Egypt: News/updates

[GAP]

Egypt's president seizes powers from military
Article Link

Egypt's Islamist president ordered the retirement of the defence minister and chief of staff on Sunday and made the boldest move so far to seize back powers that the military stripped from his office right before he took over.

Mohammed Morsi has been locked in a power struggle with the military since he took office on June 30. But after militants killed 16 Egyptian soldiers a week ago at a border post with Israel in Sinai, he has sought more aggressively to assert his authority over the top generals.

He fired the nation's intelligence chief a few days ago and made two highly publicized visits to Sinai in the company of top commanders. He also chaired several meetings with the military brass and made a point of calling himself the supreme commander of the armed forces in televised speeches.

It was not immediately clear whether Morsi's surprise decisions had the military's blessing. But the appointment of outgoing Defence Minister Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi and Chief of Staff Gen. Sami Annan as presidential advisers and awarding them some of the nation's highest honours suggested they may have agreed, perhaps grudgingly, in advance.

Egypt's official Middle East News Agency, quoting an unnamed military official in a brief report, said late Sunday that Morsi's moves were "deliberated and co-ordinated" in advance. It said there were no "negative reactions" from within the military.

A few hours after the decisions were announced, Morsi called on Egyptians to rally behind him in the face of the nation's many challenges.

"Today's decisions are not directed at certain persons or meant to embarrass certain institutions... I only had in mind the interest of this nation and its people," he said in a televised speech. "I want (the armed forces) to dedicate themselves to a mission that is holy to all of us and that is the defence of the nation."

After nightfall, thousands of jubilant Morsi supporters celebrated in Tahrir Square, birthplace of the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak 18 months ago. Another crowd of supporters formed outside the presidential palace in Cairo's suburb of Heliopolis.
Sweeping changes

Adding to the sweeping changes in the military leadership, Morsi also ordered the retirement of the commanders of the navy, air defence and air force, but named two of them to senior positions.

He appointed a senior judge, Mahmoud Mekki, as vice-president. Mekki is a pro-reform judge who publicly spoke against election fraud during Mubarak's 29-year rule.

If Morsi's decisions go unchallenged, it could mean the end of six decades of de facto military rule since army officers seized power in a coup in 1952. But removing Tantawi and Annan does not necessarily mean that the military, Egypt's most powerful institution, has been defeated or that it would give up decades of perks and prestige without a fight.

Egypt's first civilian president acted at a moment when the military was humiliated over a major security failure in Sinai, the deadliest internal attack on soldiers in modern history. Several days before the killings, Israel warned that an attack was imminent. The intelligence chief was sacked after it emerged in Egyptian media that he knew of the Israeli warning but did not act.
More on link

- mod edit title to make it more general -

 

[tomahawk6]

Indications are that Marsi also ordered the Army to move armor to the Israeli border. I wonder what the Muslim Brotherhood have in mind ?

 

[jollyjacktar]

Reichstag fire, etc etc came to my mind as a way for him to cull the military and further cement his position.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Ah...springtime in the Middle East.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Could be he is aligning himself with a faction within the army, divide and conquer.

 

[tomahawk6]

Sadat must be spinning in his grave.

 

[Edward Campbell]

OK, thanks to Gary Clement in the National Post I may have a bit better understanding of Egypt:

Source: National Post

 

[cupper]

This falls in line with the post I made in the Israel / Gaza thread yesterday.

http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/108275/post-1190174.html#msg1190174

 

[cupper]

Protests have started over Morsi's power grab / consolidation.

Morsi’s decree sparks rival rallies in Egypt

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/morsis-decree-sparks-rival-rallies-in-egypt/2012/11/23/288a1436-3571-11e2-bfd5-e202b6d7b501_story.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/dueling-demonstrations-in-egypt/2012/11/23/75c98ca8-3586-11e2-bfd5-e202b6d7b501_gallery.html?hpid=z2

CAIRO — A decree by Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi granting himself extensive new powers triggered dueling demonstrations Friday by supporters and opponents.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Tahrir Square to denounce the move, chanting “Leave! Leave!” and comparing Morsi to ousted autocrat Hosni Mubarak, whose 30-year rule was ended by Egypt’s Arab Spring uprising last year. Several miles away, members of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, with which Morsi is affiliated, rallied in front of the presidential palace to show support for the country’s first democratically elected president.

The atmosphere at each demonstration laid bare the divisions facing Egyptian society. In Tahrir Square, the crowd was largely liberal, secular and well-educated. In front of the presidential palace was a far more religious crowd, a mixture of educated Muslim Brotherhood supporters and people whose tattered clothes suggested that their hopes for their nation outstripped their financial means.

Morsi addressed the cheering crowd in front of the ornate palace for about 45 minutes.

“My duty is to move forward with the goals of the revolution and eliminate all obstacles of the past that we have,” he said.

State television reported that offices of the Muslim Brotherhood and its Freedom and Justice Party in several cities were torched by protesters angry at Morsi’s decree Thursday, which exempted his decisions from judicial review and ordered retrials for former top officials, including Mubarak.

The decree, issued a day after Morsi won international praise for fostering a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, appears to leave few if any checks on his power. The president said all of the decisions he has made since he took office in June — and until a new constitution is adopted and a parliament elected — were final and not subject to appeal or review.

The announcement, read on state television by Morsi’s spokesman and broadcast repeatedly with accompanying nationalistic songs, shocked many in this struggling country, and street protests quickly erupted.

In the port city of Alexandria, protesters stormed the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters Friday, threw books and chairs into the street and set them on fire, Reuters news agency reported. It said supporters and opponents of the president also threw rocks at each other near a mosque in Alexandria.

There is more at the links, along with a photo gallery of protests.

 

[GAP]

Hmmm.....the Egyptian populace is not as compliant as they thought huh?

 

[brihard]

Hmmm.....the Egyptian populace is not as compliant as they thought huh?

They got a taste for sorting their stuff out a couple years back.

I like this, in a way- it's proving that the population has a definite taste for a more responsive government, and that they won't be sated with just a revolution that leads back into autocracy.  Whatever the end result should be, it will very much be informed by that the people collectively want.

Obviously there are many risks involved, but that's to be expected... It is, after all, their country.

 

[tomahawk6]

The counter to Morsi is the Army. I would prefer a military run government than one run by the Muslim Brotherhood.

 

[cupper]

The counter to Morsi is the Army. I would prefer a military run government than one run by the Muslim Brotherhood.

And we may soon see that happen. I cannot see the Army rolling over like a submissive dog to Morsi and the Brotherhood. Once the unrest and civil protests reach a point where it would appear Morsi has lost control, the Army will step in as they did with Mubarak and take control. But this time it could be a little more bloody than it was last time.

 

[tomahawk6]

Morsi has rescinded his decree that has sparked the demonstrations. But he still pushed for a referendum. Maybe the Egyptians have finally figured out that the Muslim Brotherhood isn't good for democracy.Once sharia law is introduced Egypt won't be much better than Iran.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/08/world/meast/egypt-protests/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Cairo (CNN) -- Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy has canceled his decree giving him sweeping powers but plans to push forward with a planned referendum December 15 on a draft constitution, said adviser Mohamed Selim el-Awwa.

 

[GAP]

Egyptian court sentences Christian family to 15 years for converting from Islam
By Benjamin Weinthal January 16, 2013 FoxNews.com
Article Link

The 15-year prison sentence given to a woman and her seven children by an Egyptian court for converting to Christianity is a sign of things to come, according to alarmed human rights advocates who say the nation's Islamist government is bad news for Christians in the North African country.

A criminal court  in the central Egyptian city of Beni Suef  meted out the shocking sentence last week, according to the Arabic-language Egyptian paper Al-Masry Al-Youm. Nadia Mohamed Ali, who was raised a Christian, converted to Islam when she married Mohamed Abdel-Wahhab Mustafa, a Muslim, 23 years ago. He later died, and his widow planned to convert her family back to Christianity in order to obtain an inheritance from her family. She sought the help of others in the registration office to process new identity cards between 2004 and 2006. When the conversion came to light under the new regime, Nadia, her children and even the clerks who processed the identity cards were all sentenced to prison.

Samuel Tadros, a research fellow at Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom, said conversions like Nadia's have been common in the past, but said Egypt's new Sharia-based constitution "is a real disaster in terms of religion freedom.”
More on link

 

[kevincanada]

Egyptian court sentences Christian family to 15 years for converting from Islam
By Benjamin Weinthal January 16, 2013 FoxNews.com
Article Link

That is really sad.  No one should be jailed because of their beliefs.  I hope this is not a example what is to become of the new Egypt.  While on this subject does anyone have a copy of the new constitution?  All I can seem to find is news article referencing it but not the constitution itself.

 

[Kat Stevens]

That is really sad.  No one should be jailed because of their beliefs.  I hope this is not a example what is to become of the new Egypt.  While on this subject does anyone have a copy of the new constitution?  All I can seem to find is news article referencing it but not the constitution itself.

It's a very short document. 
  "Do whatever we tell you Allah wants you to do, or we will tie you to a tree and throw stones at you till you die."

 

[cupper]

It's a very short document. 
  "Do whatever we tell you Allah wants you to do, or we will tie you to a tree and throw stones at you till you die."

You forgot the part about freedom to practice one's religion, as long as that religion follows the tenants if Islam.

 

[cupper]

That is really sad.  No one should be jailed because of their beliefs.  I hope this is not a example what is to become of the new Egypt.  While on this subject does anyone have a copy of the new constitution?  All I can seem to find is news article referencing it but not the constitution itself.

Try this:

http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/egypt-s-draft-constitution-translated

CONSTITUTION PREAMBLE


We, the people of Egypt,
In the name of the merciful God and with his aid,
declare this to be

Our Constitution, the document of the 25th of January revolution, which was started by our youth, embraced by our people, supported by our Armed Forces;

Having rejected, in Tahrir Square and all over the country all forms of injustice, oppression, tyranny, despotism, exclusion, plunder and monopoly;

Proclaimed our full rights to “bread, freedom, social justice, and human dignity,” paid for by the blood of our martyrs, the pain of our injured, the dreams of our children, the strife of our men and women;

Recovered the spirit of our great civilization and our luminous history, for on the banks of the timeless Nile we established the oldest state that has always known the meaning of citizenship and equality, gave humanity the first alphabet, opened the way to monotheism and the knowledge of the Creator, embraced God’s prophets and messages, and adorned the pages of history with parades of creativity;

And in continuation of our virtuous revolution which has unified all Egyptians on the path of building a modern democratic state, we declare our adherence to the following principles:

One —
The people are the source of all authorities. Authorities are instituted by and derive their legitimacy from the people, and are subject to the people’s will. The responsibilities and competencies of authorities are a duty to bear, not a privilege or a source of immunity.

Two —
A democratic system of government, establishing the grounds for peaceful transfer of power, supporting political pluralism, ensuring fair elections and the people’s contribution in the decision-making process.

Three —
The individual’s dignity is an extension of the nation’s dignity. Further, there is no dignity for a country in which women are not honored; women are the sisters of men and partners in all national gains and responsibilities.

Four —
Freedom is a right: freedom of thought, expression and creativity; freedom in housing, property and travel; its principles laid down by the Creator in the motion of the universe and human nature.

Five —

Equality and equal opportunities are established for all citizens, men and women, without discrimination or nepotism or preferential treatment, in both rights and duties.

Six —

The rule of law is the basis of the individual’s freedom, the legitimacy of authority, and the state’s respect of the law. No power shall override that of righteousness, and the judiciary shall be independent, bearer of the honorable mission of defending the Constitution, upholding justice, and preserving rights and freedoms.

Seven —

Upholding national unity is an obligation, and the cornerstone of building a modern Egypt and the path to progress and development. To that end, the values of tolerance and moderation shall be spread, and the rights and freedoms of all citizens shall be protected without discrimination.

Eight —

Defending the nation is a duty and an honor. Our Armed Forces form a professional and neutral national institution that does not interfere in political affairs. It is the protective shield of the country.

Nine —

Security is a great blessing; it falls on the shoulders of a police force which works in the service of the people, for their protection and to enforce the measures of justice. For there can be no justice without protection, and no protection without security institutions that respect the rule of law and human dignity.

Ten —

Unity is the hope of the Arab nation; it is history’s call, the future’s bid, and destiny’s demand. Such unity is to be reinforced through the integration and fraternity with countries of the Nile Valley and of the Muslim world, both a natural extension borne out of the distinctiveness of Egypt’s position on the global map.

Eleven —

Egypt’s pioneering intellectual and cultural leadership is an embodiment of its soft power, and a model of the free generosity of original creators and thinkers, universities, science centers, linguistic and research centers, the press, the arts, literature and mass media, the national church, and Al-Azhar with its history as a mainstay of national identity, the Arabic language and Islamic Sharia, and as a beacon for moderate enlightened thought.

We, the people of Egypt,
Out of faith in God and His heavenly messages,
In recognition of the right of the country and the nation,

With awareness of our responsibilities toward the nation and humanity,

Pledge to stay committed to the principles laid out in this Constitution, which we accept and grant to ourselves, affirming our determination to uphold and defend it, and asserting that it shall be protected and respected by the State’s authorities and the general public.

 

[Kat Stevens]

You forgot the part about freedom to practice one's religion, as long as that religion follows the tenants if Islam.

That's pretty much covered in para 1