Sheikh Mazhar Shaheen, the "revolutionary" imam of Omar Makram mosque, has called on the judiciary not to "abort the revolution" by defying President Mohamed Morsi during his Friday prayer speech to thousands of protesters gathered on Tahrir Square in support of Morsi's 8 July decree reinstating parliament. The "Friday of Endurance" demonstration was called for by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party and the Salafist Nour Party, who hold the majority of seats in the beleaguered legislative body, together with revolutionary group April 6 Youth Movement, after the High Constitutional Court (HCC) rejected the presidential decree on Tuesday. Salafist party Al-Assala and Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya's Building and Development Partyas well as supporters of the Salafist banned presidential contender Hazem Salah Abu-Ismail have also reportedly joined the capital's flashpoint square. The president instructed the People's Assembly (lower house of Egypt's parliament) to reconvene last Sunday, revoking the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) 15 June order for parliament to be dissolved. However, after a brief 12-minute parliamentary session on Tuesday, the HCC issued a verdict rejecting Morsi's presidential order, casting further doubt over the future of the legislative body. Protesters in Tahrir are also demanding that the president annuls the addendum to the Constitutional Declaration which was issued by the SCAF on 17 June. In the contentious document the SCAF assumed the disbanded parliament's power of legislation until fresh elections are held. In addition, demonstrators are demanding the elimination of the military council from the country's political arena and reject the "politicisation" of Egypt's judiciary. Leftist and liberal parties including the Free Egyptians Party, the Wafd Party and the Egyptian Social Democratic Party announced they will be boycotting Friday's demonstrations. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/47585.aspx
