On Friday, prominent Islamist intellectual Youssef al-Qaradawi called on the Egyptian military, which has ruled the country since President Hosni Mubarak's resignation last week, to remove the current government. Al-Qaradawi accused the government of corruption and murder. Addressing millions of Egyptians who gathered in Tahrir Square to continue celebrations Friday and press for their demands, Al-Qaradawi said Egyptians want the army to remove Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq's government. Shafiq was appointed at the end of January when Mubarak also replaced many of his cabinet ministers in a failed attempt to appease protesters. Shafiq, the former minister of civil aviation and commander of the air force, was considered a close advisor of Mubarak and has been widely rejected by protesters. Al-Qaradawi, a moderate Islamist intellectual close to the Muslim Brotherhood, added that when Egyptians see Shafiq's government, they recall the corruption and murder prevalent during Mubarak's 30-year rule. Al-Qaradawi called for the formation of a new civil government. During his sermon he also called on military leaders to release the thousands of political prisoners, many of whom are Islamists and have been detained in the last three decades under emergency law. Al-Qaradawi called on the thousands of Egyptian workers, who have engaged in labor strikes since last week, to exercise patience and end their strikes. Al-Qaradawi also called on them to give the military a chance to address their problems. Millions of workers and government employees in various sectors have organized strikes to demand better wages, permanent work contracts, and the removal of corrupt managers. The Egyptian military had previously called on Egyptian workers to end their strikes, which have stalled the return to normal business following Mubarak's resignation.
