bedouin stammen aangegeven achter de anti-Morsi demonstranten te staan.

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Op zondag 30 juni 2013 19:45 schreef Pek het volgende:
Dus dan ga je er als 22-jarige huppelkut lekker tussen staan
Iets over spek en een kat enzo.

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Op zondag 30 juni 2013 19:54 schreef sonnyspek het volgende:

[..]

Ze moeten gewoon van je afblijven.

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Op zondag 30 juni 2013 20:36 schreef Drifter__ het volgende:
zou toch wat zijn als ze het voor de 2de keer flikken....

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Op zondag 30 juni 2013 20:44 schreef Drifter__ het volgende:

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.....die hard op weg was ook een dicator te worden en het land naar de tering te brengen.

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Op zondag 30 juni 2013 21:12 schreef Opa2012 het volgende:
Toch zal er economisch hervormd moeten worden. Een straatarm land kan natuurlijk niet blijven doorgaan met het uitdelen van (praktisch) gratis benzine en brood, zelfs een land als Nederland kan dat niet. Stoppen met de hand ophouden en gaan werken voor je brood.

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Op zondag 30 juni 2013 21:17 schreef Pharmacist het volgende:

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Precies. Hoewel ik totaal niet met de Islamisten sympathiseer denk ik dat momenteel niemand de Egyptenaren tevreden kan houden. Ik denk dat Morsi een onmogelijke taak had toen hij begon. Mocht Morsi afgezet worden, het ik nu al medelijden met Morsi's opvolger.

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Op zondag 30 juni 2013 21:37 schreef Eyjafjallajoekull het volgende:

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De kans is dan ook groot dat een opvolger ook niet iemand is om naar huis te schrijven, aangezien alleen machtsbeluste mensen deze plek willen. Elk normaal, eerlijk persoon ziet namelijk dat het idd geen doen is om dit land te besturen nu.

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Op zondag 30 juni 2013 22:29 schreef Drifter__ het volgende:
Ik weet zeker dat de MB geen water bij de wijn zal doen. Die zijn zo ziek dat ze liever sterven. Ik weet niet of Morsi nog te "redden" is. Men roept namelijk er7al er7al. Een nieuwe regering is denk ik al te laat.

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Op zondag 30 juni 2013 23:05 schreef Drifter__ het volgende:
Geruchten over een speech van generaal Al-Sisi. Militaire coup in aantocht?

Ontkent door woordvoerder president.

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Op maandag 1 juli 2013 14:34 schreef aerdt het volgende:
De oppositie heeft Morsi tot dinsdag gegeven om af te treden, anders leggen ze het land plat. Op maandag morgen hebben 4 ministers hun ontslag gegeven.

twitter:

martelf twitterde op maandag 01-07-2013 om 16:37:53 The army gives 48 h to all forces to reconciliate otherwise they take the power. Defeat of #Morsi already. (official TV) #June30 #TAHRIR reageer retweet

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Leger geeft Morsi 48 uur om aan eisen demonstranten te voldoen

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De Egyptische politie is intussen openlijk in opstand en bericht op haar Facebookpagina geen vinger uit te zullen steken ter bescherming van kantoren van de Moslimbroederschap.

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Leger Egypte kondigt ultimatum af
Het Egyptische leger heeft een ultimatum van 48 uur afgekondigd. Binnen die tijd moet de politieke crisis in het land opgelost zijn, anders volgt er een interventie.

Dat melden diverse internationale media.

In de Egyptische steden Ca�ro en Alexandri� gingen de afgelopen dagen miljoenen mensen de straat op om te demonstreren tegen het beleid van president Mohammed Mursi.

Tijdens het protest werd onder meer brand gesticht in het hoofdkantoor van de Moslim Broederschap-partij van Mursi. Zowel het leger als de politie hielden zich tijdens de protesten afzijdig.

De Egyptische oppositiebeweging gaf Mursi eerder tot dinsdagmiddag 17.00 uur om op te stappen.

Als de president niet vertrekt en geen nieuwe verkiezingen uitschrijft, roept de protestbeweging op tot een algehele staking en burgerlijke ongehoorzaamheid.

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Op maandag 1 juli 2013 16:53 schreef De_Guidance het volgende:
Ah er komt dus een militaire coup aan. Was te verwachten.

Tot zover de democratie. Kort maar krachtig zullen we maar zeggen.

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Op maandag 1 juli 2013 16:55 schreef nummer_zoveel het volgende:
Mensen zijn ook wel ongeduldig, maar hoorde op de radio dat het land op het moment gewoon een chaos is, voedselprijzen hoog, veel werkeloosheid, onveiliger op straat. Je zou idd denken dat een regering toch moeite doet daar wat aan te doen. Of te proberen in ieder geval. Maar dat doen ze waarschijnlijk niet?
Het leven was ten tijde van Mubarak in ieder geval beter.

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Op maandag 1 juli 2013 16:59 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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Nee, toen was het ook kut, maar hoorde je er niets van.

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Op maandag 1 juli 2013 17:01 schreef nummer_zoveel het volgende:
Waar uit bestaat de oppositie?

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Op maandag 1 juli 2013 17:04 schreef Papierversnipperaar het volgende:

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Topic #1 belde

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Op maandag 1 juli 2013 17:01 schreef nummer_zoveel het volgende:
Waar uit bestaat de oppositie?
De regering moet investeren in werk voor mensen, en dat kinderen naar school gaan.

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Op maandag 1 juli 2013 17:07 schreef De_Guidance het volgende:

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Er is een crisis.

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Op maandag 1 juli 2013 17:06 schreef nummer_zoveel het volgende:

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Ik heb wel wat beters te doen dan 196 topics doornemen. Jij weet het, dus dan kun je het wel even zeggen....

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Op maandag 1 juli 2013 17:00 schreef YazooW het volgende:
En nu? De aanhang van de Moslimsbroeders gaan dit zomaar pikken?

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Op maandag 1 juli 2013 17:09 schreef nummer_zoveel het volgende:

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Ze hebben van oa de EU miljarden gekregen.

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The presidential office has announced that it will hold a press conference at El-Qobba presidential palace at 9pm on Monday evening, to discuss current political developments.

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Op maandag 1 juli 2013 17:12 schreef YazooW het volgende:

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Op maandag 1 juli 2013 17:36 schreef MouzurX het volgende:
Een democratie met een combinatie van partijen en geen moslimbroederschap meer

twitter:

Bassem_Sabry twitterde op maandag 01-07-2013 om 17:45:21 Alarabiya is claiming ten ministers have resigned from the Qandil cabinet. Then house of cards is crumbling fast. #Egypt reageer retweet

twitter:

evanchill twitterde op maandag 01-07-2013 om 17:59:29 Raise your hand if you think a highly disciplined religious movement that survived arrests & killings for 85 years is going to go quietly. reageer retweet

twitter:

Occupied_Nation twitterde op maandag 01-07-2013 om 18:13:13 RT @70torinoman: Via @UnToldCarlisle: NOW: Military chopper circling over demonstrations in #Tahrir, #Egypt. http://t.co/muLpdx8Kg5 reageer retweet

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Op maandag 1 juli 2013 16:55 schreef nummer_zoveel het volgende:
Mensen zijn ook wel ongeduldig, maar hoorde op de radio dat het land op het moment gewoon een chaos is, voedselprijzen hoog, veel werkeloosheid, onveiliger op straat. Je zou idd denken dat een regering toch moeite doet daar wat aan te doen. Of te proberen in ieder geval. Maar dat doen ze waarschijnlijk niet?
Het leven was ten tijde van Mubarak in ieder geval beter.

twitter:

DerekStoffelCBC twitterde op maandag 01-07-2013 om 18:20:28 More helicopters over #Tahrir - this time flying huge Egyptian flags. Crowd eats it up. #egypt http://t.co/zVo37vgJJQ reageer retweet

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Op maandag 1 juli 2013 18:23 schreef Drifter__ het volgende:
Hahah het leger met hun heli's. Super!