Thousands Protest in Muslim Countries against Deadly Egypt Crackdown
Hundreds of Muslims demonstrated in Indonesia and Malaysia Friday against a crackdown on the protest camps of Egypt's Islamists which left almost 600 people dead.
It came as Cairo braced for more protests after supporters of Mohammed Morsi, ousted as president in a military coup last month, called for a "Friday of anger", and the U.N. urged "maximum restraint" from all sides.
In the Indonesian capital Jakarta, about 1,000 protesters converged on the United States embassy after Friday prayers, an Agence France Presse reporter said.
U.S. President Barack Obama has canceled a joint U.S.-Egyptian military exercise but has stopped short of suspending Washington's annual $1.3 billion in aid to Egypt.
They brandished placards reading "Stop Egypt Massacre", "Jihad for Egypt" and "Stop Killing" outside the mission as scores of riot police stood guard.
"We have witnessed such cruelty," one protester shouted through a loudspeaker, while others responded by shouting "God is Great" in Arabic. "God, please shows us ways to fight back."
At a demonstration of several hundred people at the landmark Hotel Indonesia roundabout, protest organizer Arief Aditya said: "As Muslims we feel a connection to those in Egypt." Indonesia is the country with the world's biggest Muslim population.
"The Egyptian military is using inhumane tactics against protesters," added Aditya, who is the head of the Islamic Organization at the University of Indonesia.
In the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, about 500 Muslims protesters gathered after Friday prayers outside a major mosque in the suburbs to denounce the crackdown.
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 U.N. to stop the killing," said Khairudin Abas, a protest organizer 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.
In Pakistan, hundreds rallied across the country on Friday in support of Morsi and to condemn the use of force against the Muslim Brotherhood, witnesses said.
The demonstrations were mostly organised by Islamic political parties including Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), which has ideological links to the Brotherhood.
In Pakistan's largest city Karachi, more than 500 JI activists marched with banners and placards chanting anti-US slogans as well as support for Morsi.
"International powers are behind the Egyptian chaos and General Sisi is a tout of America and the favorite of Israel as well," said Mohammad Hussain Mahnati, a local JI local leader.
General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the army chief, orchestrated the July 3 ousting of Egypt's first elected president after millions protested to demand an end to his turbulent year in power.
In Pakistan's conservative northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a total of more than 1,000 JI activists held rallies in four cities, including the main city Peshawar.
The lower house of parliament and foreign ministry on Thursday expressed dismay and deep concern over the use of force "against unarmed civilians" and urged all sides to show restraint.
Another protest rally has been planned later in the eastern city of Lahore.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people also protested in Sudan against Egypt's deadly crackdown.
An AFP reporter said about 500 people from various Islamic organizations rallied near Sudan's presidential palace, carrying pictures of Morsi and Egyptian flags.
"Al-Sisi: Israeli and USA agent," they shouted.
"Where is ICC ?" the demonstrators in Khartoum shouted, referring to the Hague-based International Criminal Court.
The ICC has warrants out for Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir and other officials over alleged war crimes in Darfur.
Riot police monitored the demonstration but did not intervene, which they routinely do against other protests.
Among the demonstrators were members of the local Egyptian community as well as the government-linked Islamic Movement.
The Mubarak regime for years had strained relations with Khartoum.
Morsi in April this year visited Sudan, whose government calls itself Islamist, and which was jointly ruled by Egypt and Britain until 1956.
In Bosnia, all mosques on Friday heeded the country's top Imam's call to hold prayers for the "Egyptian martyrs" killed in the police crackdown.
"I call on all imams... to hold prayers for shahidi (martyrs) in Egypt killed by the military during the events following the ouster of democratically elected president Mohamed Morsi," Bosnian Muslim spiritual leader Husein Kavazovic said.
Kavezovic also sent his message to imams in neighboring Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia and those serving in mosques attended by the Bosnian diaspora.
Shortly after the noon prayer, several hundred Egyptian nationals living in Bosnia gathered in front of Egypt's embassy in Sarajevo in a peaceful protest against what they called a "coup" that had ousted Morsi, as well as the bloodshed which has followed it.
On Thursday, Bosnian Muslim religious leaders condemned the "brutal violence (by) military power" in Egypt following the security forces' bloody dispersal of Morsi supporters that left hundreds dead.
Muslims account for about 40 percent of Bosnia's population of 3.8 million. Most of them are Sunnis and practice moderate Islam.
Friday saw fresh clashes between security forces and Morsi supporters in Egypt, two days after nearly 600 people were killed when police cleared two Morsi protest camps in the country's bloodiest day in decades.
Source: Agence France Presse
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://cdn.naharnet.com/stories/en/94351 |