CAIRO: On the eve of “Friday of Unity,” hundreds of people, mainly Islamists, have begun flocking to Tahrir Square anticipating the day to come where thousands more are expected to join. The result has seen arguments and even small exchanges of anger. Both Salafist groups and the Muslim Brotherhood supporters have already been gathering at the square, setting up tents and holding up banners ahead of the million man march of unity called for tomorrow. Small marches have been seen, with Islamists chanting “Islamic state, Islamic state,” which has caused tension to grow between the liberals and the conservatives. Both the Salafist groups and the MB have joined the Tahrir protesters and other political groups from the far end of the political spectrum in demanding social justice and an end to the old regime's affiliates as well as calling for the demands of the families of the “martyrs” of the January 25 revolution to be met. However, scuffles started early in the evening when a group placed a banner up that read “people want the implementation of Sharia,” or Islamic law, which drew criticism and resistance from many protesters in the square. While the banner was taken down and the fight dissolved, the spirit in Tahrir leans towards caution over optimism. Following the banner incident, Dr. Mohamed Yousri, a spokesperson of the al-Nour party, a Salafist political party, admitted that “a bit of scuffles and side fights had taken place but was contained,” he said via telephone to the ON TV news program “Akher Kalam,” or Last Word. He added that there are groups of young people currently going around the square trying to bring different points of view together and calm the situation. Some were anticipating that protesters could clash with the Islamists, who put together a massive effort and organization in mobilizing their followers and transporting them from different governorates and cities from around the country to Cairo. Last Friday, the spokeperson of Gama'a Islamiya, Assem Abdul Maged, called the Tahrir protesters “traitors” and called on Muslims to “march unto Tahrir to cleanse it.” He called on people to join in the “Friday of Identity,” as the group initially coined the march, to reclaim their country's Islamic identity “from the hands of thugs, Marxists and Liberals who are trying to seize power in the country and claim the revolution.” Abdul Maged's speech at Cairo's al-Fatah mosque alarmed many who feared the call to march would turn into violent confrontations with the protesters, who have been conducting a sit-in in the square since July 8. Many Islamists and Salafist groups, however rejected Abdul Maged's speech and announced that their march would be peaceful and “in-sync with the protesters demands.” A joint statement uniting 26 different movements, including al-Nour, the MB and al-Gama'a al-Islamaiya itself under the “social justice demands of all groups.” The groups and parties agreed that the Friday march should unite and not divide the nation and all involved parties agreed to secure the ins and outs of the square as a shared responsibility to prevent any “vandalism attempts or weapons entering the square.” BM
