"Just Give Us Morsi"

"Just Give Us Morsi"

"I don't think they'd use the Apaches against us, because if they did, we are packed so close together that it would kill thousands. But they should not be here at all. The army is supposed to protect all the people. Politics should not be their field."
Mohammed Darwish

"We don't want to fight, just give us Morsi.
"The army has made a big mistake because we elected not once but twice. Now they shoot at us but we are not afraid because we have the Holy Qur'an."
Mohammed Fawzy

A frenzy of determination to restore to themselves what military interference and those Egyptians who are not in possession of the Holy Qur'an have removed, has overtaken the supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and now-deposed President Mohammad Morsi. He did no wrong. Democratically elected, is their mantra, and undemocratically unseated by a coup d'etat. Unspeakably vile. And they simply will not stand for it.

Supporters of Mr Morsi marched to the headquarters of the Republican Guard, where they believe he is being held

They are armed, with clubs, metal rods, protected by homemade body shields and, of course, the Holy Qu'ran. Possession of the Holy Qu'ran is exclusive to the good people who follow the Muslim Brotherhood, and who are determined to rescue their president from the ignominy of being held prisoner  at the Republican Guard military headquarters. In their passion to overwhelm those on guard they brought a response from the military.

Associated Press/Photo by Maya Alleruzzo

Smoke in the colors of the Egyptian national flag trails after military aircraft over the skies of Cairo, Egypt.

In the streets of Cairo and elsewhere in the country, after the triumphal fly-over of the Egyptian airforce spewing trails of national colours to loud cheers from celebrating protest groups, troops with armoured vehicles and helicopters remained on guard after an attempt by pro-Morsi protesters attempted to storm the 6th October Bridge toward Tahrir Square to face off against the thousands more of liberals, Christians and secular-social protesters who have raised their righteous ire.

They were inspired by the Friday sermon led by Brotherhood supreme leader, Mohammed Badie, freed from detention for the vital job that lies ahead of him to incite supporters to recall and embrace their sacred duty and impress upon the military and its secular-tainted allies the extent of their insult to Islamist principles. "God, make Morsi victorious and bring him back to the palace", he said speaking directly to his maker.

As for Egypt's military whose soldiers were defending the hugely varied group that in fact represented the Brotherhood opponents, inclusive of Christians, secularists, unions, socialists and even orthodox Muslims, to those he urged: "return to the people of Egypt. Your bullets are not to be fired on your own sons and your own people." A reasonable enough injunction. Which should have been supported by orders to his own to disperse and return home rather than risk violent confrontation.

Soldiers defending the defence ministry shot three Islamists dead, adding to the 30 killed in Cairo, let alone the hundreds wounded in the melees breaking out between the confrontationists pledging their lives for Egypt, for Morsi, for the Brotherhood, and then advancing threateningly, demanding Morsi's release, reeling in amazement when their own violence begets a responding violence. The army responded as militaries are wont to do.

Fighter jets were sent up again, this time minus the plumes of coloured, celebratory smoke. Apache assault helicopters equipped with Gatling guns and rockets were sent up into the airspace above the city, closely watching the demonstrations unfold outside mosques. Giving opportunity for the crowds assembled below to jeer and wave their shoes when any low-level passes occurred. This is not their military, this is the enemy.

Armoured personnel carriers formed a cordon on key roads around Nasr City. But hundreds of Islamists were not stopped in their attendance at other protests across the capital. Skirmishes with opponents versus supporters of the removed fundamentalist regime took their rage out on each other. Heavy exchanges of machine gun fire rattled across central Cairo, counterpointed by the sirens of ambulances responding to the chaotic confrontations.

Islamist television stations have been shut down. Journalists who worked in them have been taken into detention along with elite Brotherhood leaders. The 750,000 Brotherhood members hang on the words of their leaders; as they are tasked to respond, so will they respond. It is a moveable feast. Those wretched poor living in the outskirts of the city as well as the inner-city slums have reason to support the Brotherhood whose welfare supported the marginalized.

In this way at least the Muslim Brotherhood proved their mettle as opponents of the succession of previous governments who were incapable of aiding the disadvantaged and disentitled. The Brotherhood offered and gave medication, health services, food, cooking oil to the poverty-stricken who now express their undying devotion to them in return.

The pity of it all is that despite their organizational skills so superior to those of their secular, socialist opponents, once in government the Brotherhood was incapable of bring order and advancement to the Egyptian economy and to arrest its crime rate.

Their own Islamist social-political agenda consumed them so completely all else was set aside as a mere distraction. "We all know how strong the military is but our president was never even given a chance so we refuse this decision", said one of a group of women sitting for hours at the Muslim Brotherhood rally in Nasr City.