CAIRO: Potential presidential candidate Abdallah al-Ashaal said Sunday night's deadly Maspiro clashes in Cairo and what many governorates have witnessed during demonstrations are only part of an American plot to destroy Egypt after the fall of the country's former – pro-American – regime. Ashaal said demonstrations are legal for all factions or sects, whatever their trend, as long as they have a legitimate grievance, especially as a result of a governmental decision. He assured the necessity of taking firm decisions and positions and finding good solutions to the crisis without million-man demonstrations or using pressure. Ashaal suggested cutting relations between Egyptian Coptic Christians and Copts in al-Mahgar and the United States. He also called for laws determining the construction of places of worship and the independence of Al-Azhar and the Church to work under a pure and clear policy that, “Religion is for God and country is for all.” Ashaal said the United States cannot protect Egyptians inside their own country and rejected any warnings or statements from the U.S. administration to the Egyptian government, citing statements by U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton on CNN. Ashaal called on U.S., the country which calls for democracy and freedom, to work on protecting the Egyptian democratic experience, to provide all means of for success, and to encourage national unity for Egyptians instead of making statements that are rejected even by Copts themselves in Egypt. He said the United States should respect Egyptians' insistence on applying democracy and independence in their country instead of addressing continuous criticism. He said Egypt will remain a nation for its people without discrimination, and that democracy is the largest guarantee for Egypt's citizens.
