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More Than 100,000 Islamists Rally for Egyptian President: ‘Yes to Islamic Law’

Dec. 1, 2012 3:36pm

CAIRO (TheBlaze/AP) –More than 100,000 Islamists waved Egyptian flags and hoisted portraits of President Mohammed Morsi in rallies nationwide Saturday to support his efforts to rush through a new draft constitution, despite widespread opposition by secular activists and some in the judiciary.

The demonstrations – the largest turnout of Morsi supporters since he came to office in June- were seen as a test of strength for Islamists seeking to counteract mass opposition protests denouncing the president’s decision to seize near absolute power and the fast-tracking of the draft charter by an Islamist-led assembly ahead of a Constitutional Court decision on Sunday on whether to dissolve the panel.

Morsi says he acted to prevent courts led by holdovers from Hosni Mubarak’s ousted regime from delaying a transition to democracy. But his decision last week to put himself above judicial oversight has plunged the country into turmoil and mobilized an increasingly cohesive opposition leadership of prominent liberal and secular politicians – a contrast to the leaderless youth uprising last year that toppled Mubarak.

More Than 100,000 Islamists Rally for Egyptian President Morsi

A supporter holds a newspaper picture of President Mohammed Morsi at a rally outside Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. (Photo: AP)

The Muslim Brotherhood and the more radical Salafi groups organized Saturday’s protests a day after the opposition in a bid to avoid conflict and violence after days of street skirmishes between protesters from both sides.

“The people support the president’s decision!” chanted crowds outside Cairo University, where tens of thousands had gathered by midday. They held posters that read “Yes to stability” and “Yes to Islamic law.” Protests in other parts of Egypt were expected to also attract large crowds in the evening. The rallies were dubbed “Shariyya and Shariah,” Arabic for “legitimacy and Islamic law.”

Members of the assembly, who wrote the charter and approved it in a 16-hour long voting session it just after dawn Friday, were expected to hand to Morsi the final draft later Saturday.  Morsi has since called for a Dec. 15 referendum on a disputed draft of the constitution.

“There is no constitution that is 100 percent approved. It is a step in the direction of achieving national goals,” Morsi spokesman Yasser Ali said.

The speeding of the constitutional draft through the assembly, despite a boycott by secular and Christians, was seen as an attempt to circumvent a legal challenge that threatened to dissolve the panel and delay the charter.

The assembly, which worked on the draft for months, has been marred by dispute, with liberal, secular and Christian members quitting in protest of what they call the Islamists’ hijacking of the process.

However, Islamists point to the fact that Morsi was Egypt’s first freely elected president, noting that liberals and activists do not represent the vast majority of Egyptians.

As protesters marched over a bridge leading to the gathering, they chanted: “The people want to implement God’s laws.” Others chanted: “Oh God, make Morsi victorious.”

Ashraf Metawli, a 32-year-old government employee from the Nile Delta province of el-Menoufia, said the majority of Egyptians are Muslims and its constitution should be an Islamist one.

“This is our belief. We picked the president for Islamic law, and our choice was democratic,” he said. “What Morsi is doing is to get rid of all that is corrupt.”

Ibrahim Galal, a 21-year student, said Tahrir protesters are mobilized largely by members of the old regime who are in opposition to Morsi.

“If it’s about numbers, we too can mobilize. Let the ballot box speak. Not everyone can speak for the people,” he said.

“Why are you afraid of the (ballot) box!” chanted crowds in the pro-Morsi rally Saturday.

More Than 100,000 Islamists Rally for Egyptian President Morsi

An Egyptian girl watches supporters of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi during a rally in front of Cairo University, Giza, Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. (Photo: AP)

Tens of thousands of Morsi supporters gathered in Cairo but stayed away from the central Tahrir Square, the birthplace of the anti-Mubarak revolution and the site of the opposition protests, drawing up to 200,000 people on Friday, vowing to bring down the draft constitution and demanding Morsi repeal his decrees. Some judges groups have announced strikes until the decrees are repealed.

In the northern Mediterranean city of Alexandria, hundreds of riot police were deployed to create a buffer between several thousand pro and anti-Morsi protesters, who had clashed Friday.

Near Cairo University, dozens of Brotherhood buses stood parked after transporting people from outside the capital to the rally. Thousands others arrived on foot, chanting in support of Morsi as they marched.

“Our message to seculars and liberals… this is the real million-man protest,” said ultraconservative Salafi Nour Party leader Yasser Borhani to the crowd in Cairo atop an erected stage.

Later, another popular Salafi Sheik Mohammed Hassan told the crowd that the gathering is designed to protect the Islamic identity of the country and the constitution. “I say we only came here to be a testimony to our Islam and to defend our nation,” he said to chants of “God is Great.”

“We assure all Egyptians, even Christians, Islam is our religion, Egypt is our nation, and dialogue is our way,” he said.

The statement resembles one made by then-candidate Morsi back in May, but is far less radical.  Morsi said at the time: “The Koran is our constitution, the Prophet is our leader, jihad is our path and death in the name of Allah is our goal.”

More Than 100,000 Islamists Rally for Egyptian President Morsi

A supporter of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi holds a placard referencing Occupy Wall Street at a rally outside Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. (Photo: AP)

The Brotherhood had originally said it would hold Saturday’s rally in Tahrir but changed the location to avoid confrontation. The group said it canceled its rally in the southern city of Luxor after clashes between rival camps broke out there Friday.

Clashes sparked by the two-week old crisis have left two dead and hundreds injured.

The rival street demonstrations highlight the sharp divisions in Egypt nearly two years after the uprising that united and galvanized much of the country to oust Mubarak.

The Brotherhood and more conservative Islamists came out the biggest winners, securing nearly 75 percent of the seats in last winter’s parliamentary election before the body was dissolved by a court ruling. But liberals highlight the fact that Morsi, the Brotherhood’s candidate, won only 25 percent of votes in the first round of presidential elections. He went on to win the runoff by just over 50 percent, after a divisive race against a former regime figure.

The opposition is considering a number of options, including boycotting the referendum, an intensified street campaign of protests and civil disobedience. Some acknowledge that the opposition does not have enough time or reach to launch a campaign to encourage people to vote against the charter in time.

—

Associated Press writer Sarah El Deeb contributed to this report.

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Comments (74)

1 2
  • AbrahamsSheepdog
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 6:11pm

    Hey dignified you sound like Chris Mathews. Understand that??? Jackass

    Report this comment

    AbrahamsSheepdog  
    • AbrahamsSheepdog
      Posted on December 1, 2012 at 6:26pm

      Darn I smelled commy. He/she ran away. Aghh they only sucker punch. Catch ya later Troll!

      Report this comment

      AbrahamsSheepdog  
    • wordsofwisdom
      Posted on December 1, 2012 at 6:51pm

      Obviously these people do not know what they are asking for. They only know what their brainwashing has taught them from childhood till now. There is nothing we can say that will change them. The die is cast so to speak & the clash of cultures will destroy the world as we know it. In other words these sickos are going to screw up the entire world with their crazy s^^^t & that’s about it. The end of time may or may not be here but a lot of grief is here and that is in it’s self enough to be afraid of. This is a song about them called
      “That’s Not Right” http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_10789999 They want the world to except this kind of culture as normal. How sick can that be? Plus This admin. is helping them gain power?

      Report this comment

      wordsofwisdom  
  • 1ONE1
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 6:08pm

    Fight for freedom in order to have the freedom to give up that freedom that you so strongly fought for? Islamic and socialist stupidity at work.

    Report this comment

    1ONE1  
  • JamieWV
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 5:43pm

    Your a bunch of jerks too, with CRAZY ideas

    Report this comment

    JamieWV  
  • Patriot Z
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 5:38pm

    please shut the hell up. The blaze and its readers support neither part blindly like obamaphiles. if you actually read the blaze instead of trolling it you may have seen that. pseudo intellectual contraryans like you sure as heck have nothing to offer and know less of the world than you think you do. please go back to the ronpaul bot chat room where im sure your ‘hollier than thou’ non-intellectual comments will be appreciated. be sure to bring lots of toilet paper with you to clean up after you and the rest of the paulbots pull their collective heads out of their butts!

    Report this comment

    Patriot Z  
  • 1776freedomofspeech
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 5:38pm

    May a pig s h i t on you d i c k during you sexual perversions r a g head.

    Report this comment

    1776freedomofspeech  
  • AbrahamsSheepdog
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 5:16pm

    Send Hillary back. She’s the lez with Saudi ties. And her daughter is half arab so you know that’s the scary Lady to scold these boys into being good. They respect her right? Like us?

    Report this comment

    AbrahamsSheepdog  
    • AbrahamsSheepdog
      Posted on December 1, 2012 at 6:03pm

      Its a free country. Im not a republican. You don’t know she’s a lez? Come on. You’re not that dumb. And we dont respect her. They don’t either (she’s a woman). She’s had ties with saudi & prob a daughter. This ain’t a wimp or coward- that’s not math.

      Report this comment

      AbrahamsSheepdog  
  • AbrahamsSheepdog
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 4:57pm

    Like 50% unemployed, 80% of jobs are goverment & paid by ussa funds. Scary. Isreals half brothers call themselves a brother”hood” -that’s right up seseame str alley. Big santa bird has his elves. Grinch community orginizer strikes again…..

    Report this comment

    AbrahamsSheepdog  
  • BlackCrow
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 4:53pm

    Witness the miracle of democracy; the democracy the left is so fond of. The tyranny of the majority. As Franklin put it “two wolves and a lamb voting on lunch.

    This is the very reason our founders gave us a constitutional representative REPUBLIC and not a democracy.

    Report this comment

    BlackCrow  
  • AbrahamsSheepdog
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 4:39pm

    Same MO. Get the nonworking to “occupy”. Lie and say that a rigged election is what 99999% want. Dirty work made easy. “We” means me & thugs. Probably threatened good people’s families if you aren’t with our Chicago 999%. We are watching evils intent. Kill or make slaves. Same MO.

    Report this comment

    AbrahamsSheepdog  
  • ZAP
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 4:38pm

    For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

    Report this comment

    ZAP  
  • TruthandJusticeforAll
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 4:37pm

    Now wouldnt it be far better instead of implementing Sharia law and changing their constitutional freedoms instead to publish and print the word of God, the Holy Bible into the Egyptian language from the English Authorized Version or King James Version that is the inspired and preserved word of God and also speaks much of Egypt and the Egyptian people in its pages including in Genesis on Ismael the first Arab descendent of Hagar and Abraham who was also promised to have ten princes that he would beget or nations of people. Which was promised in the Bible and has happened. So the Bible is true in every detail of the Arabs and speaks of the Egyptian peoples in the story of Joseph and how eventually the Jewish people were brought out of Egypt and were brought across by the Lord God , the Red Sea on dry ground. Which one side of it is in Saudi Arabia to this day with two pillars marking the site of the crossing of the Israeli people when they were oppressed by an Egyptian Pharoah and were delivered by the Lord God who Christians and some Jewish people is the Lord Jesus Christ. Who also died for the sins of the whole world on a cross, was buried, and rose from the dead the third day, and returned back up to heaven. And all who will personally repent of their sins against God and trust him as their personal Saviour can have God’s gift of eternal life through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. For the wages of sin is death ; but the gift of God is eternal life faith in him . Sincerely

    Report this comment

    TruthandJusticeforAll  
  • longknifed
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 4:36pm

    Romney and Obama agreeing on Mubarek’s ouster.
    http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20030197-503544/mitt-romney-mubarak-should-step-out-of-the-way-/
    Let’s stop with the childish partisanship. These parties agree on damn near everything, which means those that agree with one of them, are glad that America is on the ropes.

    Report this comment

    longknifed  
  • The_Almighty_Creestof
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 4:26pm

    Never a firetruck filled with pig urine around when you need one.

    Report this comment

    The_Almighty_Creestof  
  • SPOT_OF_TEA
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 4:21pm

    In only a short time,the political structure in Egypt has been dismantled and the islamist’s goal of Sharia Law is closer to fruition every day….You people who think that cant happen that quickly here in North America had better wake up……What I find interesting is over here,leftists are working with Islamists to bring down Christianity but now that the brutality of Sharia Law is taking hold in Egypt,the leftists over there are all of a sudden joining the Christians in their protests….leftists over here should take notice to that…..When the option is Sharia Law,maybe living in a Christian nation isnt so bad after all.

    Report this comment

    SPOT_OF_TEA  
  • TJexcite
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 4:16pm

    Has to be repeated even after they clean the blood from the streets and bury the dead.

    I think this may be a case where the normal worldly pessimism is too pessimistic and the normal cynicism is too cynical, and one has a right to actually be hopeful about these developments in Egypt. /Bill Kristol

    Report this comment

    TJexcite  
  • thenewhickschick
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 4:10pm

    My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Greece, Turkey and Egypt touring all of the ancient sites. It was a wonderful experience made more meaningful with aid of educated guides. In Egypt our guide was a Coptic Christian woman with degrees in Archeology and could decipher the hieroglyphs as easily as if she were reading a billboard. Her husband was a curator for the British Museum. I know this is unusual but I would like to ask any of you who believe to pray for the safety of the Egyptian people who do not agree with the Islamists, but in particular the Christians. I remember reading that they have stopped issuing all visas to leave the country. Thank you.

    Report this comment

    thenewhickschick  
    • 1776freedomofspeech
      Posted on December 1, 2012 at 4:17pm

      God bless you sister.

      Report this comment

      1776freedomofspeech  
    • mizzouwendy
      Posted on December 1, 2012 at 4:51pm

      You are right about the Christians, but isn’t just the Christians in Egypt, I would say Christians, in the entire Middle East and Africa need our prayers. Although Christians are under “attack’ here in the states, we don’t have to worry (yet) about being car bombed in our churches, while we pray. Things are really bad for Christians over there…….let us ALL pray for our brothers and sisters and may our leadership here in the states stop funding gov’t that are running them out.

      Report this comment

      mizzouwendy  
    • 1776freedomofspeech
      Posted on December 1, 2012 at 5:00pm

      Amen Mizzou Sister Wendy

      Report this comment

      1776freedomofspeech  
  • Diane TX
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 4:05pm

    Tens of thousands of Morsi supporters gathered in Cairo but stayed away from the central Tahrir Square, the birthplace of the anti-Mubarak revolution and the site of the opposition protests, drawing up to 200,000 people on Friday, vowing to bring down the draft constitution and demanding Morsi repeal his decrees. Some judges groups have announced strikes until the decrees are repealed.
    ========================================================================

    Why do the Morsi supporters say that they “have the numbers” (at 100,000) when the anti-Morsi group have twice the numbers? Is the 200,000 a Blaze typo?

    Report this comment

    Diane TX  
  • 1776freedomofspeech
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 3:55pm

    Free BBQ pork!

    Report this comment

    1776freedomofspeech  
  • karen162
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 3:55pm

    Something BIG is brewing in the Middle East. Its coming fast and its not going to be pretty. For Morsi to do this and shove it down everyone’s throats, something is about to happen. Be prepared.

    Report this comment

    karen162  
    • Exrepublisheep
      Posted on December 1, 2012 at 4:01pm

      Yup.

      Report this comment

      Exrepublisheep  
    • gyro
      Posted on December 1, 2012 at 4:06pm

      this is very very corect and if you add in a the fake ( staged for the press just before the UN vote ) war the egyptians FIXED you get something very bad coming
      OOO
      add in a stupid USA reponce to everything
      (realy think about what the arab men think of a woman coming to negotiate with them ??? )
      :)

      Report this comment

      gyro  
    • GuruMeditation
      Posted on December 1, 2012 at 8:19pm

      Remember… the Lord is in control. It’s gonna be quite the show.

      Report this comment

      GuruMeditation  
  • JACKTHETOAD
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 3:54pm

    Just say yes to trying to keep the World in the 7th century. Actually, Europe in the 7th century had it all over those animals.

    Report this comment

    JACKTHETOAD  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 3:54pm

    Look well people, within five years at the most, under the madness created by Obama and the left, we will face similar chaos. Our nation is on the edge of economic and social dissolution and chaos we cannot conceive of; one in which a dictator can arise with surprising ease, only needing to promise to ‘end the madness, make it stop.’

    Watch for Obama’s supporters and the leftist communists to demand that Obama be given or for him to seize ever more power ‘for the duration, so he can do what has to be done.’

    Report this comment

    Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • TeslanEdison
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 3:54pm

    Is anyone concerned that Islamist are using terms like 99 percent? What and how are activist dialogs shared globally and if they align isn’t that a danger to freedom? Seems like the freedom loving activists are being trained to be good Islamo socialists. Who coined the 99 percent as it relates to dividing the majority from the minority in political language? This logic is insane, if Gays can be a minority with special rights couldn’t wealthy people be a minority too, with special rights? The president is discriminating against the wealthy, is he a moneyaphobe? Is the president engaging in hate speech when he identifies the wealthy as being different?

    Report this comment

    TeslanEdison  
    • rickc34
      Posted on December 1, 2012 at 4:10pm

      Saw that 99% also, funny isn’t. Maybe they use the same sign maker, or share the same goal.

      Report this comment

      rickc34  
  • gyro
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 3:48pm

    no winner in this — everyone loses

    Report this comment

    gyro  
    • Shasta
      Posted on December 1, 2012 at 4:25pm

      just like the oblamo presidency. everybody looses. he calls it shared sacrifice I think.

      Report this comment

      Shasta  
  • barber2
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 3:47pm

    The Muslim Brotherhood sounds like a ” Big Camp” organization that would welcome diversity . DUH.

    Report this comment

    barber2  
  • unpata
    Posted on December 1, 2012 at 3:45pm

    so this is where the occupy wall street movement came from, the muslim brotherhood….Isreal you have your answer…egypt is now part of the caliphate..nuke em

    Report this comment

    unpata  
    • barber2
      Posted on December 1, 2012 at 4:09pm

      Actually, the OWS movement is an international anti-capitalist ( wink, wink ) group that is working with all of these so-called revolutionary groups like the Muslim Brotherhood. They are a bunch of radical goons who think they can all work together to get what they want and then just screw the other groups . Rather like Morsi is now doing to the secularists and the Christians who helped him overthrow Mubarak. Rather like Stalin and Hitler formed an alliance to defeat the Allies . Band of felons. Bad company . The Far Left , like Ayers, loves the OWS because they hate capitalism.

      Report this comment

      barber2  
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