Muslim Brotherhood calls for pro-Morsi protests in Egypt

Cairo, July 5: An Islamist coalition-led Muslim Brotherhood has called for a mass protest on Friday in response to the military coup that led to the ouster of Mohamed Morsi from the post of Egypt's president.

Muslim Brotherhood, urged people on Thursday to take part in a "Friday of Rejection" protest following the weekly prayers.

The call is being seen as a test of whether Morsi still has a support base in the country, and how the army will deal with it.

Egypt's army released a statement later on Thursday, saying that everyone had a right to peaceful protest, but that right should not be abused.

The protests, raising fears of an escalation in violence in the most populous Arab country, as army continue to haunt the top Brotherhood leaders, including its supreme leader Mohammed Badie and former chairman Mahdi Aakef, were arrested and kept under detention.

However, the army has warned "excessive use of this right without reason could carry some negative implications, including blocking roads, delaying public benefits and destroying institutions, posing a threat to social peace, the national interest and damaging the security and economy."

Meanwhile, newly sworn-in interim leader Adly Mansour made an attempt to heal the relationship with the Brotherhood, saying "the Muslim Brotherhood are part of this people and are invited to participate in building the nation as nobody will be excluded."

OneIndia News

(with agency inputs)