.
The name of this cleric surfaced for his call of the protestors to move towards the October 6 Bridge late at night. Some report just to block this major traffic artery in the heart of Cairo, others reorted to move the pro-Morsi protestors to Tahrir square where the pro-government demonstrators had come together for a night of celebrations as can be seen in this WSJ report and video from an helicopter. If you watched the first “massacre” of the July 3 protest and the complaints of police using excessive force, MB agitators use the backdrop of the wounded to fulminate their propaganda.
Clashes in Egypt Kill at Least 74 and 748 Injured
(WSJ) July 27, 2013 – In a televised statement hours after the killings, Mr. Ibrahim said police intervened when pro-Morsi protesters moved to block the Sixth of October Bridge. Mr. Ibrahim said the move was instigated by Safwat Al Hegazy, a fiery preacher affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood who has been accused of inciting violence in the past.
“We were surprised when Safwat Al Hegazy asked protesters at the Raba’a stage to head to the 6th October bridge in order to occupy it,” said Mr. Ibrahim. “He has been in Raba’a for about 29 days, nobody has approached or bothered him. But, the fact that he issued this call to gain ground is unacceptable.”
Egyptian prosecutor has received complaints against Morsy and Muslim Brothers
(Egypt Independent) July 13, 2013 – Saeed said reports have been filed against Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, his predecessor Mohamed Mahdi Akef, Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) vice-chief Essam al-Erian and former MP Mohamed al-Beltagy.
Safwat Hegazy, Mahmoud Ghozlan, Essam Sultan and others were also among the accused. The prosecutor’s office said in a statement it was investigating the complaints to prepare a file to allow those accused to be questioned.
(14.07.2013) – Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat ordered the freezing of the financial assets of Muslim Brotherhood leaders and other prominent Islamist figures. The list includes Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie and his deputies Khairat Al-Shater and RashadBayoumi, Secretary General Ezzat Ibrahim and the Brotherood affiliated preacher Safwat Hegazi.
Barakat also ordered Egypt’s security services, ranging from the Ministry of Interior to Homeland Security, to collaborate and provide information regarding clashes outside the presidential palace in Heliopolis in December 2012.
Last Wednesday the prosecutor’s office issued arrest warrants for Badie, Al-Beltagy, Al-Erian, Hegazy and Ibrahim for inciting violence in relation to the clashes outside the Republican Guards headquarters last Monday.
The UK and the US call for inclusiveness in Egypt
(16.07.2013) – The Egyptian Prosecutor General issued on Monday new arrest warrants for seven leaders of the Brotherhood, on charges of incitement of violence and the killing of peaceful protesters in the clashes that erupted in Al-Nahda square, the General headquarters of the Brotherhood in Moqattam and in front of the Republican Guard headquarters.
The seven leaders are Essam Al-Erian, Safwat Hegazi, AbdelMonem Abdel Maqsoud, Mohamed Al-Beltagy, Essam Sultan, Assem Abdel Maged and Tareq El-Zomor.
US envoy William Burns had held a press conference in Cairo, speaking about his two-day visit to Cairo during which he met with: interim president Adly Mansour, Vice-president of Foreign Affairs Mohamed ElBaradei, Defence Minister Abdul Fatah Al-Sisi, business leaders, human rights activists and Coptic bishops.
He also underlined the importance of dialogue, inclusiveness and non-violence in order to build “a strong Egypt”. He also said that the US has called on the military “to avoid any politically motivated arrest.”
“The difficult economic choices can only be made by Egyptians, but there’s support that the United States has provided over the years that we look forward to continuing to provide and that some of Egypt’s friends in the region are providing now”, he said.
He said that the US “will do everything it can” to provide not only “equal political opportunities for people” but “equal economic opportunities” as well.
US envoy William Burns walks a diplomatic tightrope in Cairo plus video
So I searched the Internet to learn about the past of this “rogue” Islamist leader and how he gained this prominence.
What I found didn’t surprise me in the least …
A long read continued below the fold …
Sheikh attacks photographers at Morsy speech in Tahrir
(30.06.2012) – Sawfat Hegazy, the pro-Muslim Brotherhood preacher who gave the sermon at Friday’s gathering in Tahrir Square, physically and verbally attacked two photographers covering the day’s events.
One photographer is a French freelancer, the other is a staff photographer for Egypt Independent.
After he failed to erect a large sound box in their line of view of the stage, Egypt Independent photographer Virginie Nguyen said he grew angry and approached them, screaming, throwing Nguyen’s camera bag in her face, and shoving them both.
Still shoving them, she said he yelled “Go, go, go!” and continued to kick the French freelancer Magali standing next to Nguyen, who asked that she be referred to by first name only.
The incident occurred hours after Hegazy addressed the gathering in the square in his Friday sermon. “The people want a civilian state that is free of that which angers God the almighty,” he told them.
(01.07.2012) – Islamic preacher Safwat Hegazi drew fire on Friday after allegedly hitting two female journalists during President Mohamed Morsi’s speech to protesters in Tahrir square.
According to photojournalist Shehab Al-Din Abdel Razek’s twitter account, a reporter for Al Masry Al-Youm newspaper and a Canadian photojournalist were on the podium during the President’s speech when Hegazi asked them to move from their position.
The journalists argued with Hegazi, and when they refused to move, witnesses say that Hegazi pushed one or both of them violently off the stage.
…
A prominent Islamist preacher, Hegazi had once received praise for taking part in the 18-day January uprising in 2011. Nevertheless, his actions and statements since have drawn him the ire of liberal revolutionary youth.‘Blue bra’ girl brutally beaten by Egypt military plus Shocking video
(22.12.2012) – In one more distasteful case he criticised the victim of a beating in the streets known as the “the girl in the blue bra“. Hegazi suggested that the young protestor, captured in a now infamous image that showed her being dragged across the street uncovered by the beatings she was being dealt at the hands of several soldiers, should not have been there in the first place.
Tracking this Salafist preacher who supported the ruling power of the Muslim Brotherhood and its puppet President Mursi, one learns how the MB undermined democracy and the goals of the Egyptian Rebolution of January 2011.
Brotherhood dominates human rights council, replacing dissolved NDP
(04.09.2012) – The committee appointed Judge Hossam al-Gheriany, the current head of the Constituent Assembly who is known to have Brotherhood sympathies, as the acting head of the NCHR. Socialist Popular Alliance Party member Abdel Ghaffar Shokr was named as Gheriany’s deputy.
Many members are known for their Islamist orientation, including former presidential candidate for the Salafi Asala Party Abdullah al-Ashal, former Salafi Nour Party MPs Talat Marzouk and Abdallah Badran, and pro-Brotherhood preacher Safwat Hegazy. Muslim Brotherhood leaders Mohamed al-Beltagy, Mahmoud Ghozlan, Mohamed Tosoun and Hoda Abdel Moneim, as well as the group’s lawyer Abdel Moneim Abdel Maqsoud, were also appointed to the council.
The Free Egyptians Party criticized the new formation of the council. Free Egyptians Party spokesperson Ahmed Khairy questioned the council’s criteria for selection.
“The Shura Council’s choices reveal how absurd it is. When it chooses Safwat Hegazy as a member of the National Council for Human Rights, it definitely does not know what it is doing,” said Khairy.
The Other Side: Fish, milk… human rights
(09.09.2012) – Why were such inexperienced people appointed in this field? To be specific, let’s count such disqualified people. In terms of leading membership with questionable neutrality, the deputy president of the council Abdul Ghafar Shokr himself is a leading official and a founder of the Socialist Popular Alliance Party. Furthermore, Dr Mohamed Ghazlan is a member of Muslim Brotherhood “Guidance Office” and one of its spokespersons.
As for practices attributed to right activists who became members of the most powerful and wealthiest human rights institution in Egpyt (although not necessarily the most credible), we have veteran leftist lawyer Mohamed Al-Damatty who has brought up to 15 criminal lawsuits against journalists over their writings, as well as official lawyer of the Muslim Brotherhood Abdul Moneim Abdul Maksoud, who was recently sued by a number of journalists and media figures.
Shall we talk about the Salafist preacher Dr Safwat Hegazi and his attacks on revolutionary youths? No, I think the matter hardly needs clarification or explanation.
So in conclusion, we are talking about an important human rights council whose members may be figures with political and religious influence, but this does not mean that they are qualified to be members of such an institution.
I say this, we do not want the concept of “fish, milk, tamarind” (three unrelated things and an Egyptian expression meaning chaos and a lack of harmony) to become common behaviour in Egypt.
It’s clear this preacher’s extremist views on Egyptian society was emboldened under President Morsi’s rule after the elections. On his religious ferver, there were no bounds and this extremism translated into opinions and “fatwas” in dealing with arch-enemy Israel. Recall also some cloaked anti-semitic statements by President Morsi himself … pulling off the mask of deceit and lies once and forever. I hope envoy Burns (what an ***hole) and the Obama administration will take off their blindfolds. My diary – Egyptian President Morsy in Anti-Semitic Speech.
Safwat Hegazy: Down with military’s mufti plus video
Dozens of representatives of political parties and youth movements protested outside Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta, the Institute of Islamic Jurisprudence, on Sunday to demand the resignation of Egypt Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa after his visit to Jerusalem, during which he prayed in Al-Aqsa Mosque. The protesters demanded Gomaa be sent to trial over his actions, and Islamic preacher Safwat Hegazy chanted, “Down, down with the military’s mufti”.
Egypt’s Grand Mufti visit to Jerusalem sparks uproar among political forces
(19.04.2012) – The Brotherhood MP also said that Gomaa needs to be questioned about his actions, which he said did not serve the Palestinian cause, in order to prevent any chance of this visit being repeated by any other public figure.
Yassin pointed out that even the past regime, which had strong ties with Israeli officials, refused to normalise relations between Egypt and the self-proclaimed Jewish state. Consequently, he said, it is inconceivable for this to happen after the January 25 revolution, particularly when all political forces reached a consensus on not recognising the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
Essam Sultan, vice-president of the moderate Islamist Wasat Party, said on his Twitter account that this visit will “divide the nation into two parts” adding that this is not the kind of support Palestinians are seeking. “What they need is help against the Israeli enemy,” he said.
« click for story
The Grand Mufti of Egypt, Ali Gomaa, wearing a white scarf and black robes, visits the Al-Aqsa mosque (photo credit: @DrAliGomaa, Twitter)Mohamed Mahsoub, member of the high committee of the Wasat Party commented on the social media platform, that Gomaa should give up his position as Grand Mufti of Egypt.
He added that the leading Islamic figure should have asked a Muslim scholar whether the visit was acceptable, as Jerusalem is under Israeli occupation that “wants the city to remain open for visits only.”
Egyptian cleric Safwat Hegazy said in a televised phone call that he no longer considers Gomaa a Mufti after the visit, demanding, like Mahsoub, the isolation of Gomaa from his position. The Egyptian cleric emphasised his point by adding that he would stage a sit-in in front of the Supreme Court until this demand is met.
Hegazi also said that he considers the visit “a slip by Gomaa who belongs to the past regime”.
Egypt’s grand mufti visits Al-Aqsa mosque
(Times of Israel) April 18, 2012 – The director of the Palestinian Islamic clerical body in charge of administering the Al-Aqsa compound, Azzam Khatib, praised the visit.
“We consider these visits support for the Al-Aqsa mosque. These visits help the Palestinian residents of Jerusalem to be steadfast in the city. It was a religious visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and lets the world know that it is an Islamic, Arab site.”
Al-Aqsa is in Jerusalem’s Old City, located on the area Jews call the Temple Mount as it was the site of their two Holy Temples.
Shaykh Safwat Hegazy: “Jerusalem Belongs to Us, and the Whole World Belongs to Us.” [YouTube video]
Safwat Hegazy: Shia Islam is ‘blasphemy’
(Egypt Independent) March 5, 2013 – Salafi Preacher Safwat Hegazy said that Shia Islam “will never exist in Egypt,” reacting to the recent visit by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
“Any country’s intervention in another country to spread its own doctrine means either that this country has a new religion to spread or that it believes the old religion is more valid,” he said.
In an interview with the satellite channel Al-Arabiya, Hegazy claimed that the World Federation of Muslim Scholars has researched Shia Islam within the Sunni world, alleging that “the research includes numbers that refer to what Iran does to turn Sunnis to Shias.”
“Were there Shias in Egypt 20 years ago?” he asked rhetorically, before claiming that there were no Egyptian Shias in 1973 and slamming Shia Islam as “blasphemous” and “wrong.”
Hegazy also accused Shias of being paid by Iran, without offering evidence, and said that Shias visit Egypt to perform “blasphemy.”
By contrast, Hegazy said that Wahhabism is a Sunni school and not a new religion. He also said that he would welcome the spread of the Hanbali school of Sunni Islam, since it was not a “blasphemous” one.
Hegazy also alleged that Shia preachers were trying to deceive Egyptian Sufis and make them Shia.
Shias were shunned from Egypt’s political and social life throughout the 30-year rule of ousted President Hosni Mubarak. There are no official statistics on the number of Shias in Egypt, but experts on the country’s religious minorities estimate their number between 50,000 and 80,000, a relatively small percentage of Egypt’s population of 85 million.
Al-Azhar clarifies its stance on protesting against ruler
CAIRO, Egypt (Daily News Egypt) June 23, 2013 – Al-Azhar strongly condemned statements made by Islamist preacher Safwat Hegazy against its grand imam, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, during Friday’s protests.
In a statement, Al-Azhar described the accusations Hegazy pressed against Al-Tayeb as “the fruit of his sick imagination and mind”.
Hegazy had addressed Al-Tayeb on Friday, stating that, during the January 25 revolution against former president Hosni Mubarak, Al-Tayeb had issued an Islamic fatwa that “protesting against one’s ruler” is prohibited in Islam. He also accused Al-Tayeb of being a member of the now-dissolved National Democratic Party’s (NDP) policy committee.
“How could you claim that protesting against the ruler is not prohibited now that we have a legitimate, democratically-elected president?” Hegazy asked.
In its statement, Al-Azhar clarified that Al-Tayeb did not call for protesting against President Mohamed Morsi.
“Al-Tayeb stated that armed protest is prohibited in Islam,” the statement read. “And he also stated that the legitimacy of peaceful opposition in Islam is out of the question, adding that all laws and constitutions already preserve that right.”
Al-Azhar also said that when Al-Tayeb called on protesters to leave Tahrir Square in 2011, he said so in fear of further bloodshed.
Lawyers want Muslim Brothers and preacher Hegazy tried in Battle of the Camel case
How can the pro-Morsi Muslim Brotherhood protestors be moved to confront the armed security police at two o’clock at night by a cleric with a “sick imagination and mind”? The art of agitator to move large masses is well documented during the Stalinist and communist eras. Good to know this blunt tool and pure propaganda skills still exists and deceives not only the media but so many readers and observers of global events. I rest my case!
Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood Elder Safwat Hegazy is carried through Tahrir Square as thousands gather to mark the one year anniversary of the revolution on Jan. 25 in Cairo Egypt. Tens of thousands have gathered in the square on the first anniversary of the Arab uprising which toppled President Hosni Mubarak. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Link to article Boston Globe and to photo.
Oh yes, do read the Wikipedia entry about this preacher trained to incite violence for a greater cause: Jerusalem!
