Angry demonstrations against Israeli actions in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank erupted throughout Egypt after Friday prayers this weekend. The protests follow a week of similar demonstrations across universities and professional syndicates last week. Cairo witnessed a demonstration at Al-Azhar mosque, in which protesters denounced Arab and Muslim passivity towards recent events, demanding that Arab rulers sanction jihad, take a firm stand against the Judaiziation of Jerusalem, and sever relations with the Jewish state. Security forces cordoned off the mosque, searched worshippers and prevented demonstrators from taking their protests to the streets. In Fayoum, dozens of members of opposition parties organized a protest in front of the Nasir mosque. They issued a statement demanding that Arab and Islamic governments protect Islamic holy sites, while calling for the next Arab summit to nullify the Arab peace initiative, a plan proposed by Arab heads of state in 2002 to achieve a comprehensive peace settlement between Arab states, the Palestinians and Israel. The parties affirmed that the construction of 1600 settlement units in East Jerusalem is an “unacceptable” violation of international law. In Beni Suef, hundreds of worshippers, including Hamdi Zahran, a member of the People's Assembly from the Muslim Brotherhood, marched after prayer chanting anti-Israeli slogans. Surrounded by a heavy security presence, the demonstrators also decried Israeli attempts to make Jerusalem Jewish. Thousands of residents of Tanta and Kafr el-Zayat in Gharbiya Governorate took to the streets in front of mosques, demanding permission to wage jihad and urging the intervention of Muslim governments to save Al-Aqsa. The Muslim Brotherhood organized mass demonstrations in downtown Assiut, where protesters also criticized what they called the silence of Arab governments. Central Security forces surrounded the demonstrators and prevented them from marching through the streets. Hundreds of residents of Minya amassed in front of the Umar ibn el-Khattab mosque, demanding a united Arab position against the desecration of Islamic holy sites. In Alexandria, hundreds of members of the Muslim Brotherhood lead 10- and 15-minute-long demonstrations in neighborhoods of throughout the city. At least 31 demonstrators were arrested during protests held after Friday prayers. According to reports, some People's Assembly members from the Muslim Brotherhood were among those arrested. The protesters denounced what they described as the Egyptian regime's determination to build a wall between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
