100 Million Muslims in China

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Kurdish Islamists Protest Egypt Coup

Several protests took place to support the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, but also in the Kurdish city of Diyarbakir in Turkey by Kurdish Islamist groups.

The arrival of the Secretary-General of the Islamic Union of Kurdistan and the Secretary General of the International Union for Muslim Scholars to the rally for condemnation Egypt massacres Secretary-General of the Kurdistan Islamic Union Mohammed Faraj and accompanied by Secretary-General of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, Dr. Ali Qaradaghi arrived to the courtyard of the Shander park downtown Erbil to participate in the rally, organized by the Second Centre of the Islamic Union and the third centre of the Islamic Group, to denounce and condemn the crimes carried out by the Egyptian army and with support of police and bullying, especially the slaughters of the field Rabiaa al-Adaweya and al-Nahda of Egypt last Wednesday. http://www.kurdiu.org/en/hawal/index.php?pageid=130942

Second centre official of the Kurdistan Islamic Union in Arbil, appealed to citizens to actively participate in the rally, which was organized by the Islamic Union and the Islamic group to denounce the massacres which commited by the police and the Egyptian army and thugs against unarmed citizens in Rabiaa al-Adaweya and al-Nahda in Egypt.

Official of the second centre of the Kurdistan Islamic Union Ali Girdasori in an interview with the site KurdIU , said that "they would organize on Saturday evening in front of Shander Park a rally denouncing the massacres which commited against the peaceful protesters in Rabiaa al-Adaweya and al-Nahda in Egypt , stressing at the same time that participation in the rally is Humanist duty , appealing to the masses of the people to actively participate to denounce this humanitarian crime against the citizens Egyptians. http://www.kurdiu.org/en/hawal/index.php?pageid=130935

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Anti-Coup Alliance Statement on ‘Friday of Anger’ Violent Attacks on Peaceful Protesters

Anti-Coup Alliance Statement on ‘Friday of Anger’ Violent Attacks on Peaceful Protesters

Egypt’s pro-legitimacy coalition of groups and movements defending democracy condemn the latest wave of state-led violence and urges people to persist in week-long peaceful protests.
The Anti-Coup, Pro-Legitimacy National Alliance extends its sincerest thanks and appreciation to the masses of patriotic Egyptians who came out today (Friday, August 16) in huge rallies from all governorates of Egypt in a sublime scene of heroic bravery under aerial bombardment from July 3 coup forces’ helicopters and war-planes using live bullets in order, as protesters expressed their rejection of the military putsch and condemnation of brutal massacres by military forces against unarmed peaceful protesters during the violent crackdown on Rabaa El-Adaweya and Nahda sit-ins.

The Alliance calls on the great masses of the Egyptian people to protest peacefully throughout the next week (the “Putschists’ Departure” week). The demonstrations will kick off every day throughout the week from the same points today’s demonstrations were launched in Cairo, Giza and the provinces.

Demonstrators will perform Maghrib and Isha prayers in Ramses Square. Then, they will pray for the souls of the martyrs who were killed today by the brutal aggression of the putschist forces against the innocent and defenseless.

The Alliance reiterates its commitment to fully non-violent demonstrations and its rejection of all attacks on places of worship as well as public and private property.

The Alliance further reiterates its demands to a full return to constitutional legitimacy. The precious blood of peaceful protesters that flowed and is still being spilled is watering the tree of liberty in Egypt and is arousing the spirit of the January 25 Revolution – resistance to injustice, corruption and rejection of the coup, repression and tyranny.

God save Egypt and its people and reward the honorable martyrs...

Anti-Coup, Pro-Legitimacy National Alliance

Cairo: August 16, 2013

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Important Announcement about celebrating Eid Al-Fitr 2013 / Aid El-Fitr 2013 / Shawwal 2013

Eid Al-Fitr 2013 [Eid Al-Fitr 1434]

MAKKAH CALENDAR
http://www.makkahcalendar.org/en/eid-al-fitr-2013.php

Important Announcement about celebrating Eid Al-Fitr 2013 / Aid El-Fitr 2013 / Shawwal 2013

We are very happy to announce that Eid Al-Fitr 2013 (1434) [Aid El-Fitr 2013 (1434)] should be celebrated on Thursday, 8th August 2013 almost all over the world with a few exceptions as mentioned below.

 This is because on 6th August 2013, crescent visibility is not expected anywhere in the world and the extension of the zone of observation on the next day, 7th August 2013, covers almost all the countries of the world. Thus, Ramadan fasting should be ended on Wednesday, 7th August 2013 and Shawwal 2013 should start on the next day, 8th August 2013. Please click here to get more details with the required calculations that explain why almost all countries in the world should celebrate Eid Al-Fitr 2013 (Aid El-Fitr 2013) on the same day of 8th August 2013. Please see the country list below arranged continent wise showing where Eid Al-Fitr should be celebrated on 8th August 2013.
Do remember Eid Al-Fitr 2013 is on Thursday, 8th August 2013 in almost the entire world.




Few Exceptions

In the case of Russia, the extension of the zone of observation includes the greatest part of this country. However, a small part of Russia, to the east of Okhotsk, is not covered by the extension of the zone of observation on the evening of 7th August 2013. Similarly, for the Kiribati Islands, the extension of the zone of observation covers up to Arorae Island. The eastern part of this island is not covered by the extension of the zone of observation on the evening of 7th August. In the case of Samoa and Tonga islands, this zone does not cover the totality of the islands. Thus, in Kiribati, Samoa and Tonga, Eid Al-Fitr 2013 should be celebrated on Friday, 9th August 2013. In Russia, the small part of the country to the east of Okhotsk should also celebrate Aid on 9th August 2013.


8th August 2013 - Following countries should celebrate Eid Al-Fitr 2013 on Thursday, 8th August 2013

AFRICA (54)


Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African
Republic
Chad
Comoros
Congo
Congo, Democratic
Republic of
Djibouti
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Ivory Coast
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Sudan
Swaziland
Tanzania
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
ASIA (44)


Afghanistan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Brunei
Burma (Myanmar)
Cambodia
China
East Timor
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Japan
Jordan
Kazakstan
Korea, North
Korea, South
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Malaysia
Maldives
Mongolia
Nepal
Oman
Palestine
Pakistan
Philippines
Qatar
Russian Federation *
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Syria
Tajikistan
Thailand
Turkey
Turkmenistan
United Arab Emirates
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Yemen
EUROPE (48)


Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Kosovo
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malta
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
San Marino
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Vatican City
NORTH AND
CENTRAL AMERICA (23)

Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Canada
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Grenada
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
United States
Of America
S. AMERICA (12)


Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Guyana
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela
OCEANIA (12)


Australia
Fiji
French Polynesia
Marshall Islands
Micronesia
Nauru
New Zealand
Palau
Papua New
Guinea
Solomon Islands
Tuvalu
Vanuatu



* Note: Whole Russian Federation to the west of Okhotsk. Please read "Few Exceptions" section above for details.


9th August 2013 - Eastern Russia (The small part of the country to the east of Okhotsk), Kiribati, Samoa and Tonga Islands




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Ramadan in UAE to begin on July 10, Eid Al Fitr on August 9: Sharjah Planetarium

Ramadan in UAE to begin on July 10, Eid Al Fitr on August 9: Sharjah Planetarium

First half of the Holy Month of Ramadan will witness a rise in temperature
WAM
Published: 08:34 March 18, 2013

Sharjah: The Sharjah Planetarium at the Department of Culture and Information announced that the Ramadan Crescent will form on July 8 at 11.14am and set at 7.08pm, five minutes before sunset.


The crescent will be seen on the evening of July 9, which means the first day of Ramadan will be July 10, astronomically corresponding to Ramadan 01, 1434 H.

The Sharjah Planetarium also announced that the Shawwal crescent will appear on August 7 at 12.51am and set with the sun, making it difficult to be seen. It completes the last day of Ramadan (30 days), making August 9 Friday, astronomically the first day of Shawwal and the first day of Eid Al Fitr.

Ebrahim Al Jarwan, Astronomy Researcher and Supervisor of Sharjah Planetarium, said the first half of Ramadan will witness a rise in temperature, which will reach 46 degrees Celsius, accompanied by dry and dusty winds.

http://gulfnews.com/in-focus/ramadan/ramadan-in-uae-to-begin-on-july-10-eid-al-fitr-on-august-9-sharjah-planetarium-1.1159534
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Morsi supporters defy orders to end sit-ins

Morsi supporters defy orders to end sit-ins

Rallies continue and clashes with police erupt in Egypt's capital even as foreign pressure to solve crisis mounts.
Backers of Egypt's deposed President Mohamed Morsi have staged defiant rallies and clashed with police in Cairo, after the government ordered their protest camps to be broken up.

Police reportedly fired tear gas and birdshot at roughly 1,000 protesters on Friday who tried to set up a new camp outside Media Production City, where satellite television channels are based.



The US stepped up its diplomatic efforts, meanwhile, sending its top Middle East official to Cairo for a second time.

William Burns, US undersecretary of state, is the latest international envoy on a mission to press Morsi's backers and the interim government to resolve the stand-off peacefully.

Elsewhere, Ayman al-Zawahiri, the Egyptian-born head of al-Qaeda,accused the US of "plotting" Morsi's overthrow with the Egyptian military and the country's Christian minority.

"Crusaders and secularists and the Americanised army have converged ... with Gulf money and American plotting to topple Mohamed Morsi's government," he said in a 15-minute audio recording posted online.

In his first comments since July 3 - when Morsi was removed from power, Zawahiri also attacked Morsi's secular opposition and Coptic Christians, who he said wanted a secessionist state in Egypt, and called for a mass movement to install Islamic law.

Dispersing rallies

In Cairo, Morsi supporters went on marches after Friday prayers, pouring out of several mosques in the capital.

The early evening protest outside Media Production City saw at least one protester wounded by birdshot.

The demonstrators said police fired tear gas when they tried to camp outside the compound.

However, the interior ministry accused the protesters of firing birdshot, wounding a conscript, and said police made 31 arrests.

Morsi's supporters have remained defiant even after the interim government warned this week that police would be authorised to disperse crowds in "gradual steps".

In particular, the interior ministry urged those at protest sites in Rabaa al-Adawiya and Nahda squares "to let reason and the national interest prevail, and to quickly leave".

The state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper reported on Friday that police had a plan to disperse the sit-ins but were holding out for a peaceful resolution.

More than 250 people have been killed since Morsi's removal from power on July 3 and diplomatic efforts to avoid further bloodshed have picked up pace this week.

Foreign pressure grows

Burns' arrival in Cairo on Friday night was preceded by trips by the EU's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, and Middle East envoy, Bernardino Leon; Guido Westerwelle, the German foreign minister; and Alpha Oumar Konare, an African Union delegate.

Ashton and Konare both met Morsi, who is detained, and reported that he was in good health.

A senior member of the Freedom and Justice Party, the political arm of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, said the European envoys had asked them to end their sit-ins.

They have also been angered by comments from John Kerry, the US secretary of state, who told Pakistani television that Egypt's military was "restoring democracy".

Rights group Amnesty International meanwhile demanded an investigation into allegations that Morsi's supporters tortured opponents in Cairo near their protest camps.

It said opponents of Mori reported being "captured, beaten, subjected to electric shocks or stabbed by individuals loyal to the former President."

Morsi has been formally remanded in custody on suspicion of offences when he broke out of prison during the 2011 revolt that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak.

Prosecutors have also referred three top Muslim Brotherhood leaders, including supreme guide Mohamed Badie, for prosecution on allegations of inciting the deaths of demonstrators

ALJAZEERA

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Top Islamist Sentenced to Death by Bangladesh Tribunal

Top Islamist Sentenced to Death by Bangladesh Tribunal

Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid (L) waves from a police vehicle as he is transported to the central jail following his court verdict in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 17, 2013.
Bangladesh Sentences Islamist Leader for War Crimes

VOA News

July 17, 2013
A Bangladeshi war crimes tribunal has convicted and sentenced to death a top Islamic party leader for his role in the kidnapping and killing of people during the country's 1971 independence war.

The verdict against 65-year-old Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, the secretary general of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was handed down Wednesday in the capital, Dhaka.

Mujahid was convicted of torture, kidnapping and the murder of intellectuals. Seven charges were brought against Mujahid, prosecutor Tureen Afroz said.

"Out of the seven charges, five have been beyond reasonable doubt proved by the prosecution. And out of these five charges, three charges have been given death penalty, one for the life imprisonment and one for five years imprisonment."

Mujahid shouted "injustice" as the judge read the sentence.

The verdict is the second this week by the tribunal. On Monday, the controversial court sentenced 90-year-old Ghulam Azam, the spiritual leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, to 90 years in prison for his role in atrocities committed during the war.

So far six of the group's leaders have been sentenced since January by the war crimes tribunal, set up by the Awami-League led government in 2010. The trials have triggered violence that has left more than 100 people dead.

Critics have accused Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of using the tribunals to decimate the country's opposition parties ahead of elections scheduled for next year.

Bangladesh fought a nine-month war against Pakistan in 1971 to obtain its independence. The government says three million people died in the violence, although other estimates put the death toll lower.





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Syria Appeal Update : Islamic Relief UK

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Ramadan Appeal - Afghanistan - War on Hunger - Islamic Relief UK

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ElBaradei’s democracy: How Egypt’s revolution was betrayed

ElBaradei’s democracy: How Egypt’s revolution was betrayed

BY RAMSEY BAROUD

SEATTLE – “The revolution is dead. Long live the revolution,” wrote Eric Walberg, a Middle East political expert and author, shortly after the Egyptian military overthrew the country’s democratically elected President Mohammed Morsi on July 3.

But more accurately, the revolution was killed in an agonizingly slow death, and the murders were too many to count.

Mohamed ElBaradei, a liberal elitist with a dismal track record in service of Western powers during his glamorous career as the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is a stark example of the moral and political crisis that has befallen Egypt since the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak. ElBaradei played a most detrimental role in this sad saga, from his uneventful return to Egypt during the January 2011 revolution — being cast as the sensible, Western-educated liberator — to the ousting of the only democratically elected president this popular Arab country has ever seen.

His double-speak was a testament not only to his opportunistic nature as a politician and the head of the Dostour Party, but to the entire political philosophy of the National Salvation Front, the opposition umbrella group for which he served as a coordinator.

The soft-spoken man, who rarely objected to the unfair pressure imposed on Iraq during his services as the head of the U.N. nuclear watch dog, was miraculously transformed into a fierce politician with persisting demands and expectations. His party, like the rest of Egypt’s opposition, had performed poorly in every democratic election and referendum held since the ouster of Mubarak.

Democracy proved him irrelevant. But after every failure he and the opposition managed to emerge even louder thanks to a huge media apparatus that operated around the clock in a collective, undying commitment in rearranging the country’s political scene in their favor, regardless of what the majority of Egyptians thought.

Soon after Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi announced a military coup on July 4, in what was a clearly well-organized conspiracy involving the army, much of the media, the opposition and disaffected Mubarak-era judges, silencing the Muslim Brotherhood and their own media were paramount. The level of organization in which the coup conspirators operated left no doubt that the military was most insincere when two days earlier they had given the quarreling political parties 48 hours to resolve their disputes or else.

Of course there was no room for compromise as far as ElBaradei’s opposition was concerned, and the army knew that well. On June 30, one year since Morsi had taken office following transparent, albeit protracted elections, the opposition organized with the sinister goal of removing the president at any cost.

Some called on the army, which has proven to be extremely devious and untrustworthy, to lead the “democratic” transition. ElBaradei even invited supporters of the former regime to join his crusade to oust the Brotherhood.

The idea was simple: to gather as many people in the streets as possible, claiming a second revolution and calling on the military to intervene to save Egypt from Morsi and his supposed disregard of the will of the people.

The military, with a repulsive show of orchestrated benevolence, came to the rescue, in the name of the people and democracy. They arrested the president, shut down Islamic TV stations, killed many and rounded up hundreds of people affiliated with the ruling party. Fireworks ensued, ElBaradei and his men gloated, for Egypt had supposedly been saved.

Except it was not.

“Mubarak-era media owners and key members of Egypt’s liberal and secular opposition have teamed up to create arguably one of the most effective propaganda campaigns in recent political history, to demonize Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood,” wrote Mohamad Elmasry of the American University in Cairo.

Much of the media in Egypt never truly shifted allegiances. It remained as dirty and corrupt as it was during the Mubarak regime. It was there to serve the interest of the powerful business and political elites.

But due to the changing political reality — three democratic elections and two referendums, all won by Islamic party supporters — it was impossible for them to operate using the same language. They too jumped on the revolution bandwagon using the same frame of references as if they were at the forefront of the fight for freedom, equality and democracy.

Egypt’s reactionary forces, not only in the media, but also the pro-Mubarak judges, the self-serving military, etc, managed to survive the political upheaval not for being particularly clever.

They simply had too much room to regroup and maneuver since the desperate opposition, ElBaradie and company, put all of their focus on discounting Morsi, undermining the Muslim Brotherhood, and undercutting the democratic process that brought them to power. In their desperation and search for power, they lost sight of the revolution and its original goals, disowned democracy, but more importantly endangered the future of Egypt itself.

What took place in Egypt, starting with the orchestrated ‘revolution’ on June 30, from the army’s ultimatum, to the military coup, to the shameless reinvention of the old order — accompanied with repopulating the prisons and sending tanks to face unarmed civilians — was not only disheartening to the majority of Egyptians, but was a huge shock to many people around the world as well. Egypt, which once inspired the world, is now back to square one.

Since the onset of the so-called Arab Spring, an intense debate of numerous dimensions has ensued. One of its aspects was concerned with the role of religion in a healthy democracy.

Egypt, of course, was in the heart of that debate, and every time Egyptians went to the ballot box they seemed to concur with the fact that they wished to see some sort of marriage between Islam and democracy. It was hardly an easy question, and until now there have been no convincing answers. But, as in any healthy democracy, it was the people who were to have the final say. The fact that the choice of a poor peasant from a distant Egyptian village didn’t match ElBaradei’s elitist sensibility is of no consequence whatsoever.

It is unfortunate, but hardly surprising, that many of the idealists who took to Tahrir Square in January 2011 and spoke of equal rights for all couldn’t bear the outcome of that equality. Some complained that decades of marginalization under Mubarak didn’t qualify Egypt’s poor, uneducated and illiterate to make decisions on political representation and democratic constitution.

And in a sad turn of events, these very forces were openly involved in toppling the democratically elected president and his party, as they happily celebrated the return to oppression as a glorious day of freedom. ElBaradie may now return to center stage, lecturing Egypt’s poor on what true democracy is all about — and why, in some way, the majority doesn’t matter at all.

Ramzy Baroud (www.ramzybaroud.net)

http://MuslimWindow.blogspot.com/

Egypt investigating complaints against ousted Morsi

Egypt investigating complaints against ousted Morsi

Mr Morsi's supporters have been staging protests demanding his return to office
Egypt in crisis
Struggle to save revolution
Is Egypt heading for holy war?
Shifting sands
Coup or no coup?

Egypt's public prosecutor's office says it is investigating complaints against ousted President Mohammed Morsi and members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

They include spying, inciting killing protesters, attacking military barracks and damaging the economy. It did not say who had filed the complaints.

Mr Morsi was deposed by the army on 3 July. The US has called for his release from detention at an unknown location.

Egypt's interim leader Adly Mansour has promised new elections early next year.

Reconciliation blow

The prosecutor's office said it was investigating the complaints in order to prepare a file so that those accused could be questioned.

Among those named with Mr Morsi are the Brotherhood's leader, Mohamed Badie, and senior members of its political wing, the Freedom of Justice Party (FJP) including Deputy Director Essam El-Erian.

Mr Morsi's supporters, many of them members of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood movement he comes from, have been staging mass protests in the capital, Cairo, since the army's intervention on 3 July.

They are demanding his reinstatement as president and say the military's actions amounted to a coup.

The army says it intervened to remove Mr Morsi in response to protests by millions of Egyptians who accused him of becoming increasingly authoritarian and failing to tackle economic difficulties.

Dozens of people have died in clashes during major demonstrations by pro- and anti-Morsi protesters.

Adly Mansour's transition timeline
Panel formed within 15 days to review constitution
Constitutional amendments to be finalised and put to referendum in four months
Parliamentary elections to be held by early 2014
Presidential elections to be called once new parliament convenes
Key players in the Egyptian crisis
Profile: Hazem el-Beblawi
Q&A: Egypt in turmoil

The BBC's James Reynolds, in Cairo, says the move by the prosecutor's office appears to weaken the already remote prospects for a reconciliation between the interim authorities and the Brotherhood.

On Friday, Germany's foreign ministry urged the authorities to end restrictions on him and allow an international organisation, such as the Red Cross, access to him.

Asked later if the US agreed that he should be released, state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters: "We do agree."

On Saturday, the Brotherhood said the main issue was "protecting the legitimate right of the people and their will through a democratic ballot box".

Spokesman Gehad el-Haddad said there would be further protest and sit-ins "until the president is released and reinstated regardless of his physical condition".

Transition rejection

Mr Morsi, who was Egypt's first freely elected leader and the first Islamist president, has been held at an undisclosed location since 3 July. The army has suspended the constitution.

On 8 July, Mr Mansour laid out the timetable for a new constitution and elections, which included:
a panel to form formed within 15 days to propose changes to the constitution
parliamentary elections to be held by early 2014
presidential elections to be held once parliament has convened

But Mr Morsi's supporters have rejected the plan and some political groups opposed to him, including the main liberal coalition to the National Salvation Front (NSF) say they were not consulted about it.

Egypt unrest: Liberal opposition rejects transition plan

Egypt unrest: Liberal opposition rejects transition plan



Pro-Morsi supporters tell Lyse Doucet they are willing to die for their cause

Egypt in crisis
The struggle to save Egypt's revolution
Is Egypt heading for holy war?
Shifting sands
Unrest rattles Egypt backyard

The main liberal opposition coalition in Egypt has rejected interim leader Adly Mansour's decree, which sets a new poll timetable to stop the unrest.

The National Salvation Front (NSF) demanded more changes and consultation on the document.

Both the Muslim Brotherhood, which supports ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, and the Tamarod protest movement earlier rejected the decree.

The Mansour plan also envisages changes to the Islamist-drafted constitution.

In other developments on Tuesday:
Mr Mansour named ex-Finance Minister Hazem el-Beblawi as new Prime Minister
in turn, Mr el-Beblawi pledged to give cabinet posts to Muslim Brotherhood members - an offer immediately rejected by Mohamed Kamal, senior member of the Brotherhood's political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP)
Defence Minister Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi warned against any attempts to disrupt the country's "difficult" transition
two people were killed when suspected Islamists attacked a security checkpoint in the Sinai province

Egypt has been in turmoil since the democratically-elected Mr Morsi was overthrown by the army last week, with protesters both for and against the ousted president massing on the streets.

On Monday, at least 51 people - mostly pro-Morsi supporters from his Muslim Brotherhood movement - were killed outside the barracks where he is thought to be held.

'Putchist' decree
Adly Mansour's transition timeline

Panel formed within 15 days to review constitution
Constitutional amendments to be finalised and put to referendum in four months
Parliamentary elections to be held by early 2014
Presidential elections to be called once new parliament convenes
Key players in the Egyptian crisis
Is Egypt heading for holy war?

"The National Salvation Front announces its rejection of the constitutional decree," the liberal opposition said in a statement.

The NSF said it was not consulted on the document vital to Egypt's political transition, demanding changes to the proposal.

The coalition - which was led by Mohamed ElBaradei until his appointment as Egypt's deputy president - did not elaborate further.

The Muslim Brotherhood - which is pressing for the immediate reinstatement of Mr Morsi - earlier also rejected the decree.

Essam al-Erian, deputy chairman of the FJP, said the document was "a constitutional decree by a man appointed by putchists".

Even the Tamarod movement - which led the anti-Morsi protests - said it had not been consulted on the election plan, asking to see the interim leader to discuss the situation.

Mr Mansour's decree, issued late on Monday, laid out plans to set up a panel to amend the suspended Islamist-drafted constitution within 15 days.

The changes would then be put to a referendum - to be organised within four months - which would pave the way for parliamentary elections, possibly in early 2014.

Once the new parliament convenes, elections would be called to appoint a new president.

Army warning

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Sisi said warned in a televised speech that the "future of the nation is too important and sacred for manoeuvres or hindrance, whatever the justifications".

He said that neither the army nor the people of Egypt would accept "the stalling or disruption" of this "difficult and complex" period.

According to the BBC's Wyre Davies, in Cairo, emotions are still raw and compromise is a word many people are not ready to use.

Mr Morsi's removal last Wednesday followed days of mass protests by people who accused him of becoming increasingly authoritarian, pursuing an Islamist agenda, and failing to tackle Egypt's economic woes.

The army's moves were welcomed by some Gulf states, and two - the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia - have made major pledges of financial help in a show of support for the new administration.

But other nations were strongly against the army's actions - perhaps the most vocal of which was Turkey.

In the aftermath of the ousting of Mr Morsi, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said: "It is unacceptable for a government, which has come to power through democratic elections, to be toppled through illicit means and, even more, a military coup."




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A tribute to Mr. Jama Mahamoud Haid governor of Djibouti Central Bank

Ahmed Arwo

It was a night, Friday was the day, 11th of January 2013, and I was alone in my room. I switched on my laptop to update my nightly information about the home country and it´s environ. I hit Gabiley.net and my eyes caught a dreadful news item that sent an electric shock to my heart. The death of great leader, gigantic personality and dear friend, Mr. Jama Mahamoud Haid is announced. I have no one to share with this calamity but my heart and mind. I recited 11 times the Ikhlas sura and prayed Allah with Fatah to safe-guide Jama´s soul to the best of heavens.

My sincere condolence to his family, other relatives, friends, the government and the people of Djibouti, headed by the President of Djibouti HE Ismail Omer Guelleh and first lady, the sister of the deceased Mrs. Khadra Mahamoud Haid.

It is like this time, we remember how vulnerable we are, how temporary our life is and how our days are counted. Each day gone reduces our life span and each night passed is another one less. Continuously we are stepping, however slow it may seem, towards our grave. WE know not the moment we say goodbye to this world, but certainly we know we shall face that eventuality sooner or later. That is one of the few certainty shared by all humanity regardless of status, creed and colour.

Jama Mahamoud was a sagacious economist and shrewd financier. He governed Djibouti Central Bank for nearly two decades, a tenure second to none in length and quality. The economic growth, wealth creation and financial stability, Djibouti accomplished during his reign, tantamount to Jama´s success story.

With his savoir faire and dedication, Djibouti attracted huge foreign investment from Arabia and afar. In a region of turbulent economy and quivering currency, he stabilized Djibouti Franc avoiding potential inflation. With its skimpy population Djibouti´s budget reached over one billion dollar annually, a figure relatively too lofty for the countries in the region.

Socially Jama was a man of society, with leadership that knew no national frontier. His death is felt throughout the region: Djibouti, Somaliland, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya. He devoted to the wellbeing of all citizens in the region, sticking together with shared conviction to get a great leap forward for regional development. He was truly passionate for regional cooperation.

Jama was a true son of two states but one nation: Djibouti and Somaliland. He spent great effort and time to maintain natural brotherhood between these two states. He never allowed any crack, tear and wear of the times to leave an open wound. This friendship is clearly manifested by the mourning of Somalilanders in every town and village. Planes started to come and go by the hour for two days, picking mourners to attend his interment.


I met men and women of all walks of life in mourning and they all agreed that Jama was a true son of both countries, a devoted Muslim and man of mercy and dignity. He was short in talk but long in deeds. He was selfless nationalist and helping hand to the needy and poor. His charity extended beyond Djibouti. It reached all Somali inhabited regions in the Horn of Africa.

Personally, it was few months ago when I phoned him asking about the Islamic Banking Conference that had been held in Djibouti. His voice was calm, calculated and precise. He gave all I need and invited me to visit Djibouti. Surprisingly he articulated in a friendly tone, that he never expected I would be out of his reach in this long since my appointment. We agreed to meet by the end of January. Alas it never happened. Truly, it is said man proposes and Allah disposes. To me his death is so painful and of great individual loss. I was looking forward to a new, refreshed cooperation between us and within our corresponding positions. I had a good working plan intact. With the minutes I spent with him over the phone, I discerned how bright, sharp and open minded Jama was, and how he ponders for the benefit of Djibouti in every minute of his time. Equally he presumed as own duty to work-out for any project that lends a hand to both countries.

I hope his successor will fill his shoes fully and at ease. I anticipate our corresponding capacities will be shoved to the profit of both our countries, and I look forward to maintain our brotherly two states closer and closer, for we are one people.

Jama did the best he can, and left a history written in gold and diamond. Generations will remember him and his deeds will be reflected in perpetuity. His good performance will go with him to the grave and stay with him or her to serve as one's testimony in the Day of Judgment. That is engraved in our Islamic religion. Do good deeds and it will be with you forever.

Let us all, friends and relatives pray Allah to forgive Jama and bestow him the best of heavens: Jantul Fardaws, Ameen. And let us preserve all good deeds he initiated in eternity.

With heart full of sorrow, I share with Djibouti government and people, the loss of this great personality, a son of two states and one people: Djibouti and Somaliland.

http://www.facebook.com/aharwo

Mr. Ahmed Hassan Arwo

Somaliland Presidential Economic Advisor.
Presidential Palace, Hargeysa
Somaliland

Tel: 002522 409 6421
Eci.advisor@gmail.com
samotalis@gmail.com

Mursi links freedom with ‘responsibility’ in his debut United Nations speech

Mursi links freedom with 'responsibility' in his debut United Nations speech



AP

Thursday 27 September 2012

UNITED NATIONS: Egypt's new President Muhammed Mursi debuts at the United Nations yesterday with a speech that will be closely watched by world leaders for clues about his democratic intentions and plans for lifting his country out of crippling poverty.
Mursi, an Islamist and key figure in the once-banned Muslim Brotherhood, is the first democratically-elected leader of the ancient land at the heart of the Arab world. He was sworn in June 30.

Another Arab leader making his first appearances at the UN General Assembly's annual ministerial meeting after being swept into power by the Arab Spring revolutions was Yemen's President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who took office in February after more than a year of political turmoil and is now trying to steer his country's democratic transition. Hadi called on the UN to grant membership to Palestine and support a transfer of power in Syria.

"The only option for our brothers in Syria is to agree on an initiative ... for peaceful change and transfer of power through ballot boxes," he said.
Mursi previewed his General Assembly remarks in a speech delivered Tuesday at former President Bill Clinton's Global Initiative. Addressing the violence that raged across the Muslim world in response to a video produced in the US that denigrated Islam's Prophet Muhammad, the Egyptian leader said freedom of expression must come with "responsibility." He appeared to have been responding to President Barack Obama's General Assembly speech earlier Tuesday in which the US leader again condemned the video but sternly defended the US Constitution's guarantees of free speech.

At least 51 people were killed in violence that erupted last week in Muslim countries, including the US ambassador to Libya and three other Americans targeted in an attack on the US consulate in Benghazi.
Mursi said the video and the violent reaction to it demanded "reflection." He said freedom of expression must be linked with responsibility, "especially when it comes with serious implications for international peace and stability."
With no sign of an end to the Security Council's paralysis over intervening to end the raging Syrian civil war, Germany's UN Ambassador Peter Wittig said his country chose to focus the council's ministerial session on something new and positive in the Mideast — "the emergence of the Arab League as a regional actor that has proved to be essential for conflict resolution."

Syrian death toll now tops 30,000: activist group

Syrian death toll now tops 30,000: activist group

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Analysis & Opinion

Murders in the forest
Can the Middle East survive a post-Western era?

BEIRUT | Wed Sep 26, 2012 11:15am EDT

(Reuters) - At least 30,000 people have died in Syria's 18-month-old uprising, a British-based Syrian monitoring group said on Wednesday, and more than half of the victims counted were killed in the past five months.

The uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, which began in March 2011 as peaceful protests, has descended into civil war since rebels took up arms against a security force crackdown.

Rami Abdulrahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 30,716 people were killed. Most of them - at least 21,534 - were civilians. But his network of activists, who are based around Syria, do not divide their civilian death count between unarmed residents and those who have joined the rebels.

The pro-opposition Observatory said 7,322 soldiers fighting for Assad were killed, while at least 1,860 army defectors died fighting for the opposition.

"By looking through our figures, we noticed that the toll has been rising. Between 50 and 60 percent of those killed died in the past five months," Abdulrahman said.

Syrian authorities have said in the past that more than 2,600 members of the security forces have been killed, but have not given a casualty figure for several months.

Despite the rapidly rising death toll, international powers are stuck in a diplomatic stalemate. Western powers and Gulf Arab states back the opposition, while Russia, China and Iran are backing Assad.

The violence spiked rapidly in recent months as rebel forces spread, taking the fight across the country and into Syria's two major cities, the capital Damascus and business hub Aleppo.

Assad, who says his opponents are "terrorists" backed by foreign powers, has responded with heavy bombardment, including the use of fighter jets and helicopter gunships.

(This story corrects figure in headline)

(Reporting by Erika Solomon; Editing by Stephen Powell)



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Protests erupt in Pakistan over anti-Islam film

Latest in Protests Over Anti-Islam Film

Latest in Protests Over Anti-Islam Film



By The Associated Press
September 21, 2012 (AP)

Here's a look at protests and events across the world on Friday connected to an amateurish anti-Muslim film produced in the United States and vulgar caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad published in a French satirical weekly. At least 47 people, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya, have been killed in violence linked to the protests over the film, which has also renewed debate over freedom of expression in the U.S. and in Europe.

———

PAKISTAN

Seventeen people were killed and dozens were injured as tens of thousands protested against the film around the country after the government encouraged peaceful protests and declared a national holiday — "Love for the Prophet Day." Demonstrations turned violent in several Pakistani cities. Among those killed was a driver for a Pakistani television station, who died after police opened fire on rioters torching a cinema in the northwest city of Peshawar during a protest.

Clashes between police and thousands of stone-throwing protesters also occurred in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad, the Pakistani capital.

———

AFGHANISTAN

About 900 people have gathered for a protest against the film in the capital, Kabul, chanting "death to America" and burning an effigy of President Barack Obama and an American flag. A few hundred demonstrators also protested inside a mosque in the eastern city of Ghazni. The protests were peaceful.

AP
A Pakistani protestor hurls back a tear gas... View Full Caption

———

IRAN

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lashed out at the West over the film. Speaking during a military parade in Tehran, he said: "in return for (allowing) the ugliest insults to the divine messenger, they — the West — raise the slogan of respect for freedom of speech." He said this explanation was "clearly a deception."

———

INDONESIA

The United States closed its diplomatic missions across Indonesia due to continuing demonstrations over the anti-Islam film. Small and mostly orderly protests were held outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta and in the cities of Surabaya and Medan, along with a couple other smaller towns. No violence was reported.

In addition to the embassy in Jakarta and consulate offices in Surabaya, Medan and Bali, the American mission to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations also was shut.

———

IRAQ

About 3,000 people, mostly followers of Iranian-backed Shiite Muslim groups, protested against the film and caricatures in the southern city of Basra. Demonstrators carried Iraqi flags and posters of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, chanting "death to America" and "no to America."

They burnt Israeli and American flags. One of the organizers, Qassim al-Moussawi, told AP that people gathered "to express our anger and resentment on the offenses made against our prophet."

———

SRI LANKA

About 2,000 Muslims burned effigies of President Barack Obama and American flags at a protest after Friday prayers in the capital, Colombo, demanding that the United States ban the film.

———

BANGLADESH

Over 2,000 people marched through the streets of the capital, Dhaka, to protest the film. They burned a makeshift coffin draped in an American flag, and an effigy of Obama.



———

LEBANON

Thousands gathered in the Bekaa Valley for the latest in a series of protest rallies organized by the Shiite militant group Hezbollah. Protesters carried the yellow Hezbollah flag.

———

KASHMIR

Police enforced a daylong curfew in parts of Indian-controlled Kashmir's main city, Srinagar, and chased away protesters opposing the anti-Islam film. Authorities in the region also temporarily blocked mobile phone and Internet services to prevent viewing the film clips.

———

GERMANY

Several hundred people gathered in the city of Freiburg in southwest of Germany to protest the film. Some carried banners saying: "The dignity of the Prophet Muhammad is our dignity." Police banned inflammatory slogans.

The Interior Ministry postponed a poster campaign aimed at countering radical Islam among young people due to tensions caused by the online video insulting Islam. Posters for the campaign — in German, Turkish and Arabic — were meant to go on display in German cities with large immigrant populations on Friday, but are being withheld because of the changed security situation. Germany is home to an estimated 4 million Muslims.

———

NORWAY

Crowds gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in the capital Oslo to protest the prophet film shouting "Obama, Obama, we're all Osama."

Some 70 people took part in the hour-long demonstration on Friday afternoon. Police blocked off the street during the peaceful protest.

———

PHILIPPINES

A law professor defied a ban by Philippine university officials and has shown students the film's 14-minute trailer. Constitutional law professor Harry Roque of the University of the Philippines said the film was "trash and nothing but trash" and will not convince people Islam is evil.

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Fresh anti-Islam film protests rock the Muslim world

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19 Reported Dead as Pakistanis Protest Muhammad Video

19 Reported Dead as Pakistanis Protest Muhammad Video

Arshad Arbab/European Pressphoto Agency

Pakistani riot police officers chase a protester in Peshawar, Pakistan, on Friday.
By DECLAN WALSH
Published: September 21, 2012

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Violent crowds furious over an anti-Islamic film made in the United States convulsed several cities acrossPakistan on Friday in a day of state-sanctioned protests, and the nation’s leading television station reported as many as 19 people were killed.


Multimedia
Map
Spread of Protests Sparked by Anti-Muslim Video

Related

Times Topic: The 'Innocence of Muslims' Riots (Nakoula Basseley Nakoula)

U.N. Presses Pakistan Over the Fate of Hundreds of Missing People (September 21, 2012)

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Pakistani demonstrators battled with riot police in Islamabad on Friday.


It was the worst single day of deadly violence in one Muslim country over the film, “Innocence of Muslims,” since the protests began nearly two weeks ago in Egypt and later spread to two dozen countries around the world. Protesters have ignored the United States government’s denunciation of the film.

The violence on Friday in Pakistan began with a television station employee dying from gunshot wounds during a protest in the northwestern city of Peshawar, and far bigger protests in the southern port of Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, left between 12 and 14 people dead, Pakistani news media reported. Geo, the leading television station, was reporting 19 deaths by late Friday around the country.

The unrest came as governments and Western institutions in many parts of the Muslim world braced for protests after Friday Prayer — an occasion often associated with demonstrations as worshipers leave mosques. InTunisia, the authorities invoked emergency powers to outlaw all demonstrations, fearing an outpouring of anti-Western protest inspired both by the American-made film and by cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad in a French satirical weekly.

American diplomatic posts in India, Indonesia and elsewhere closed for the day. In Bangladesh, several thousand activists from Islamic organizations took over roads in the center of the capital, Dhaka after prayers. They chanted “death to the United States and death to the French” and set on fire a symbolic coffin for President Obama that was draped with the American flag, as well as an effigy of Mr. Obama. They also burned the American and French flags. The protesters threatened to seize the American Embassy on Saturday, but a police order banned any further demonstrations. Separate protests took place outside of Dhaka as well.

European countries took steps to forestall protests among their own Muslim minorities and against their missions abroad. France had already announced the closure on Friday of embassies and other institutions in 20 countries while, in Paris, some Muslim leaders urged their followers to heed a government ban on weekend demonstrations protesting against denigration of the prophet.

Interior Minister Manuel Valls said officials throughout the country had orders to prevent all protests and crack down if the ban was challenged. “There will be strictly no exceptions. Demonstrations will be banned and broken up,” Mr. Valls said.

The German Interior Ministry said it was postponing a poster campaign aimed at countering radical Islam to avoid fueling protests among the country’s four million Muslims, The Associated Press reported.

Businesses in Pakistan closed and streets emptied across the country as the government declared a national holiday, the “Day of Love for the Prophet Muhammad,” to encourage peaceful protests against the controversial film that has ignited protest across the Muslim world for more than a week.

“An attack on the holy prophet is an attack on the core belief of 1.5 billion Muslims. Therefore, this is something that is unacceptable,” said Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in an address to a religious conference Friday morning in Islamabad.

Mr. Ashraf called on the United Nations and international community to formulate a law outlawing hate speech across the world. “Blasphemy of the kind witnessed in this case is nothing short of hate speech, equal to the worst kind of anti-Semitism or other kind of bigotry,” he said.

But the scenes of chaos in some parts of the country as the day progressed suggested that the government had failed to control public anger on the issue.

In Peshawar, where the television employee was killed, protesters attacked and burned two movie theaters, breaking through the windows with sticks and setting fire to posters that featured images of female movie stars.

Television footage showed the police firing in the air to disperse the crowd, and a hospital official said that at least 15 people, including three police officers, were injured.

In Islamabad, where thousands of protesters flooded toward the heavily guarded diplomatic enclave, Express News reported that the police ran out of rubber bullets because of heavy firing.

A television reporter said that when protesters in nearby Rawalpindi ran out of material to burn, they broke into several tire shops along a major road to steal fresh supplies.

The government cut off cellphone coverage in major cities, while the authorities in Islamabad sealed all exits to the city after Friday Prayer, state radio reported. Some Pakistanis were relying on e-mail and social media sites, like Twitter, to communicate.

Expressions of weary anger over the violence were common. “We are not a nation. We are a mob,” said Nadeem F. Paracha, a cultural commentator with Dawn newspaper, on Twitter.

Large shipping containers blocked roads through the center of several cities. Western diplomatic missions were closed for the day.

The State Department spent $70,000 on Urdu-language advertisements that were broadcast on several television channels, dissociating the American government from the inflammatory film.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it had summoned the American chargé d’affaires, Richard Hoagland, asking him to have the anti-Islam film removed from YouTube, which has been entirely blocked in Pakistan for the past several days.


Alan Cowell contributed reporting from Paris and Julfikar Ali Manik from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/22/world/asia/protests-in-pakistan-over-anti-islam-film.html?_r=0

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Fresh anti-Islam film protests in Muslim countries

 Fresh anti-Islam film protests in Muslim countries



The BBC's Aleem Maqbool says clashes have broken out across parts of Pakistan but central Islamabad remains calm

Anti-Islam film protests
Q&A: Anti-Islam film
Viewpoints
Protests explained
Diplomat danger

Fresh protests are under way in Muslim countries against an anti-Islam film made in the US.

In Pakistan, a government-declared "special day of love" for the Prophet Muhammad has seen violent clashes and at least one death in the northern city of Peshawar, and clashes elsewhere.

The US has paid for adverts on Pakistani TV that show President Barack Obama condemning the film.
There has been widespread unrest over the amateur film, Innocence of Muslims.

The protests have already claimed several lives around the world.


Although the US has borne the brunt of protests, anti-Western sentiment has been stoked further by caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad published in a satirical French magazine.

In Peshawar, protesters attacked and ransacked two cinema buildings. A driver for a Pakistani TV station was killed when police opened fire to disperse protesters, seven of whom were reported wounded.

Clashes between police and protesters are also being reported from the cities of Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi.

Analysis

M Ilyas KhanBBC News, Islamabad


Protesters in north-west Pakistan are continuing to show their violent side - setting everything that appears inflammable on fire.


There is considerable pent-up anger among Pakistanis over failing civic services and a poor economy. Blasphemy and anti-American feelings provide an added trigger.


There is also the question of who is organising these protests. Mainstream religious groups with electoral interests seek to hold peaceful rallies because their main aim is to galvanise voter support in coming elections.


But there are other groups who have no electoral prospects but have considerable street power and they have been using this to expand their influence. They have an interest in destabilising the government or outshining rival groups.


In the capital Islamabad, which saw fierce clashes between protesters and security forces on Thursday, the BBC's Aleem Maqbool says security forces have attempted to seal off large parts of the city to demonstrations - but that protesters on foot and motocycles have breached a blockade after setting a checkpost alight.


Dozens of protests against the film had already been held across Pakistan over the past week - killing at least two people - but Thursday was the first time violence had erupted in the capital.


All major political parties and religious organisations have announced protests for Friday, along with trade and transport groups.


The Pakistani authorities have urged people to demonstrate peacefully, with mobile phone services cut across the country to reduce security risks.


Meanwhile, the US charge d'affaires Richard Hoagland was summoned to the Pakistani Foreign Office and an official protest was lodged with him. He is reported to have responded that the US government had nothing to do with the film.


The US state department has issued a warning against any non-essential travel to Pakistan.

Embassies closed


France has closed its embassies and other official offices in about 20 countries across the Muslim world on Friday after French magazine Charlie Hebdo published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, including two drawings showing him naked.


French Muslim leaders condemned the magazine and said an appeal for calm would be read in mosques across the country on Friday.


Charlie Hebdo sold out on Wednesday but is publishing another 70,000 copies, to coincide with Friday prayers.




Video courtesy of the US embassy in Pakistan

In Tunisia - where France is the former colonial power - the government has banned Friday protests.

Calls to protest against the caricatures have turned up in Tunisian social media. Interior Minister Ali Larayedh said it was believed that some groups were planning violent protests after Friday prayers.


There are also fears of violence in the Libyan city of Benghazi after rival groups said they would take to the streets.


One group intends to denounce extremism and urge militias to disband, following an attack on the US consulate in the city on 11 September that killed the US ambassador and three other American officials.


Throughout the week, Benghazi residents have left wreaths and placards condemning the attack outside the US mission.


Meanwhile, Ansar al-Sharia, the jihadist militia blamed by some local people for the attack, called for protests "in defence of the Prophet Muhammad". Both protests are scheduled for the same time.


In the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, more than 2,000 people protested peacefully in front of the US embassy.


Some protesters were holding signs insisting that insulting religion was not freedom of speech.


In Cairo, where the protests against the film began, Egyptian security forces are patrolling the streets around the US embassy.


Radical Islamists have clashed with security forces there in recent days, although President Mohammed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood has stayed away from the unrest, only condemning the film and calling for peaceful demonstrations.


The low-budget film that sparked the controversy was made in the US and is said to insult the Prophet Muhammad.


Its exact origins are unclear and the alleged producer for the trailer of the film, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, is in hiding.


Anti-US sentiment grew after a trailer for the film dubbed into Arabic was released on YouTube earlier this month.

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