Tag: Egypt

Update: Egyptian Army issues ultimatum- “Get off the streets! “

Peanut Gallery: I’m still betting on Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood to prevail in Egypt. The Army’s entrance on the scene just reinforces my position.

In a deft political maneuver, Morsi reversed his earlier position opposing the military and has now left the power and privileges of the Egyptian military pretty much in tact in the new constitution. So… you can see where this is going. The Egyptian military is going with the Morsi flow – forget “power to the people.“ It’s not going to happen.

Take notes folks… you’re watching “Islamic Democracy“ in action.
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Egyptian army clears protesters from presidential palace after deadly clashes Published December 05, 2012 – Associated Press

Egyptian Army deploy near the presidential palace to secure the site of overnight clashes between supporters and opponents of President Mohammed Morsi in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012. The Egyptian army has deployed tanks outside the presidential palace in Cairo following clashes between supporters and opponents of Mohammed Morsi that left several people dead and hundreds wounded. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Egyptian Army deploy near the presidential palace to secure the site of overnight clashes between supporters and opponents of President Mohammed Morsi in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012. The Egyptian army has deployed tanks outside the presidential palace in Cairo following clashes between supporters and opponents of Mohammed Morsi that left several people dead and hundreds wounded. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
CAIRO – The Egyptian army deployed tanks and gave both supporters and opponents of Mohammed Morsi a deadline to leave the area outside the presidential palace Thursday following fierce street battles that left five people dead and more than 600 injured in the worst outbreak of violence between the two sides since the Islamist leader’s election.

The intensity of the overnight violence, with Morsi’s Islamist backers and largely secular protesters lobbing firebombs and rocks at each other, signaled a possible turning point in the 2-week-old crisis over the president’s assumption of near-absolute powers and the hurried adoption of a draft constitution.

Morsi, meanwhile, seemed determined to press forward with plans for a Dec. 15 constitutional referendum to pass the new charter.

Opposition activists defiantly called for another protest outside the palace later Thursday, raising the specter of more bloodshed as neither side showed willingness to back down.
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Watch Fox News video on Morsi Power Grab.
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But the army’s Republican Guard, an elite unit assigned to protect the president and his palaces, gave protesters on both sides until 3 p.m. to clear the vicinity, according to an official statement. The statement also announced a ban on protests outside any of the nation’s presidential palaces.

Continue reading “Update: Egyptian Army issues ultimatum- “Get off the streets! “” →

Islamic Democracy in Action: Egypt continues down the Sharia road- please pray for Coptic Christians

Peanut Gallery: I’m a lousy predictor of election results (read Nov 6) but this one looks like an easy call.

The people of Egypt will overwhelmingly approve the draft constitution in a referendum engineered by the Muslim Brotherhood. Sharia law will be skillfully woven into the constitution and- when push comes to shove- will trump all other considerations.

All the noise in the Egyptian street right now is just that… noise. The Muslim Brotherhood will have their way and they know it.

The Western diplomatic spin will be “it could have been worse if the Salafist’s had their way.“ Just wait.

Please pray for the new Coptic Pope, the Coptic Church and Coptic Christians around the country. Life is going to become even more difficult for them. God help them.
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Morsi supporters hit the streets as Egypt braces for referendum
Please click on above link for full story and related news.

Egyptian Islamists are holding rallies in support of President Mohammed Morsi ahead of his expected ratification of a new post-revolutionary constitution that opponents fear is too based in sharia law and does not adequately protect human rights.

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The demonstrations in Cairo and across the country come after days of rival protests by supporters and opponents of Morsi, who is expected to call a quickfire referendum on Saturday on the new draft constitution in order to hurry it through before Egypt’s supreme constitutional court can dissolve the assembly that drafted it.

The draft has been criticised for its ambiguous language on civil liberties, women’s and minority rights and freedom of expression, as well as its concentration on enshrining sharia law as the basis for legislation. It also protects army privileges that Morsi’s opponents want revoked, including the ability to try civilians in military courts.

Continue reading “Islamic Democracy in Action: Egypt continues down the Sharia road- please pray for Coptic Christians” →

Please pray for Coptic Christians as Egypt moves down the Sharia road

Morsi’s Egypt: More power, more persecution

Christian human-rights analysts warn the expanded powers seized by Egypt’s president means more anti-Christian persecution to come.

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In a set of legal maneuvers this week, Muslim Brotherhood-anointed President Mohamed Morsi moved to sidestep the courts and make his office immune to judicial oversight. With no constitution to restrain him, Morsi holds broad executive and legislative authority.

Middle East analyst Theodore Shoebat’s concern is what Morsi’s power grab means for Egypt’s Christians. He references two regimes – one ancient, one modern – to illustrate what happens when leaders opposed to Christianity take control.

“Before Nero inflicted a full persecution on the church, he at first seized full control of the Roman government,” Shoebat said.

“In order for us to comprehend how Christians will be eventually persecuted under a Muslim Brotherhood Egypt, we must look to North Sudan, a country also run by a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Omar al-Bashir,” he continued.

“Bashir has committed a genocide of millions of Christians all in the name of jihad. And he, like Morsi, also believes that the Quran must be the constitution of his country,” Shoebat said.

Shoebat said he sees no reason to believe Morsi will not follow the model of both Nero and al-Bashir.

“The same will happen in Egypt. Continue reading “Please pray for Coptic Christians as Egypt moves down the Sharia road” →

Egyptian Islamic Democracy: Pharaoh swap

Peanut Gallery: Ah… Egyptian Democracy in action… the pesky little inconvenient truths of the Arab Spring… swapping one dictator for another.

Good thing we backed the moderate transformed Muslim Brotherhood candidate. What’s that? He’s the new Pharaoh?

Nothing to see here folks… move along.
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Egypt’s Morsi Takes Dictatorial Powers

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Egypt’s president on Thursday issued constitutional amendments that placed him above judicial oversight and ordered the retrial of Hosni Mubarak for the killing of protesters in last year’s uprising. Mohammed Morsi also decreed immunity for the Islamist-dominated panel drafting a new constitution from any possible court decisions to dissolve it, a threat that had been hanging over the controversial assembly.

Liberal and Christian members withdrew from the assembly during the past week to protest what they say is the hijacking of the process by Morsi’s allies, who they saw are trying to push through a document that will have an Islamist slant marginalizing women and minority Christians and infringing on personal liberties. Several courts have been looking into cases demanding the dissolution of the panel.
Continue reading “Egyptian Islamic Democracy: Pharaoh swap” →

BBC- Coptic Christian Pope Tawadros enthroned in Cairo

Coptic Christian Pope Tawadros II enthroned in Cairo

The new pope of Egypt’s Coptic Christian church has been formally enthroned in Cairo.

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Pope Tawadros II was confirmed as the new leader of Egypt’s Christian minority at a ceremony at St Mark’s cathedral in the Egyptian capital.

The 60-year-old succeeds Pope Shenouda III, who died in March after four decades on the patriarchal throne.

The enthronement comes at an uncertain time for Egypt’s Christians, following the fall of Hosni Mubarak last year.

Sectarian attacks against Coptic Christians and churches in Egypt have increased since his fall, and many Christians are concerned about the rise of Islamist political forces.

Christians make up 5-10% of Egypt’s majority Sunni Muslim population and form the largest Christian minority in the Middle East.

Egypt’s Islamist President Mohammed Mursi did not attend Sunday’s enthronement, though Prime Minister Hisham Qandil was there.