Islamists Warn Christians From Demonstrating to Topple Egyptian President

Islamists Warn Christians From Demonstrating to Topple Egyptian President

By Jeremy Reynalds
Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

EGYPT (ANS) -- The youth-led Tamarod (rebel) Initiative has collected more than its target of 15,000,000 signatures calling for a no-confidence vote against President Mohammed Morsi and forcing early elections in Egypt.

According to a story by Mary Abdelmassih for the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA), political observers say that's causing the ruling Muslim Brotherhood party and its Islamists partners to feel seriously threatened.

AINA said millions are expected to join a nationwide anti-Morsi and anti-Brotherhood demonstration set for June 30, to coincide with Morsi's first anniversary as president. Protesters in Cairo will go to the Presidential "Unity" Palace in the Heliopolis suburb of Cairo with their demands.

"We will stay there until Morsi leaves," said Mahmoud Badr, spokesman for Tamarod.

AINA said local protests will be held in every Egyptian province. Expatriate Egyptians will also hold demonstrations in their respective countries.

Assem Abdel Maged

This week Assem Abdel Maged, a leader of the Egyptian extremist group Gamaa Islamiya, said that those calling for the demonstrations are "extremists Copts." He issued a warning to the Coptic church and Christian citizens who plan to join in the protests on June 30.

Speaking on an Islamist satellite video channel, AINA reported he said, "Do not sacrifice your children. Muslim public opinion will not tolerate toppling the President."

Abdel Maged denounced the Coptic rights group Maspero Youth Union as "extremist Copts" whom he holds responsible for the Maspero massacre on Oct. 9 2011. AINA said that claimed the lives of 27 Copts and injured 329, with no Muslim casualties.

Maged said, "They held batons in the shape of crosses and assaulted the Egyptian soldiers, and smashed the heads of the army recruits with stones while they were in their armored vehicles."

AINA said his criticism also targeted another rights group, Copts Without Shackles, which he claims is made up of communists and atheists.

AINA said Maged, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in the terrorist attacks in the late eighties in Minya on police headquarters, killing 117 policemen, is coordinator for the Tagarrod Movement to support Morsi and counter the Tamarod initiative.
"Not one single Copt signed our petition," he said.

"Who will be responsible if fanatics slaughter the Copts because of this incitement?" asked renowned Egyptian TV anchor Amr Adeeb, on his nightly program.

AINA said it was reported that the Presidential palace applied pressure on Coptic Pope Tawadros II in order to forbid Coptic Orthodox Christians from joining the demonstrations. However, the Pope told the media the "Copts are free to choose."

AINA said this was also confirmed after a multi-denominational meeting of Christian leaders this week in Wadi Natrun. That gathering emphasized the freedom of Egyptian Copts in determining their position on the events of June 30, and that the Egyptian churches do not impose a specific position on the Copts. < /p>

"The church does not play politics," said Coptic Judge Amir Ramzy of the Cairo Criminal Court. He added that Pope Tawadros is different from the late Pope Shenouda III, who had asked the Copts not to join the protests of the Jan. 25 2011 revolution, which ousted former president Mubarak.

AINA said he continued, "The Copts still joined, so even if Pope Tawadros asks the Copts to boycott the June 30 demonstrations, they will still go out."

AINA said the Maspero Youth Union announced it has pressed charges against Abdel Maged on grounds of threatening Egyptian citizens, attempting to threaten social peace and instigating sedition. The union will hold him fully responsible if Coptic property or churches are subjected to any attacks before and during the event of June 30 as a result of his encouragement.

AINA said during the Presidential elections in 2012 which, brought Morsi to power, over 6,000,000 Copts voted. This excluded those who AINA said were forcefully prevented by Islamists from leaving their villages to cast their votes, which would not have gone to the Muslim Brotherhood candidate.

AINA said addressing the Copts, Ibrahim Eissa, editor-in-chief of Al Tahrir newspaper and TV anchor, wrote "You are not a minority. You are many and influential, and your participation on June 30 will cause panic to the Muslim Brothers and their partners."