NEWS reports said that at least 135 people were killed by Egyptian security forces at a protest by supporters of ousted President Mohammed Mursi in the capital Cairo. More than 1,500 were also hurt in the incident on Saturday. The protesters were holding sit-in demonstrations at Nasir City demanding release of Mursi and his restoration to the presidency. The army ousted Mursi on 3 July and he now faces formal charges of murder relating to a 2011 jail outbreak and of links to militant group Hamas in the Gaza strip.
On Saturday another big rally was taking place by anti-Mursi protesters at Tahrir Square in the capital following a call by Army strong man Gen Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. He gave the call for demonstrations all over Egypt to denounce what he called the 'terrorism' of pro-Mursi supporters and to also give him a mandate to sternly deal with them. BBC reports from Cairo said the latest violence is the most serious since the army's intervention to remove the president. Earlier in another operation on pro-Mursi demonstrators at Tahrir Square, 53 persons were killed. People were also killed in other cities including women and Egypt has become volatile due to the pro and anti-Mursi protests which show that the nation is deeply divided. The Egyptian army's take over and the ouster of the first democratically elected president of Egypt in over 40 years has taken the ideals of the Arab spring to the back gear. Specially, when the Syrian people are fighting a bloody war to remove a dictator, the military take over in Egypt gives a clear impression of betrayal of the people's cause. Mursi may be an Islamist or not, but he is the first elected president in the modern Egyptian history. But it appears that the military have acted in connivance with deposed president Hosni Mubarak's supporters and the secularists having ties with some regional and international powers. The military is now resorting to firing on protesters and killing them in hundreds to hold on power. It is dangerous for modern army to fight its own people. We believe, the Egyptian military must be part of the Egyptian people and part of Egypt, instead of working for outside powers. It appears that they are working for the return of Mubarak era politics in Egypt in which foreign powers will have their upper hand. But one can't underestimate the power of the Muslim Brotherhood either -- as a very old party rooted to Egyptian grassroots. In the situation there is a growing fear that Egypt may plunge into a civil war.
As we see, the new interim government does not have the clout to stabilise the country. Thus the military should hold elections immediately to return the power to people's representatives. The Muslim Brotherhood should hold moderate views but democracy can only be achieved through reconciliation but not by excluding Mursi's party who was elected president. We believe there is no military solution to political problems. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and many other world leaders have called for calm and release of Mursi, we also believe that he must be released soon to calm the situation.
Egyptian army has to learn the new reality that exists after the downfall of President Hosne Mubarak. Hosne Mubrak's kind of dictatorship is not going to hold. It is also wrong for army to decide the political course for which they are not suitable. They should facilitate the political process of election through reconciliation and not side with any rival section.