While major poltical parties and groups hailed the dispersal Wednesday of pro-Mohamed Morsi sit-ins in Cairo, describing the move as an "inevitable evil," police action did not go without criticism by some political forces. The Salafist Call and its political arm, El-Nour Party, issued a statement late Wednesday condemning the use of force to disperse the sit-ins. "We warned a long time ago against the danger of bloodshed and against mobilisation and counter-mobilisation and its effect on the unity of the country that should not be a subject to compromises," reads the statement. El-Nour and the Salafist Call demand that "those who belong to the Islamist trend" are assured against the domination of liberals and leftists over the government and the committee amending the constitution. The statement came after a bloody day that left more than 500 dead as clashes erupted between the police and Muslim Brotherhood supporters across the country amid moves to disperse pro-Morsi sit-ins underway for six weeks. El-Nour was the only Islamist party that endorsed the roadmap announced by the army after massive protests demanding early presidential elections 30 June. The statement also warned against "the extremist face of secularism" reflected throughout the media, leading many to believe that "there is a war against Islam," in turn undermining reconciliation efforts. The Salafist Call and El-Nour Party held the government accountable for the bloodshed, demanding that it puts an end to the current crisis through "another solution other than bloodshed." Meanwhile, the April 6 Youth Movement (Ahmed Maher front) has condemned the dispersal of the pro-Morsi sit-ins by force, as well as attacks on churches in Upper Egypt on what it called "Black Wednesday," saying not only is Egyptian blood cheap despite the great January revolution — it is going for free. "It has become clear that all the parties fighting over power do not care for Egyptians [or] making their dead bodies a path to their goals. The Muslim Brotherhood's leaders sacrificed its members for the sake of the power while the security forces did not stop from attacking violently those members," said a statement issued by the movement early Thursday. "Muslim Brotherhood leading figures and the interim government preferred bloody confrontation in order to achieve [their] goals; the regime wanted to enforce its rule and the Muslim Brotherhood wanted to use the blood of the victims to make political gains," said the movement, adding that all parties agreed to choose violence over peaceful solutions. The revolutionary group also condemned attacks on police stations in several governorates. "The only way to end the current crisis and to put the country on the democratic path is through a political solution that allows achievement of the goals of the revolution — the solution that was expressed by resigned Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei," said the movement, adding that violence will lead to more violence. The Revolutionary Socialists also issued a statement condemning the clearing of the Rabaa Al-Adawiya and Al-Nahda Square sit-ins, describing their dispersal as a "massacre prepared in advance" and holding General Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, responsible for what happened. "We have to put the events of today in their context, which is the use of the military to smash up workers' strikes. We also see the appointment of new provincial governors — largely drawn from the ranks of the remnants of the old regime, the police and military generals. Then there are the policies of General Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's government. It has adopted a roadmap clearly hostile to the goals and demands of the Egyptian revolution, which are freedom, dignity and social justice." The statement insisted, nonetheless, that the Revolutionary Socialists are resoundly against the Muslim Brotherhood and its policies. "This is the context for the brutal massacre the army and police are committing. It is a bloody dress rehearsal for the liquidation of the Egyptian revolution. It aims to break the revolutionary will of all Egyptians who are claiming their rights, whether workers, poor, or revolutionary youth, by creating a state of terror," the statement added. The Revolutionary Socialists also condemned attacks against churches in Upper Egypt. "However, the reaction by the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafists in attacking Christians and their churches is a sectarian crime which only serves the forces of counter-revolution. The filthy attempt to create a civil war, in which Egyptian Christians will fall victims to the reactionary Muslim Brotherhood, is one in which Mubarak's state and El-Sisi are complicit, who have never for a single day defended the Copts and their churches," said the statement. Both the April 6 Youth Movement and the Revolutionary Socialists were among groups that participated in the buildup to the 30 June protests against Morsi, demanding his ouster. Source: Ahram Online
