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Latest update: 01/02/2011
- demonstrations - Egypt - government - Hosni Mubarak
Muslim Brotherhood demands that President Mubarak step down
In an interview with FRANCE 24, the Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed Badie (pictured), demanded that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak form a government of national unity, organize free elections and step down as president.
In a live interview with FRANCE24 Sunday, Mohammed Badie, leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, condemed President Hosni Mubarak's speech early Saturday morning in which he sacked his cabinet but refused to step down.
According to Badie, Mubarak's remarks have only one purpose: "to buy him some much needed time".
“We are demanding that he give in to people's demands in order to avoid a catastrophe,” Badie said.
The Muslim Brotherhood is Egypt's main opposition group. It has been outlawed since 1954, when it was convicted for trying to assasinate Gamal Abdel Nasser, then president of the country.
The group went underground until 2005, when several Brotherhood candidates ran as independents in the parlimentary elections. The group won 88 seats and became the largest opposition bloc in the parliament.
Despite fielding 200 candidates in the latest elections in November 2010, the group didn't win a single seat. There were widespread charges of fraud.
During the uprising over the past week, several members of the Muslim Brotherhood have been arrested.
“The Muslim Brotherhood is a part of Egyptian society - no more, no less,” Mohammed Badie, the Brotherhood's Supreme Guide, told FRANCE 24.
“We have had a large numbers of people arrested. More than 500 brothers have been detained since the beginning of the popular revolt, which also includes women and the young, the old, teachers … all segements of society”, he said.
During the interview, Badie outlined a list of demands compiled by the Brotherhood for Mubarak. Among them, lifting the state of emergency and dissolving the parliament.
“He must form a new government of national unity, organize elections under the control of the judiciary. Finally, Hosni Mubarak must leave. It’s what his people are demanding.”
Badie called on the Eyptian army to “defend a democratic regime, not a corrupt one” and to be a “shield for the Egyptian people and the entire Arab World.”
Addressing the United States--an ally of Mubarak’s since he took office in 1981--Badie demanded Western powers ”respect the choice of the Egyptian people instead of supporting dictatorial and corrupt regimes that are disappearing. Not only in Egypt. In Tunisia and in all the dictatorial Arab regimes as well".
"The era of dictatorship is finished," Badie said. "The era of the people has come".
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(5) Reactions
the whole world is hurting
we love you sisters and brothers of "GOD". WE FEEL YOUR HURT AND SUFFERING. ALL PRAYERS GO OUT TO U AND YOUR FAMILYS. YOU STAND FOR RIGHTOUSNESS WILL SOON BE INITIATED BY THE POOR PEOPLE OF THE WORLD. THE SUFFERING HAS GOT TO STOP. THE WORLD SHOULD TAKE NOTES AND MAKE A STAND. WE ARE ALL TIRED OF THE UNFAIRNESS WE RECIEVE FROM OUR PRESIDENTS AND SENATES AND GOVERNMENTS..WE ELECT THEM TO HELP US AND THEY HELP THEMSELVES, AND LET THE SPORTS, SO-CALLED ENTERTAINERS, AND ANYONE ELSE HAVE MILLIONS, BUT NOT THE PEOPLE OF THE COUNTRY, WHO WORK ALL THEIR LIVES AND STILL DON'T HAVE NOTHING.THE ONLY THING THE POOR PEOPLE GET IS BILLS, AND TAXES, HOMES TAKEN, CHILDREN EXPOITED, AND A LOT OF LIES TO THE PEOPLE OF THIS NATION. SO I FEEL WHAT YOU ALL FEEL. STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS. MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON ALL OF US...WE LOVE AND RESPECT YOU ALL..
please african leaders
please all of African dictators from east to west,from south to north step down from your positions as soon as possible,Africa needs no more blood shade.
Mubarak Better Go
It's a pity that Egyptians to suffer much longer from such an authoritarian regime. Mr. Mubarak has to be ready to make sacrifices, sincere and lenient to step down. It seems that this way will lead to Egyptian National Unity; the sooner, the better.
The Muslim Brotherhood
Of course The Muslim Brotherhood is involved to fuel the flames so that radicals can take over only to leave the world with another Iran. The political correctness in dealing with radicals around the world has got to stop, it's time the world wakes up.
Interesting thoughts on
Interesting thoughts on Egyptian DNA by the late Frank Yurco, an Egyptologist from the Universoty of Chicago:
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Our ancestors were indigenous to this area and North Africa. See past what you have become ("Arabised") and a democracy might flourish. A secular revolution where no one's "religion" dominates. The ones who govern must be impartial and, since ALL humans have a PERSONAL belief, allow all to participate, lest a lopsided society develops all over again. If the youth rise to that challenge and avert another uni-religious society, they stand a chance to change the world. The moral judge must be logic-based (secular). This allows for the existence of the "other". If not, then it is back to square one.