In an atmosphere similar to a Friday sermon, a prominent Salafist preacher recently described participants in the upcoming demonstrations against Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi as hypocrites and unbelievers.
“I pray to God that the intuitions of these unbelievers and hypocrites will be reversed,” said Sheikh Mohamed Abdel-Maqsoud, deputy head of the Salafi Legitimate Authority for Rights and Reform.
In response to Abdel-Maqsoud’s remarks, Kareem Abdulhafeez, a member of the rebel movement, commented by questioning the cleric’s authority as a guardian of Islam.
“We say to the Egyptian people of all sects: we, the Egyptian people, believe that the corrupt hypocrites and killers are the Muslim Brotherhood and their followers,” he told Al Arabiya.
“Egypt is for all Egyptians, the only segment that doesn’t belong amongst Egyptians is the Muslim Brotherhood,” said Abdulhafeez.
“Egyptians are no longer ignorant, they are aware of who is a hypocrite, who is a killer, who is the real culprit, and the true identity of the Muslim Brotherhood,” he added.
Aided by Egypt’s Interior Minister stating that he will not prevent demonstrations, the rebel movement announced that it will not back down in any way on the protests planned for June 30.
