The armed forces urged for tolerance among the people and spoke against acts of gloating or vengeance against certain political factions. In an official statement released on Thursday night, the armed forces said the Egyptian people's tolerant ethics and their abidance by Islamic morals will not allow them to call for "reprisal" on political opponents. It also excluded the possibility of attacking party headquarters, public or private properties, describing such acts as a threat that might lead the nation into "a dangerous and endless circle of vengeance which would cost the nation and everybody else dearly". The armed forces stated the same values and morals call on all to avoid any exceptional or arbitrary procedures against any political faction. It added that the armed forces and police are both keen on achieving national reconciliation, constructive justice and tolerance. The armed forces stressed that peaceful protesting and freedom of expressions are the rights of all. "Yet, one must be aware that the excessive use of the abovementioned without due cause ... might represent a threat to societal peace and the nation's best interests, taking a negative toll on security, and economic performance," the statement read. A number of Islamist channels actively supporting ousted president Mohamed Morsi promptly went off air following an announcement Wednesday night that Morsi would be removed from office. The movement was seen by several human rights activists as an arbitrary procedure and a violation of media freedom. Armed forces spokesman Ahmed Ali said: "these channels perpetuate the idea of using violence. We need stability and this is why they were closed. We are trying to stabilise the situation for the new Egypt." A joint statement released on Friday by a group of human rights organisations described the closure of the channels as "as form of collective punishment which constitutes a violation of media freedom." The organisations stressed their condemnation of the incitement of violence via media channels, adding that evidence that a media channel has committed a criminal incitement should be provided "free of any generalisation or arbitrariness". The signatory organisations included: the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE), Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR), Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), El Nadeem Centre for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and the Hisham Mubarak Law Centre (HMLC).
