World Muslims React to Egypt Turmoil
Sharing Egyptians their anger, thousands of Muslims demonstrated in Indonesia and Malaysia Friday, August 16, against security forces crackdown on supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi, in which hundreds were killed.
“As Muslims we feel a connection to those in Egypt,” Indonesia’s protest organizer Arief Aditya told Agence France Presse (AFP).
“The Egyptian military is using inhumane tactics against protestors,” added Aditya, who is the head of the Islamic Organization at the University of Indonesia.
Aditya is one of about 1,000 protesters who converged on the United States embassy in Jakarta after Friday prayers
The protests came as Cairo braced for more protests after supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi called for a “Friday of anger.”
Protesters held brandished placards reading “Stop Egypt Massacre”, “Jihad for Egypt” and “Stop Killing” as scores of riot police stood guard.
"I call on the honest men of Egypt and the Arab and Muslim nations ... to stand as one man and with one heart in the face of attempts to destabilize a country that is at the forefront of Arab and Muslim history," he added.
Protests were arranged after hundreds of peaceful protesters camping in Rabaa Al-Adaweya and Nahda squares were killed when army-backed security forces attacked them early on Wednesday.
The Health Ministry said at least 638 Egyptians were killed and more than 3000 others injured in violence that engulfed the country.
The imam of the Iman Mosque in Nasr City told Anadolu Agency that 350 bodies were sent to the mosque after Zenhom [Cairo's main morgue] has been over flooded with bodies.
Youssef Talaat, a member of the National Alliance for the Defense of Legitimacy, a coalition Islamist parties and figures supportive of Morsi, put the toll at 2,600, Anadolu Agency said.
The 17-year-old daughter of leading Muslim Brotherhood figure Mohamed el-Beltagy was among the dead. Asmaa al-Beltagy was shot in the back and chest, her brother said.
At least 5000 people have been injured.
Similar protests were held in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur after Friday prayers.
Protesters held posters that read “Respect the people's choices, not the coup,” and shouted in unison “Long live Morsi!”
“We want the world to urge the UN to stop the killing,” said Khairudin Abas, a protest organiser with Muslim group ABIM.
The NGO organized similar protests at other major mosques in several states around Malaysia, along with the country's opposition Islamic political party and other groups.
“We want the military to stop the killing and return power back to Morsi, the democratically elected president,” he told AFP.
The protesters in the Indonesian and Malaysian capitals dispersed peacefully later in the afternoon.
Both the Indonesian and Malaysian governments have expressed deep concern over events in Egypt, with Malaysia urging its citizens to defer non-essential travel to the country.
Similar protests erupted on Friday in Tunisia, Jordan and Turkey against security crackdown on protesters.
Egypt has been thrown into turmoil after Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected president, was toppled by the powerful military after massive protests against his regime.
The army also suspended the constitution and instated the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court as interim president.
The Muslim Brotherhood, from which Morsi hails, has vowed peaceful protests until the Islamist president is reinstated.
Source: On Islam
“The Egyptian military is using inhumane tactics against protestors,” added Aditya, who is the head of the Islamic Organization at the University of Indonesia.
Aditya is one of about 1,000 protesters who converged on the United States embassy in Jakarta after Friday prayers
The protests came as Cairo braced for more protests after supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi called for a “Friday of anger.”
Protesters held brandished placards reading “Stop Egypt Massacre”, “Jihad for Egypt” and “Stop Killing” as scores of riot police stood guard.
"I call on the honest men of Egypt and the Arab and Muslim nations ... to stand as one man and with one heart in the face of attempts to destabilize a country that is at the forefront of Arab and Muslim history," he added.
Protests were arranged after hundreds of peaceful protesters camping in Rabaa Al-Adaweya and Nahda squares were killed when army-backed security forces attacked them early on Wednesday.
The Health Ministry said at least 638 Egyptians were killed and more than 3000 others injured in violence that engulfed the country.
The imam of the Iman Mosque in Nasr City told Anadolu Agency that 350 bodies were sent to the mosque after Zenhom [Cairo's main morgue] has been over flooded with bodies.
Youssef Talaat, a member of the National Alliance for the Defense of Legitimacy, a coalition Islamist parties and figures supportive of Morsi, put the toll at 2,600, Anadolu Agency said.
The 17-year-old daughter of leading Muslim Brotherhood figure Mohamed el-Beltagy was among the dead. Asmaa al-Beltagy was shot in the back and chest, her brother said.
At least 5000 people have been injured.
Similar protests were held in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur after Friday prayers.
Protesters held posters that read “Respect the people's choices, not the coup,” and shouted in unison “Long live Morsi!”
“We want the world to urge the UN to stop the killing,” said Khairudin Abas, a protest organiser with Muslim group ABIM.
The NGO organized similar protests at other major mosques in several states around Malaysia, along with the country's opposition Islamic political party and other groups.
“We want the military to stop the killing and return power back to Morsi, the democratically elected president,” he told AFP.
The protesters in the Indonesian and Malaysian capitals dispersed peacefully later in the afternoon.
Both the Indonesian and Malaysian governments have expressed deep concern over events in Egypt, with Malaysia urging its citizens to defer non-essential travel to the country.
Similar protests erupted on Friday in Tunisia, Jordan and Turkey against security crackdown on protesters.
Egypt has been thrown into turmoil after Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected president, was toppled by the powerful military after massive protests against his regime.
The army also suspended the constitution and instated the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court as interim president.
The Muslim Brotherhood, from which Morsi hails, has vowed peaceful protests until the Islamist president is reinstated.
Source: On Islam
