Status Update By MSA Union Asalamu Alaikum The Coalition for Egyptian Democracy* in South Africa (to which MSA Union is a member) will be demonstrating against the military coup in Egypt and calling for a return to democracy. The demonstration will take place outside the on Friday, 30 August 2013 at 13:30. Just over two years ago, Hosni Mubarak was overthrown and Egyptians saw the hope of a democratic future. In two years, two referenda and three elections took place, resulting in elected lower and upper houses of parliament, an elected president and a new constitution. However, as these processes unfolded, the Egyptian military, which has ruled the country for six decades, undermined democracy and planned to return Egypt to military rule. Together with the Mubarak-loyalist judiciary, the army dissolved the lower house of parliament, reduced the powers of the new president, refused to make its activities and finances transparent to the new government, got civil servants across the country (including the police) to stay away from work, caused artificial shortages of fuel, and, in general, ensured that Egyptians – especially the poor – would suffer more under a democratic government than before. All these activities culminated in a military coup on 3 July 2013. Since the coup, President Mohamed Morsi and his advisers have been in detention – mostly incommunicado; almost the entire leadership of the Morsi’s Freedom and Justice Party and the Muslim Brotherhood have been arrested; anti-coup media have been shut down and proscribed; and around 2 000 people have been killed in a series of massacres. Egypt has returned to Mubarakism! Martial law operates in most of the country. We condemn the 3 July coup, the massacres that resulted from it, and the demonisatin and hunting down of those opposed to the coup. Furthermore, we condemn the attacks on churches and other Christian buildings – from wherever these attacks emanate. We join with democrats around the world in calling for a return to democracy in Egypt. We demand: · that the Egyptian military – the de facto rulers of Egypt – ends the bloody crackdown against its people; · a credible, transparent and impartial international judicial investigation to identify and prosecute those responsible for the massacres conducted by Egyptian security forces since 30 June 2013; · the unconditional release of all Egyptian political detainees; · the reopening of all media that have been shut down by the military since the coup; · the launch of a genuine and comprehensive transition process to allow for the return to constitutional democracy; · that the army ensures the protection of all civilians and prevents further bloodshed in Egypt. Further, we call on the Egyptian military to immediately cease the demonisation of Palestinians, to open the Rafah border post with Gaza and to cease its destruction of the tunnels that connect Egypt to Gaza – the vital lifeline for the people of Gaza who have lived under an Israeli-imposed siege since 2007. Finally, while we commend the position taken by the South African government on the coup, we call on our government to join Venezuela, Ecuador and Turkey and withdraw the South African ambassador from Cairo. *The Coalition for Egyptian Democracy consists of: Jamiatul Ulama South Africa, ANC YOUTH LEAGUE, SAMWU , Muslim Youth Movement (MYM), Coalition For a Free Palestine (South Africa), MSA Union , Awqaf SA, and Media Review Network - South Africa. For more information, call: 072 456 7260 Transportation is available from Wits, the bus will leave by 11am In Sha Allah , to reserve a seat please email [email protected] or aadz69@gmail . Shukran
Posted on: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 19:18:44 +0000
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