Egypt's Islamist alliance urges protest to support Morsi's reinstatement

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Egypt's Islamist alliance urges protest to support Morsi's reinstatement

(Xinhua) 08:22, August 29, 2013

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CAIRO, Aug. 28 -- The National Alliance for Supporting Legitimacy, a pro-ousted President Mohamed Morsi bloc, called for massive protests on Friday in an attempt to pressure for the reinstatement of the "legitimate leader," official news agency MENA reported Wednesday.

In a statement, the alliance "urged the Egyptian people to take to the squares on Friday to continue peaceful protests for bringing the legitimate president back to his office."

Morsi was elected in mid-2012 as Egypt's first president after the toppled leader Hosni Mubarak. But he was ousted by the military on July 3 due to his "maladministration" in his first year of rule as claimed by millions of protesters. Islamists have since then labeled the move as a "military coup."

The alliance, formed by 33 Islamic movements including the Muslim Brotherhood from which Morsi hails, also announced " peaceful civil disobedience plan" starting from Friday.

But "Brotherhood without Violence," a breakaway group from the mother movement of Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, called for aborting all acts of protests on Friday.

The newly established group, in a statement, expressed regret for the Egyptian citizens over "the bloodletting due to the Muslim Brotherhood leaders' practices, which incited strife among the citizens." It reiterated that the Muslim Brotherhood's senior leaders had abandoned the real tolerant principals of Islam, and replaced it with extremist concepts.

The Interior Ministry has issued a high security alert ahead of the planned rallies by Islamists on Friday, as security sources said that police officers will be deployed to secure public facilities, police stations, embassies and government headquarters around the country.

Two weeks ago, the Egyptian security forces dispersed two major pro-Morsi sit-ins in Cairo and Giza, and the ensuing clashes between security men and Morsi's loyalists killed nearly 1,000 people nationwide, including about 100 policemen.

Hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood members, including its leader in Egypt Mohamed Badie and his two deputies, were arrested then over charges of inciting violence and killing anti-Morsi protesters. On Wednesday, another 60 wanted Muslim Brotherhood members were arrested for having reportedly stormed police stations and attacked and intimidated people, and the police found with them weapons, ammunition and prescription for making homemade bombs.

Younis Makhyoun, chief of ultra-conservative Salafist Al-Nour Party, the second important Islamic party after the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, said his party was working to achieve stability in Egypt and prevent a civil war.

At a joint press conference with presidential media adviser Ahmed al-Mislimani, he said "his party is keen to reach a national reconciliation," stressing the necessity of not isolating any faction from the political process.

（Editor：YaoChun、Zhang Qian）