Senior cleric urges unity among conflicting sides in Egypt
A senior Iranian cleric has voiced concern over clashes between supporters and opponents of ousted Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi, urging the feuding sides to form a united front based on their common goals.
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Tehran’s interim Friday Prayers Leader Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati
“After all, the two camps share common positions; they should arrive at an agreement based on these commonalities and avoid bloodshed, mudslinging and insult ... and pursue anti-US policies,” Tehran’s interim Friday Prayers Leader Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said.
The cleric regretted the twist in the fate of the country's 2011 revolution that toppled the Western-backed dictator, Hosni Mubarak.
“The situation in Egypt is unpleasant.... We had hoped that the revolution would yield fruit and an Islamic, anti-US revolutionary government would take office ... but it all went wrong,” Ayatollah Jannati stated.
“Those who succeeded [Mubarak] helped Israel; [they] closed the routes that connected the Gaza Strip to the Sinai, they closed the [supply] tunnels, they recognized Camp David Accord, continued to supply oil to Israel, [and also] established friendly ties [with Israel],” he recalled.
This pro-Israeli policy, he said, resulted in the emergence of Tamarod opposition movement, which now enjoys the support of the majority of the Egyptian population.
The Egyptians embarked on a popular revolution against the pro-Israeli regime of Mubarak in January 2011 and eventually brought an end to his dictatorship in February of the same year.
On July 3, 2013, Egypt's powerful army toppled his successor, Mohamed Morsi, who was democratically elected in June 2012, and put him under “preventive” custody.
The military also suspended the constitution and declared the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court, Adly Mansour, as the interim president of Egypt.
Egypt has been gripped by deadly clashes between supporters of the Tamarod movement and Morsi fans, who have been holding massive rallies demanding the reinstatement of the deposed president.
More than 100 people have been killed in the violence and scores of others have been also injured.
