Former MP Mustafa Al-Naggar has warned that the anticipated violence on 30 June could mark the beginning of a “full-scale civil war” in Egypt, calling on Islamists not to stage counter protests against anti-Morsi demonstrators.
The Rebel campaign, a signature drive aims at gathering 15 million endorsements to withdraw confidence from President Mohamed Morsi, has called for mass protests at the presidential palace 30 June.
While the turnout of protesters is expected to be high, with many political forces and remnants of the former regime eager to participate, figures from the Muslim Brotherhood, from which Morsi hails from, and other Islamist forces announced they would hold a counter-rally.
“Considering staging counter-rallies would mean the beginning of a full-scale civil war. That’s not an exaggeration,” Al-Naggar said on his Twitter account.
He also highlighted what he described as “severe indictments from religious [TV] channels against the [anti-Morsi] 30 June protesters, and accusations that they are criminals and saboteurs.”
“I was shocked by those who tried to make it look as if it is a confrontation between Islam and infidels … Reasonable people have to stop this incitement and accusations of betrayal, because it will result in Egyptians’ bloodshed.”
Al-Naggar, who some years ago belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood, the group from which President Morsi hails, called on protesters to be peaceful and for state authorities to protect them.
Last December, clashes erupted after Morsi supporters arrived at the presidential palace where an opposition sit-in and protest was taking place against the 22 November 2012 constitutional declaration. Both sides swapped accusations of responsibility for the violence, claiming that the seven killed were from their respective camps.
After bloody confrontations, a number of videos circulating on the Internet showed civilians being tied up, physically abused and interrogated by bearded men in the vicinity of the presidential palace.
One of the victims was a former Egyptian diplomat, Yehia Negm, who alleged during an interview with Al-Hayat TV channel that Brotherhood members tortured him for several hours.
In March, a host of protesters gathered at the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood to protest against “Brotherhood rule.” A number were assaulted by members of the Islamic group, as videos and photos showed.
Anti-Brotherhood protesters were infuriated because Mervat Moussa, political activist and member of Egypt’s Popular Current movement, was knocked out with a slap across her face by a Brotherhood supporter at the group’s HQ in earlier confrontations.
Source : Ahram
