CAIRO: Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and Gama'a Islamiya have announced they will not participate in Friday's protests, which are being dubbed “the Friday of Loving Egypt.” Gama'a Islamiya, a group that has recently re-energized its political movement in the country following years of being on the outside, called the demonstrations an “Iraninan-led attempt to institute Shiite doctrine in Egypt.” The group, which led a violent campaign against the Egyptian government in the 1990s, but renounced violence following a massive crackdown, has come back into the Egyptian political scene in recent months, spearheading a July 29 demonstration that saw some one million conservative Egyptians converge on Cairo's Tahrir Square to demand an Islamic state be implemented in Egypt. Members of Gama'a Islamiya have announced they would not participate in the million-man demonstration, claiming it will further polarize Egyptians and muddle the interests of the nation. The group claims all demonstrations – from the historic protests in Tahrir leading to Mubarak's departure to last Friday's “Friday of the People's Will” – have provided ample time for political forces to voice opinions. However, the Islamic group did say they support the “preservation of Egyptian identity and stability, the holding of elections first followed by the transition to an independent civil state.” Egypt's other leading Islamic group, the Muslim Brotherhood and its offshoot Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) also announced it would not join the protests planned for Tahrir Square. The party's Secretary-General Saad Katatni said that while Egyptians have a right to protest, his organization would not be participating. Katatni also said the “importance of social harmony amongst political powers, all of whom are interested in ongoing public pressure to achieve the demands of the January 25 Revolution.” BM
