Saudi Arabian religious scholars are leading an increasingly vocal chorus of Islamic preachers who are urging Muslims and Arabs to support Syrian rebels against what they say are atrocities at the hands of Iran-backed Shi'ite forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

A reader wonders why Egypt has been largely off-the-radar as a important regional presence in the Syrian conflict. With interesting timing, the last few days may have inaugurated the beginning of a change to Egypt’s lack of involvement, a development coinciding with the U.S.’s own policy changes.

Hours after President Mohamed Morsi announced 17 new governor appointments, discontent was expressed nationwide due to the fact many of the new appointees are affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, the group from which the president hails.

Clashes erupted on Sunday night between supporters of Egypt's ruling Muslim Brotherhood and their opponents in Fayoum, injuring 38 people.

Under Hosni Mubarak’s rule, Egypt’s authorities took a tough line on Egyptians coming home after waging “jihad” in places like Afghanistan, Chechnya or the Balkans, fearing they would bring back extremist ideology, combat experience and a thirst for regime change. In most cases, they were imprisoned and tortured.

Egypt’s Administrative Prosecutor’s Office ordered a Quran teacher to be fired from Al-Azhar religious center.

Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi named a member of an Islamist group remembered for a bloody attack on Western tourists in the ancient city of Luxor over a decade ago as governor of that province on Sunday.

An Egyptian Salafist holds an anti-Coptic Christian banner outside a courthouse in Cairo October 14, 2012 before the trial of Ahmed Mohamed Abdullah, known as Abu Islam. REUTERS Mohamed Abd El Ghany )

Deputy head of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party Essam El-Erian says developments in the ongoing crisis in Syria have shown the difference between the Gaza-based Hamas group and Lebanese Shia Hizbullah group, both of which were originally founded to resist Israeli occupation.

Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi, in severing ties with Damascus, aims to show solidarity with Western and fellow Arab states opposed to Syria's regime and also boost his under-fire image at home, analysts said.

A Cairo court has sentenced Islamist preacher Ahmed Abdullah, known as “Abu Islam,” to 11 years in prison on charges of tearing up a Bible, defaming religion and disturbing peace and security.

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.

The bread queue can be a dangerous and dishonest place in Egypt. People have killed over state-subsidized loaves. Corruption blights much of the trade.

Egyptian Islamist groups, including the centrist Wasat Party and the ultra-conservative Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya, have said they will hold a "million-man anti-violence rally” on 21 June.

Attackers desecrated graves in an Arab Christian cemetery in Jaffa and damaged property nearby in an incident that bore the hallmarks of a "price tag" hate crime, Israeli police said Thursday.

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and the opposition Rebel campaign have blamed each other for starting clashes in Alexandria on Wednesday night.

Islamist parties called for a million man march in front of Rabaa Al-Adaweya mosque in Nasr City on Friday 21 June under the slogan “No to violence”.

The Muslim Brotherhood have not yet decided how to respond to mass protests against President Mohamed Morsi planned for 30 June, but hope the day "will pass quietly."

Coptic Pope Tawadros II has stressed the spiritual role of Egypt’s Christian church, as the debate surrounding Copts joining 30 June protests grows.

Opposition protests scheduled for 30 June will not force President Morsi to call early presidential elections, Freedom and Justice Party spokesperson Hamza Zobai said on Tuesday.

Egypt’s Constitution Party announced Wednesday the launch of its 'Muslim Brotherhood are liars' campaign in Al-Sharqiya governorate.