Middle East: - Egypt court sentences Brotherhood leader Morsi to life

An Egyptian court Monday sentenced the Muslim Brotherhood's leader and 35 other people to life in prison over violent clashes after the army overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, a judicial official said.

Mohamed Badie, the Brotherhood's supreme guide, has already been sentenced to death and prison terms in other trials.

The court also sentenced 48 defendants to jail terms ranging from three to 15 years, and acquitted 20 others.

The authorities have arrested thousands of Brotherhood leaders and members, including Morsi, since his ouster by the army in 2013.

Hundreds have been sentenced to death, although many have appealed and won retrials.

On Monday, the court convicted Badie and the other defendants of involvement in clashes in the Suez Canal city of Ismailiya that killed three people.

The country was rocked by violence for weeks after Morsi's supporters set up protest camps and demonstrated against his overthrow.

The police killed hundreds of his supporters in clashes, including more than 600 on August 14, 2013 as they dispersed a Cairo protest camp.

Morsi, a senior Brotherhood leader, had won the country's first free election in 2012, more than a year after a popular uprising ousted veteran strongman Hosni Mubarak.

Read more: Flash - Egypt court sentences Brotherhood leader to life - France 24

Egypt: Forget the Coup: Egypt's Economy Is the Real Problem - by Ben W. Heineman Jr.

Egypt's political dilemmas are based, in important part, on its economic dilemmas. But since the overthrow of the Morsi government, far less attention has been paid to crucial economic issues than the political and constitutional conflicts. But economic issues--and the lack of a legitimated economic vision--have been as much a cause of the unrest, change and uncertainty in Egypt, and during both the Mubarak and Morsi tenures. And they may be more intractable.

Any new permanent government will face the choice Morsi had but never made: between market economic reforms on the one hand, led by economists and business people to promote growth, jobs, and trade, and a command-and-control statist economy on the other, which provides subsidies for essentials like energy and staples like bread, rice, and sugar--and also provides sinecures for ex-military officers. Part of the problem is that "liberalizing" reforms--there have been three waves since the end of Nassar's regime than 40 years ago--are perceived as helping the rich and reflecting crony capitalism, rather than raising Egypt as a whole.

Morsi's inability to chart a clear economic path led to a significant worsening of Egypt's economic straits, which in turn helped mobilize the powerful street opposition. From just before 2011 to today: GDP growth is down (from nearly 6 percent to under 2 percent); unemployment is up (from 9 percent to over 13 percent); foreign exchange reserves are down (from $35 billion to just under $15 billion); the budget deficit has more than doubled (from nearly $110 billion to over $230 billion); a quarter of that budget are subsidies to poor and middle class; and the poor and near-poor total approximately half of the population.

Tourism is down significantly due to security concerns; direct foreign investment has declined sharply; gasoline and power shortages bedevil the population; a slide in the Egyptian currency has raised prices of foreign goods such as food imports; wealth distribution is badly skewed; the nation's credit rating is cratering; the hidden "black" economy constitutes as much as 40 percent of Egyptian economic activity. And corruption continues.

Read more: Forget the Coup: Egypt's Economy Is the Real Problem - Ben W. Heineman Jr. - The Atlantic

Egypt’s new military leadership - the man to watch

Abdel-Fatah Al-Sisi foto Reuters

Abdel-Fatah Al-Sisi was promoted two full ranks in one go from Staff Major General to full General and appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Minister of Defence and Military Production.

The former Director of the Military Intelligence and Scouting Agency is, at 58 years old, one of the youngest members of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. He was born in 1954, while his predecessor, Hussein Tantawi, was commissioned as an officer soon after in 1956.

He also studied one year in the US (Pennsylvania)

Al-Sisi’s appointment came after President Mohamed Morsy announced he had retired Tantawi. Al-Sisi took the oath of office in front of Morsy soon after.

EU-Digest

Egyptian President Arrives in Berlin on Shortened Europe Visit - by Mayy El Sheikh

Germany is Egypt’s third most important trading partner and, according to an official schedule for his visit, Mr. Morsi was to meet with leaders of industry as well as the chancellor, hoping to persuade them to bring badly needed investment to his country. 

The cancellation of his trip to Paris was reported by French and Egyptian officials.

In Berlin, German officials signaled that Mr. Morsi would face questions about his democratic credentials after declaring a state of emergency in three Suez Canal cities gripped by protest and violence. 

Before Mr. Morsi arrived, Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle stressed the importance of democratic reforms in Egypt in exchange for economic support from Berlin. 

“We have seen worrying images in recent days, images of violence and destruction,” Mr. Westerwelle told the Deutsche Welle state broadcaster. “I appeal to both sides to engage in dialogue.” At the same time, he urged the West to have patience with Egypt, expressing understanding for the difficulties facing Mr. Morsi in leading his country through a transformation. 

Last year Egypt received around $130 million in development aid from the German government. Germany’s industry sector also views Egypt as having great potential, given its strategic location and size.

Read more: Egyptian President Arrives in Berlin on Shortened Europe Visit - NYTimes.com

Middle East: Looking at Egypt, Worrying About Turkey - by Semih Idiz

President Mohammed Morsi

 Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, of Muslim Brotherhood origin, was highly praised for his courageous stand against the Egyptian army, which he wanted to distance from politics. His international prestige peaked with his recent role in securing an Israel-Hamas cease-fire. Morsi was even named as the most important personality of the Middle East by Time magazine.

However, Morsi himself delivered a blow to this positive image he had created. Immediately after the cease-fire, under the pretext of “defending the Egyptian revolution from its enemies,” he assumed extraordinary powers that were not allowed to be challenged. Then the troubles began.
Liberal Egyptians worried about the intentions of the Islamists again filled Tahrir Square and began chanting the same “Pharaoh” slogans they had used against former President Hosni Mubarak. This time, clashes were not between the security forces and protesters, but between liberals and religious forces supporting Morsi.

In short, the Islamists’ perception of democracy does not tally with true democracy. Islamists believe that winning an election gives the ruling party the authority to tamper with and change the system.
But true democracy doesn’t give this right to anyone and it certainly doesn’t mean the “hegemony of the majority.” The true measure of democracy is not only protecting  the rights of the opposition and minorities but also gracefully accepting an exit from the political scene when people say “we don’t want you anymore.’’

Now, we see a president who, although chosen in a democratic election, is now trying to arm himself with anti-democratic powers; a party that is trying to change the constitution and governance by overwhelming the opposition and a government that is trying impose its world view while splitting the country in two instead of unifying it.

All these should ring some bells for us in Turkey as well. In short, it is impossible to not worry about Turkey while observing what is happening in Egypt. By the way, weren’t we supposed to be the model country?

Read more: Looking at Egypt, Worrying About Turkey - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Egypt: Morsi flees as angry crowd storms Cairo palace in clash with riot police

Egyptian riot police have fired tear gas at protesters demonstrating against President Mohamed Morsi near the presidential palace in Cairo. At least 18 people have been injured in violent clashes.

Presidential sources say Morsi left the palace as the crowd started getting out of control.
Protesters broke through police lines and barbed wire barricades in front of the presidential palace, with riot police responding with tear gas.

To avoid further confrontation police forces then reportedly retreated, allowing the demonstrators to move closer to the palace.

Thousands of demonstrators marched to the palace in protest of Morsi's decree which grants him near absolute powers, and a draft constitution which was quickly adopted by his allies.

Read more: Morsi flees as angry crowd storms Cairo palace in clash with riot police — RT

Egypt: Morsi’s-way-‘out’ - by Dina Ezzat

President Mohamed Morsi is expected to take to the airwaves today and address the nation — not just his Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi followers, to whom he spoke last Friday — and convince them he is committed to reconciliation.

The text of Morsi’s message was still being pondered on Wednesday. Its aim, though, was clear — to contain reactions to the constitutional declaration issued last Thursday in which Morsi effectively neutered the judiciary at a time when, courtesy of an earlier constitutional declaration, he already holds all legislative and executive power.

The president’s advisors and other informed sources agree Morsi will not rescind the constitutional declaration. What he will do depends on who is talking. Some say the most likely scenario is an early referendum on the controversial draft constitution being finalised by a Constituent Assembly that has lost a third of its members and as a consequence is dominated more than ever by Islamists. The move, they say, has the advantage of speeding up the de facto elimination of the constitutional declaration which places Morsi’s presidential decrees beyond judicial review.

Other scenarios revolve around the same trade off, exchanging a widely rejected constitutional declaration for a controversial constitution.

“If Morsi comes out to tell us we have to accept one unacceptable alternative or another that’s equally unacceptable then we will simply tell him that we have no interest in his offers. If he cannot offer anything better then we have no interest in him… He can leave as Mubarak left,” said Amal, a teacher with no partisan affiliation.

Chants calling on Morsi to step down were not the loudest in Tahrir Square, though they could be heard in Cairo as well as other governorates which witnessed violent clashes. And the fact that offices of both the Muslim Brotherhood and its political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), were attacked in a number of towns made the feelings of at least some of the demonstrators crystal clear.

If Morsi does not find a way out of the current quagmire soon, argues lawyer, activist and founding member of the Egyptian Current Islam Lotfi, then his presidency is in danger of sinking.

For thje complete report: Morsi’s-way-‘out’ - Al-Ahram Weekly

Anger in Egypt Over Power Grab by President Morsi - by Liam Stack

Protesters torched the offices of Egypt’s ruling Islamist party in several cities on Friday during an outpouring of public anger one day after President Mohamed Morsi issued a sweeping decree granting himself broad new powers and putting his decisions above any challenges by the country’s courts.

Protesters also set fire to the offices of the ruling Freedom and Justice Party in the seaside city of Alexandria, long a stronghold of Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, of which Mr. Morsi was a leader until he resigned to run for president. Party offices also burned in the Suez Canal cities of Port Said, Suez and Ismailia.

Read more: Anger in Egypt Over Power Grab by President Morsi - NYTimes.com

Middle East: Turkey, Egypt to boost alliance

Dozens of ministers from Turkey and Egypt will gather in Cairo in November in a bid to boost their alliance, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.

"Accompanied by 13 ministers, I will be in Cairo in early November," for the meeting of a high-level strategic council established between the two countries to bolster ties, Erdogan told a news conference with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi in Ankara. "I am fully confident that the meeting ... will bring about very important results," said Erdogan.

Morsi praised Turkey for standing by the Egyptian people during and after the revolution that toppled president Hosni Mubarak of Egypt in February 2011, and said Cairo would never hesitate to establish a partnership with Ankara.

Read more: Turkey, Egypt to boost alliance | Radio Netherlands Worldwide

Organized Religion: Fakery, Deception and Strive - by RM

Stories relating to religion seem to have captured center stage these days. 

There were the horror stories coming from Australia about sexual abuse in the Catholic church community around Victoria. The Archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart, said the figures were "horrific” - investors said the number of victims could be as high as 10,000.

News about Catholic priests abusing children is not new because it has been going on for a long time all over the world. But what is alarming about all this is that not much has been done about it, apart from the fact that the police now and then takes some of these pedophiles in custody and eventually to court.

Let us not forget that Catholicism is not only a religion but also is embodied in a country called the Vatican -- but has any government of the countries where these horrors of child abuse have happened dared to warn the Vatican that they would break diplomatic relations with them if they failed to clean up their act? No, they have not. 

Catholics who consider themselves Christians should bear in mind that Jesus said: “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” 

How are we going to make sure that many priests still happily swinging the incense around during Mass are not secretly breaking that command and continue to be a danger to society?

Given that the reputation of Catholics in general is at stake maybe the time has come for Catholic worshipers around the world to take matters in their own hand and start pointing their finger at the Pope and his cohorts at the Vatican for the mismanagement of the Catholic 'corporate' structure.

Staying within the context of religious news - it is also important to focus on the overblown Muslim reactions, which included vandalism and the killing of innocent people, in response to the latest Western video and cartoons about the Prophet Mohammed. 

Let's be honest about it - these reaction really made a 'mountain out of a molehill' and one starts to wonder who could be behind all this.

Instead, Muslims would probably be well advised if they listened more attentively to the advice given to them by more moderate Muslim leaders like Mr. Erdogan of Turkey and Mr. Morsi of Egypt and shown some more restraint and respect for the fact that many nations around the world adhere to the democratic principal of freedom of expression, which does not exclude anyone or anything.

Another Muslim voice advocating moderation was Ahmed Aboutaleb, the Mayor of Rotterdam, the largest city in the Netherlands. He said that Muslims must respect the right to freedom of expression and speech, but should also feel free to use it - without resorting to violence.

On the other hand cartoonists around the Western world would also do well by showing more restraint and respect for the sensitivities of other cultures and religions around the world. Freedom of expression, yes, provocation no.

Possibly a more productive suggestion one could give the Muslim community around the world, given the terrible atrocities taking place in Syria, is to direct some of their efforts to stop Muslims fighting against Muslims in Syria.

Muslims could also focus their attention on the recent Iranian leadership decision to restrict Iranian women from attending certain university courses, simply because they are women. 

 

The above once again underscores beyond any doubt the difference between organized religion and spirituality, religion being man made and spirituality a relationship between a person and God, which others can't see.

By their acts organized religion also shows that it is mainly focused on self interest and consequently has the ability to create strive as a result of conflicting interpretations of religious doctrines and scriptures. On the other hand Spirituality is a source of inner peace. "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit said the Lord" (Zechariah).

Unfortunately, as it is written, changing peoples perception about the fakery of 'organized' religion won't be easy. People who have the wisdom and gift to distinguish the difference between religion and spirituality are limited: "not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called." (1 – Corinthians).

EU-Digest 

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Egypt parliament set to meet, defying army

Quoted by the state news agency on Monday, Saad el-Katatni, who like President Mohammed Morsi hails from the long-suppressed Muslim Brotherhood, said the lower house would sit from noon (1000 GMT) on Tuesday, overturning a court judgment and military order issued a month ago, before Morsi's election.

The move, heralded by a decree issued by Morsi on Sunday, barely a week after he took office, threatens Egypt with fresh political uncertainty likely to take a toll on a fragile economy and dash the hopes of many desperate for a period of calm after 17 turbulent months since the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak.

However, in a signal that relations have far from broken down between Morsi and the army, the president and the head of the military council appeared together, looking relaxed and in conversation, at a televised event on Monday morning.

Read More: Egypt parliament set to meet, defying army - The Egyptian Gazette

Egypt: Morsi reinstates Egypt's dissolved lower house; assembly to meet 'within hours'

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi issued a decision Sunday afternoon calling for the dissolved People's Assembly (the lower house of Egypt's parliament) to resume its legislative activities. He also called for fresh parliamentary polls to be held within 60 days of the ratification of a new national constitution.

The assembly will practice its full legislative and regulatory responsibilities as soon as it holds its next meeting, which is expected to be held "within hours," assembly speaker Saad El-Katatni declared in a statement issued early Sunday evening.


Ahram Online's correspondent close to the military council said that Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) was currently holding an emergency meeting to discuss the surprise development.

Egypt's military council had dissolved parliament's freely-elected, Islamist-led lower house in mid-June, based on a High Constitutional Court (HCC) ruling that found Egypt's parliamentary elections law – which regulated last year's legislative polls – to be unconstitutional.

Morsi's presidential decree, however, overturned the military council's decision to dissolve the assembly and ordered the assembly to resume legislative activities. The president further declared that new parliamentary elections would be held within 60 days of the ratification of the country's new national charter.

Read more: UPDATE 2: Morsi reinstates Egypt's dissolved lower house; assembly to meet 'within hours' - Politics - Egypt - Ahram Online

Disillusioned Egyptians Look for ‘Third Option’ at Runoff Vote

Egyptian human rights activist and visual artist Aalam Wassef’s latest YouTube video (below) depicts a soldier standing next to a ballot box. With every ballot put into the box, the soldier grows bigger; but in the euphoria of voting, no one notices – until finally they do, but it is too late. The soldier crushes the people with his massive boot, then a logo pops onto the screen: “Boycott the Elections.”

Egypt’s presidential runoff election, slated for June 16-17, pits Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi against former Mubarak prime minister Ahmed Shafiq in what many pro-revolutionary liberals, leftists, and secularists consider a lose-lose scenario. They fear Morsi will impose an Islamic state and strip Egyptians of their personal rights, and that Shafiq, who has not hidden his admiration for the ousted president Hosni Mubarak, will spearhead a return to the old regime.

For more: Disillusioned Egyptians Look for ‘Third Option’ at Runoff Vote | Middle East Voices