Egyptian expats call on UK to pressure Muslim Brotherhood, media

A number of the Egyptians in the UK have called on the UK government to put pressure on Muslim Brotherhood and deposed president Mohamed Morsi supporters to calm down and accept “true democracy.”

They have also appealed to the UK to support the interim government in Egypt.

In an unprecedented petition to David Cameron, UK prime minister, around 700 Egyptians expressed their belief that Morsi should not be reinstated.

It is the first time such a number of UK-based Egyptians have signed a formal petition to the UK government.

“We plea to you to work with the interim president and government, and work for the sake of Egypt,” the petition — which Ahram Online has received a copy of — says.

The petitioners also call on Cameron to support “the Egyptian people’s uprising” against what they call “the dictatorial fascist regime of Mr Morsi.”

The petition was signed by a wide range of Egyptians from different professional, educational and intellectual backgrounds and faiths.

“The deposed regime’s policies and actions unified the signatories to call for fighting terrorism and tyranny and seek a civilian [run] country,” Shenouda Shalaby, secretary general of the Egyptians Association in the UK, and one of the petitioners, told Aham Online.

The petitioners believe the UK government can “help the exiled regime and their supporters to hear our plea for peace and calm to establish a true democracy through internationally supervised parliamentary elections.”

They accused Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood supporters of being “armed and committing unspeakable atrocities, orchestrating waves of violence terrorising women, children and minorities all over Egypt.”

The petition statement expresses deep concern over “daily [sectarian] attacks,” accusing the ousted Morsi regime of “not moving when scores of Christians were killed in several villages in the country.” The statement also accuses the deposed president of turning a blind eye to the lynching and killing — “only because they practised their religious rituals in a house in Cairo” — four Shia Muslims.

The petition insists on writing “a new modern constitution that complies with UN human rights of women, children and minorities.”

The UK media classifies the removal of president Mosri 3 July by the Egyptian army a “military coup.”

While the UK government says it does not support military intervention to resolve disputes in a democracy, UK officials refrain from calling the Egyptian army’s step a “coup.” On the other hand, they do not call the ouster of Morsi a popular revolution.

London believes the solution to the Egyptian crisis is a swift return to democracy through an inclusive political process leading to fair and open elections.

“We urge you to look at the change of the regime not as a coup d’état but as a legitimate correction of the path of the 25 January revolution and an act of bravery by the army in protecting civilians,” the petition says, calling on Cameron to use his “valuable input” to stop “the obvious bias of some Western media.”

Morsi supporters have petitioned the UK government not to recognise the new military-backed government in Egypt. They believe the removal of Morsi was illegitimate, being a military coup against a democratically-elected president.

Source : Ahram

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