Islamists and activists clash in Egypt's Tahrir Square

CAIRO -- Critics and supporters of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi clashed in Tahrir Square on Friday in a small but potent rally that sharpened the nation’s tensions over its political direction and the failure to bring loyalists of the former government to justice.

Followers of the Muslim Brotherhood and others supporting Morsi, the country’s first Islamist president, chided liberals and ransacked a stage set up by activists. Stones, bottles and gasoline bombs were hurled and two buses caught fire in the most intense hostilities between Islamists and secular activists in months.

The Health Ministry said that at least 110 people had been injured. The fighting cast a spotlight on a divided Egypt and highlighted the frustrations Islamists and liberals harbor over how little the Arab world’s most populous nation has improved since last year’s uprising that overthrew longtime leader Hosni Mubarak.

Activists blame Morsi’s government for threatening civil rights, drafting a proposed constitution steeped in Islamic law and not avenging the deaths of hundreds of protesters killed by security forces during last year's rebellion.

The rally came days after a criminal court found 24 Mubarak-era loyalists not guilty of plotting a deadly attack against protesters –- known as the Camel Battle -- during the revolution in February 2011. It was the latest sign, activists said, that Morsi has not reformed the country’s security agencies, including the reviled Ministry of Interior.

“I do not like Morsi. He and the Muslim Brotherhood are not fair with the people,” said protester Ranya Mohsen, dodging stones in a shifting battle between mostly young men on a street covered with murals of the revolution’s martyrs. “Morsi is really like Mubarak. He is taking our rights.”

Morsi’s Islamist supporters, waving banners and shouting through megaphones, were also protesting the recent acquittal. But they argued that the president, who has been in office just over three months, needs time to fix the country’s entrenched social and economic problems.

“Some people want to take this day away from Morsi. But I back him,” said Mahmoud Kamal, a university student. “Morsi is one of us. He feels the way all Egyptians suffer. He knows what has to be done.”

Egyptians have become increasingly agitated, with power shortages common, consumer prices rising, and few in the military or the security services brought to justice for human rights violations and crackdowns on demonstrations.

Morsi attempted to appease his countrymen this week: He pardoned hundreds of protesters arrested and convicted during the revolution and its volatile aftermath. His office also announced Thursday that it was removing Prosecutor General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud, a Mubarak holdover, from his post and assigning him as ambassador to the Vatican.

Mahmoud was criticized over the Camel Battle trial and for not winning strong convictions in other cases against former government loyalists. But the prosecutor was defiant, saying he would refuse to step aside and accusing Morsi of attempting to tamper with an independent judiciary.

Morsi’s move against Mahmoud mirrored the strategy he summoned in August to force the resignation of Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, who led the military-controlled government from Mubarak’s downfall until Morsi was sworn in on June 30. Tantawi’s appeal had been fading and was further weakened when Islamic militants killed 16 border guards in Sinai Peninsula. Morsi quickly moved against Tantawi.

Friday’s rally was smaller than past protests in Tahrir. The turnout suggested that secular-minded activist groups have passionate cores but cannot rouse large numbers to counter Islamists and the Brotherhood, whom liberals blamed for inciting the violence by disrupting a rally planned weeks earlier by activists.

Stones whistled through the air, bruising and bloodying faces. The opposing sides lifted banners and men, some belonging to rabid soccer fans known as Ultras, hopped on the shoulders of others. But, at times, it all seemed futile, even as a chicken delivery man, wearing a helmet, zipped through the crowd on his moped and throttled toward the Nile.

“We love Morsi. We love him,” said Ismail Roshdy, an Arabic language teacher, standing amid the snap of a flag and a preacher with a megaphone. “He will do good things for Egypt. He’s going bit by bit to make this country better.” 

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Photo: Protesters throw stones after scuffles broke out between groups of protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday. Credit: Khalil Hamra / AP

Morsi removes controversial prosecutor, sends him to Vatican

CAIRO -- Egypt's president removed the country's prosecutor general Thursday, the day after a court acquitted loyalists of deposed leader Hosni Mubarak for plotting one of the bloodiest attacks against anti-government protesters during last year's uprising. 

President Mohamed Morsi then appointed the official, Abdelmeguid Mahmoud, as Egypt's ambassador to the Vatican, Egyptian state-run TV reported late Thursday. The Morsi government did not elaborate on the move.

The decision comes amid outrage over a court ruling Wednesday that found 26 of Mubarak's confidants not guilty of manslaughter charges in what became known as the Camel Battle in which security agents on camels and horses charged at protesters in Tahrir Square, the epicenter of last year's 18-day uprising that eventually toppled the autocrat. It also comes as opposition groups planned demonstrations Friday to protest Morsi's shortcomings in his first 100 days as president.

Thousands of protesters have previously called for Mahmoud's removal for his failures in court.

Mahmoud was defiant Thursday night, telling an Egyptian TV station: "I have not resigned from my position and I will remain in my post, in accordance with judiciary law."

 

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Photo: Former Egyptian prosecutor general Abdelmeguid Mahmoud, center, in February inspecting the gates of Port Said stadium. Credit: Alaa Abd Elbary / EPA

Egyptian court acquits 26 in bloody camel attack on Tahrir Square

CAIRO -- An Egyptian criminal court Wednesday acquitted 26 loyalists of deposed President Hosni Mubarak of charges of plotting the notorious attack in which camels and horses charged hundreds of protesters in Tahrir Square during last year's uprising.

Twenty four of the accused were members of Mubarak’s National Democratic Party, including businessmen, government officials and the speaker of the former parliament. The attack, which played out on television and stunned the world with medieval-like spectacle, marked one of the bloodiest days of the revolt.

The defendants were found not guilty of manslaughter, according to Egypt's state-run news agency. The attack, which became known as the Camel Battle, was regarded by many as Mubarak's last desperate attempt to cling to power before the 18-day uprising forced him to resign in February 2011.

Human rights advocates and protesters who participated in the uprising were outraged by the verdict. Many said it was an expected yet disappointing blow to justice.

"The trial failed to find those responsible or reveal the truth on what is a defining episode of the uprising," said Mohamed Lotfy,  a researcher with Amnesty International.

The decision comes amid public discontent as many Egyptians feel that justice has not yet been served for those who died in anti-government protests before and after the uprising. That sentiment is putting increasing pressure on new President Mohamed Morsi.   

"They weren't even found guilty of plotting the attack. Many of these government officials and party members were responsible for decision-making during the attack, they should be held responsible,” said Heba Mahfouz, an activist. “If they can't find legal evidence against these people, then they should be responsible to find who committed these crimes resulting in the deaths of hundreds of protesters."

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Photo: In this file photo from Feb. 2, 2011, Egyptian government supporters, some riding camels and horses and armed with sticks, clash with demonstrators in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Credit: Ben Curtis / Associated Press

Egypt's Christians, Muslims hold vigil on anniversary of massacre

CAIRO -- Thousands of Egyptians on Tuesday marched to Maspero, the country's television headquarters, to commemorate the killings of 27 people, mostly Coptic Christians,  a year ago by thugs and soldiers during a protest over a church destroyed by arson.

Muslims and Christians marched in solemn procession, carrying flowers and photos of the dead and chanting calls for justice for what has been dubbed the Maspero Massacre.  They called for the death penalty for Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, former head of the military-led government.

"I'm recalling everything that happened last year. I'm remembering how we approached the television building. I can still hear the gunfire and I remember the army tanks as they ruthlessly chased us," said Amir Roshdy, a 30-year-old Copt. "Till now we can still smell the blood of the martyrs, we still feel them here."

Protesters also chanted against Egypt's new Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi, a former leader of the Muslim Brotherhood. They accused him of striking deals with the former military rulers to secure power. Morsi was sworn into office in June and none of the nation's commanders have been charged.

Egypt's pardoning of revolutionaries draws praise, cynicism

CAIRO — Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi’s blanket pardon of hundreds of activists arrested during last year’s revolution and its turbulent aftermath was widely viewed as a morally wise but politically timed move from a leader attempting to calm his critics amid social and economic turmoil.

Morsi had been criticized by liberals for not swiftly granting amnesty to political prisoners arrested or convicted between Jan. 25, 2011, when the uprising began against the rule of Hosni Mubarak, and June 30, 2012, the day Morsi was sworn into office. His decision Monday delighted many but was also viewed as a tactic to counter demonstrations against his administration planned for Friday.

Human-rights groups praised Morsi for pardoning what could be more than 1,000 people. They reportedly include those held by military tribunals that arose when the army seized control of the country after Mubarak was overthrown in February 2011. Activists have repeatedly called for top military officials, including Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the nation’s leader for 17 months, to be tried for civil-rights abuses.

The pardon covers those facing “felony convictions and misdemeanor convictions or attempted crimes committed to support the revolution and the fulfillment of its goals,” according to the president's office. It does not extend to those charged with murder.

More Americans want to cut aid to Egypt after embassy attack

Nearly 3 out of 4 Americans surveyed think the United States should reduce its aid to Egypt or cut it off entirely after angry protesters pulled down the American flag at its Cairo embassy last month.

The Program on International Policy Attitudes poll found most Americans did not think that the majority of Egyptians backed the assault on the Cairo embassy, where protesters scaled a wall and pulled down the flag after furious protests over a film mocking the Islamic prophet. Almost two-thirds of Americans surveyed said “the violent actions were only supported by extremist minorities,” it found.

However, Americans were also deeply dissatisfied with how Egyptian authorities handled the assault. Less than one-third of Americans surveyed said the Egyptian government had tried to find and arrest the perpetrators, and less than half believed it had criticized the attack.

The Egyptian government did say the riot was unacceptable, but President Mohamed Morsi was criticized for his delayed remarks on the attack. The belief that Egypt has done too little to protect the embassy, in turn, appears to have soured many Americans on providing aid to Egypt.

The U.S. government provides the Egyptian military with more than $1 billion in assistance annually, despite restrictions on political rights that would ordinarily block such aid. Most Egyptians oppose the outside support, fearful it gives the U.S. undue influence on Egyptian sovereignty, a Gallup poll found this year.

Two Christian boys detained over accusations of defiling Koran

CAIRO -- Two Christian boys have been arrested for allegedly urinating on the Koran, agitating tensions across Egypt amid rising accusations of blasphemy after the furor last month over a film made in California that ridiculed the prophet Muhammad.

Egyptian media reported that brothers Nabil Nadi, 9, and Mina Nadi, 10, were placed in juvenile detention Tuesday in a southern village in Beni Suef province. The boys were taken into custody after a cleric told authorities they ripped up pages of the Koran and urinated on two holy books.

It was unclear whether the pair were coerced or acted on their own. Authorities said the boys could be held for up to 15 days while police investigate. The Egyptian Independent newspaper reported that the cleric “brought the kids to the local bishop and insisted someone else had incited them to desecrate the Korans and throw them near the mosque.”  

The case is the latest in a series of blasphemy charges brought by conservative Islamists against Coptic Christians, who make up about 10% of the population of 82 million. A teacher has been interrogated for allegedly demeaning the prophet in one of her lessons; a Coptic man may face trial for posts on his Facebook page considered offensive to Islam.

Human rights activists warn that such cases endanger freedom of speech and foreshadow restrictions on civil liberties at a time Islamists and secular liberals are drafting a new constitution. Islamists dominate the constituent assembly and liberals fear the document will be heavily weighted in sharia, or Islamic law.

Ultraconservative Islamists have been emboldened since violent protests flared across the world last month over the film "Innocence of Muslims," which depicted Muhammad as a womanizer and child molester.

In Egypt, the fallout from the film further strained relations between Muslims and Christians, already tested by attacks on churches and homes over the last year. The new government of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi has been unable to allay  sectarian suspicions.

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Amnesty International to Egypt: Stop 'bloody' legacy of repression

CAIRO -- Amnesty International sent a letter Tuesday to Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi urging him to stem the “bloody” legacy of state repression highlighted in two reports that detail killings, torture and sexual assaults that have shaken the nation since last year's uprising.

Egypt's new leader must pave the way for reforms in order to ensure accountability and transparency from the army and police, the group said, blaming security forces for atrocities against demonstrators over the past 20 months.

The first report, "Brutality Unpunished and Unchecked: Egypt’s Military Kills and Tortures Protesters with Impunity," described the killings of protesters by a military acting "above the law" during the army's hold on the government that ended when Morsi forced the resignations of top commanders in August.

The human rights group's research on military abuse examined the deaths of 27 mainly Coptic Christian protesters killed outside Maspero, the state’s television headquarters, in October 2011.  It also focused on the deaths of 17 protesters outside Egypt's Cabinet in December 2011, as well as the May 2012 Abbaseya sit-in near the Defense Ministry in Cairo where 12 people were killed.

Ex-presidential candidate in Egypt faces fresh corruption charges

CAIRO -- Former Egyptian presidential candidate Ahmed Shafik and 10 other ex-officials were ordered Sunday to face trial on corruption charges.

The defendants were accused of profiteering from public funds and corruption within the Ministry of Civil Aviation, according to Egypt’s state-run news agency.

The case, which was referred to trial by Judge Hisham Rauof, involves accusations that the officials exploited their positions of authority to allocate lands owned by the government to private companies without calling for public tenders as Egyptian law requires.

Earlier this month, Egyptian authorities placed Shafik, who is believed to be in the United Arab Emirates, on a watch list over another criminal case accusing him of selling land owned by the government well below its market value to Alaa and Gamal Mubarak, sons of ousted Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak.

Shafik, who was the elder Mubarak's last prime minister and close friend, left Egypt after losing the presidential election to Mohamed Morsi in June. He was a controversial candidate for many Egyptians, who accused him of seeking to continue Mubarak’s regime.

From abroad, Shafik has recently promised he would help establish a political party as an alternative for Egyptians who oppose the rule of Islamists such as Morsi. Shafik's supporters have defended his decision to leave Egypt, while activists and revolutionaries accuse him of fleeing in the face of corruption charges.

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Photo: Former Egyptian presidential candidate Ahmed Shafik is shown speaking with the media in a file photo from May 26. Credit: Khalil Hamra / Associated Press.

Egyptian activist accused of defaming religion denies charges

CAIRO -- Accused of defaming Islam and the sanctity of all religions, Egyptian activist Albert Saber stood in court on Wednesday in his first trial session as he denied all charges.

Saber, a 27-year-old blogger and activist who comes from a Coptic Christian family, was arrested at his home in Cairo two weeks ago without a warrant, according to his lawyer.

“Albert’s arrest in itself was illegal, he was taken without proper documentation and warrant,” said Karim Abdelrady, Saber’s lawyer.

“His court date was set very quickly, faster than police officers accused of killing protesters during protests over the past two years," he said. "These kinds of cases don’t take time because the state wants to show that they are moving quickly against those who defame religion.”

Saber’s arrest came after protests erupted in Egypt and across the Middle East against “Innocence of Muslims,” an anti-Islam video produced in the United States that portrays Muslims and the prophet Muhammad as thugs and child molesters.

Kariman Masiha, Saber’s mother, said the prosecutor informed her and lawyers that a group of citizens filed a case accusing Saber of sharing the anti-Islamic video on his personal social networking sites.

Abdelrady, the attorney, said the prosecution found no evidence linking Saber to the video. However, the young man was accused of previously posting online videos of himself as he spoke negatively of religion. The prosecution decided to put Saber, a secular activist, on trial for blaspheming all monolithic religions, the lawyer said.

Abdelrady said the prosecution held Wednesday's session while refusing to allow the defendant's lawyers to review the evidence. If found guilty, Saber could face up to six years in prison.

"They are doing this to target him as a minority; he is not just accused of defaming Islam, but all religions," Abdelrady said. "The prosecution asked him very personal questions during interrogation, they wondered how often he prays at his church and how devoted he is to his religion."

The case was postponed to Oct. 17 after the attorneys requested a chance to review the case, Abdelrady added. “We used to spend the night in Tahrir during the revolution together," Saber's mother told The Times. "We would spend days with no showers, no food and we slept in the street for the chance to say ‘bread, freedom, and dignity.’ Is this the dignity that we asked for? Is this what we get as Egyptians, strife between Muslims and Christians?”

Masiha said that shortly after her son's arrest their home was raided without a search warrant, and her son's computer, CDs and some of their personal belongings were confiscated.

“The government has become worse; they are pitting us Egyptians against each other," she said. "I just hope we will end these ‘Christian and Muslim’ labels and stand by each other and against injustice just like we did in the revolution.”

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Photo: Egyptian Coptic Christian activist Albert Saber looks on from behind bars during his first trial session on charges of insulting religion in Cairo on Wednesday. Credit: Khaled Elfiqi / European Pressphoto Agency