Latest news with #Morsi
Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
What is the Muslim Brotherhood? Boulder suspect Mohamed Soliman praised radical Islamist group in disturbing posts
Boulder attack suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, had praised radical Islamist group the Muslim Brotherhood on social media in the years before the Colorado incident. Several people were hospitalized with burns after Soliman tossed Molotov cocktails at a group that had gathered in support of Israeli hostages. Soliman, an Egyptian national identified by the White House as an 'illegal alien' who overstayed his visa, had filled his Facebook account with posts in support for the Muslim Brotherhood, CNN reported. The page was last updated a decade ago, and featured several photos of Mohamed Morsi, the group's leader. Morsi served as Egypt's president from 2012 to 2013, but was eventually ousted in a military coup. Morsi was Egypt's first democratically elected president. He rose to power after vowing to end autocracy and promising that a transparent government would respect human rights. However, protests that were soon held accused Morsi of seizing unlimited powers and using violence against opponents. He was also accused of imposing the Brotherhood's conservative brand of Islam. Soliman had shared posts backing the Muslim Brotherhood protests against Morsi's removal. One August 2013 post even featured a four-finger salute, a symbol that was used to show support for the Rabaa protest encampment, which was dispersed in the violence during the Morsi-linked unrest. After being arrested, Soliman told investigators that he wanted to 'kill all Zionist people,' according to the New York Post. He had been planning the attack for a year, according to prosecutors. The Muslim Brotherhood is Egypt's oldest and largest Islamist organization, and has offshoots throughout the Arab world. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, 'After the ouster of former president Hosni Mubarak in the Arab Spring protests of 2011, the group's political arm won a plurality of seats in Egypt's lower house of parliament and its candidate, Mohammed Morsi, was elected president. But Morsi was ousted by the military in July 2013, and the Brotherhood's members were imprisoned, went into exile, or were forced underground.' It added, 'As part of a wide-ranging crackdown on political opposition, the Egyptian government has labeled the group a terrorist organization, as have Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). U.S. President Donald J. Trump has expressed interest in following suit, but many experts say a designation—whether of the original Egyptian group or of kindred groups throughout the region—would stretch the bounds of the law and also complicate U.S. diplomacy across much of the Middle East and North Africa.'
New York Post
03-06-2025
- General
- New York Post
Colorado terror attack suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman praised radical Islamist group Muslim Brotherhood on social media
Suspected Colorado terrorist Mohamed Sabry Soliman had praised radical Islamist group Muslim Brotherhood on social media in the years before allegedly carrying out his heinous antisemitic firebombing plot in Boulder. The 45-year-old Egyptian national's Facebook account is filled with posts expressing support for the Muslim Brotherhood, CNN reported. 4 Mohamed Sabry Soliman is accused of firebombing a gathering for hostages held in Gaza in Boulder, Colorado on Sunday. AP Advertisement 4 The attack at a demonstration for Israeli hostages left 12 people injured. CBS News The page, which was last updated a decade ago, also featured a slew of photos of Mohamed Morsi — the group's leader who served as Egypt's president from 2012 to 2013 before he was ousted in a military coup. Morsi, who was Egypt's first democratically elected president, swept to power after he promised an end to autocracy and a transparent government that respected human rights. Advertisement However, protests soon erupted, accusing Morsi of seizing unlimited powers, using violence against opponents and imposing the Brotherhood's conservative brand of Islam. Some of Soliman's posts had backed the Muslim Brotherhood protests against Morsi's removal, according to the outlet. 4 Soliman had praised radical Islamist group Muslim Brotherhood on social media before the attack. Boulder County Sheriff's Office/AFP via Getty Images Another post, which was dated August 2013, featured a four-finger salute — a symbol that was a known show of support for the Rabaa protest encampment, which was among those dispersed when violence broke out during the deadly Morsi-linked unrest. Advertisement The social media posts emerged soon after Soliman was nabbed for allegedly tossing gasoline bombs at a peaceful pro-Israel march in Boulder on Sunday, injuring a dozen people. 4 Soliman allegedly told investigators that he wanted to 'kill all Zionist people.' @BHflyer5 via Storyful Soliman, who told investigators that he wanted to 'kill all Zionist people,' had planned his attack for a year, prosecutors said. He allegedly used Molotov cocktails rather than a gun because his illegal status in the US blocked him from buying firearms, according to the feds. Advertisement Soliman moved to Colorado Springs three years ago with his wife and five kids, according to court documents. He previously spent 17 years living in Kuwait. With Post Wires
Arab News
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
2013 - El-Sisi takes control of Egypt from Morsi
CAIRO: Throughout history, there have been moments that serve to reshape the destiny of nations and set their course for decades to come. July 3, 2013, was one such turning point, for Egypt. It marked the end of Muslim Brotherhood rule after the group had introduced exclusionary policies that failed to represent the majority of the diversity within Egyptian society or to ensure the legitimacy of President Mohammed Morsi during his first year in power. This new chapter in the political and social history of Egyptians began when the military stepped in and took over, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who was defense minister at the time and became president the following year. When President Hosni Mubarak was ousted on Feb. 11, 2011, after weeks of public protests, Egypt entered a turbulent transitional phase marked by intense political competition. Amid the chaos, the Muslim Brotherhood, which had operated in the shadows for decades, successfully presented itself as a ready and desirable alternative. The Islamist group secured successive electoral victories, first gaining a parliamentary majority, then control of the Shura Council, and finally, in June 2012, the presidency when Morsi triumphed in the country's first democractic election following the revolution. His victory marked not merely a transfer of power, it was the beginning of full-scale Brotherhood dominance over the Egyptian state. While Morsi had promised to head a government 'for all Egyptians,' his policies suggested otherwise. He swiftly took steps, for example, to dismantle traditional state institutions and replace officials with Brotherhood loyalists, destroying political and social balances that had been established over decades. Critics at the time accused him of allowing Islamists to monopolise the political arena, concentrating power in the hands of his affiliated group. The defining moment of the Brotherhood's rule was a constitutional declaration by Morsi in November 2012 granting himself far-reaching powers and shielding his decisions from judicial oversight. This declaration sparked widespread anger among Egyptians, who saw the move as the foundation of a dictatorship under the guise of religious legitimacy. Public outrage continued to grow, resulting in mass public protests, yet the Brotherhood pressed ahead with its plans, backed by alliances with Islamist factions while excluding other political and societal groups, including liberals, leftists and even state institutions. The Brotherhood's ambitions extended beyond political dominance to the infiltration of key state institutions, including the security forces, judiciary, media and even the economic sector. It prioritized the appointment of loyalists to influential positions over professionals who did not belong to their ranks. At the same time, it imposed a rigid social agenda that disregarded Egypt's diverse cultural and intellectual fabric. Many Egyptians sensed an attempt to reshape Egyptian identity in service of an ideological project that did not represent them. This prompted accusations that Morsi was failing to deal with the very issues that led to the revolution that brought him to power: calls to guarantee rights and social justice. These policies could not continue without facing a backlash. The wave of public dissent gradually swelled, culminating in the emergence of the Tamarod (meaning rebellion) movement, which gathered millions of signatures from people demanding the removal of Morsi from power. Hosni Mubarak steps down after 18 days of mass protests that began in Tahrir Square and spread across Egypt. Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi becomes Egypt's president, after narrow victory in first democratic election after the revolution. Morsi issues controversial decree exempting himself from judicial supervision and shielding the Constituent Assembly and Shura Council from dissolution. Morsi rejects opposition calls for his resignation and early presidential election, as millions take to streets nationwide in protest. Defense minister Gen. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi urges Morsi's government to resolve the political crisis within 48 hours or face military intervention. In televised speech, El-Sisi announces ouster of Morsi, suspends the constitution and appoints Supreme Constitutional Court Chief Justice Adly Mansour as interim president. Morsi denounces the move as 'military coup.' El-Sisi declared president of Egypt. Calls for public demonstrations led to mass protests on June 30, 2013, during which millions of Egyptians took to the streets to demand an end to Brotherhood rule. The protests served as a de facto referendum on the legitimacy of the regime, and clearly revealed waning public support for the Brotherhood as its political project failed to build a consensus. As the protests escalated and the leadership of the Brotherhood refused to acknowledge the overwhelming public opposition, the military, led by El-Sisi, intervened amid mounting calls for the army and police to take swift action to save the country from the threat of plunging into civil war. On July 3, 2013, after an ultimatum for Morsi to resolve the political crisis and meet public demands within 48 hours had passed without any such action, El-Sisi announced the removal of the president from power and the temporary suspension of the 2012 constitution. 'The Armed Forces, based on its insightfulness, has been called by the Egyptian people for help, not to hold the reins of power, yet to discharge its civil responsibility and answer demands of responsibility,' El-Sisi said during a televised speech. 'This is the message received by the Egyptian Armed Forces and heard in all of the country. The army had called for national dialogue, he added, but this plea was rejected by the presidency. The Brotherhood and their supporters denounced the intervention as a 'military coup,' while the opposition described it a response to the demands of the public after millions of Egyptians had taken to the streets in protest. Despite the decades spent building the organisation and expanding its influence, the downfall of the Brotherhood was shockingly swift. Some factions that initially supported the organization, including certain Salafist groups, abandoned it upon realizing the extent of the public resentment. In the days that followed July 3, the Brotherhood attempted to regroup through mass sit-ins at Rabaa Al-Adawiya and Nahda squares. However, these protests soon turned into hubs of armed resistance, leading to violent clashes with security forces. Over time, following a crackdown on the group, which was declared to be a terrorist organization, the ability of the Brotherhood to mobilize dwindled. The removal of the Brotherhood from power was not the end of the challenges Egypt was confronted with, but the beginning of a new phase filled with obstacles. The country faced major economic and security hurdles, including an upsurge in violence by Islamist insurgents and the need to rebuild institutions to restore economic stability. The rejection of the Brotherhood was not merely opposition to a political party; it represented the rejection of an ideology that aimed to impose a restrictive vision on a society known for its pluralism and diversity. The fall of the Brotherhood was testament to the nation's desire and will to ensure Egypt remains a country for all its citizens, not just a single faction.
Al-Ahram Weekly
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Egypt embraces inclusion - Egypt - Al-Ahram Weekly
In its effort to integrate people with special needs and boost their rights, Egypt participated in the third edition of the Global Disability Summit which took place in Berlin from 2-3 April with the attendance of more than 3,000 global leaders. The summit aimed to promote comprehensive development and humanitarian action for people with disabilities. At the end of the summit, Egypt announced its adoption of the Amman-Berlin 2025 Declaration to promote the rights of persons with disabilities. The summit concluded its sessions with over 120 countries and international organisations adopting the summit's declaration which sought to enhance the rights of persons with disabilities globally over the coming years on an unprecedented scale. The Amman-Berlin Declaration focuses on achieving two main objectives: '15 per cent for 15 per cent', which calls for allocating at least 15 per cent of international development programmes to include persons with disabilities who represent 15 per cent of the world's population, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The second is to promote the inclusiveness of international development programmes to ensure equality for and non-discrimination against people with disabilities. The declaration supports the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in international cooperation, with strong emphasis on inclusive and sustainable development. It also calls for measures to protect the safety and well-being of persons with disabilities in times of crisis, such as armed conflicts and natural disasters. As part of its voluntary commitments, Egypt pledged to work towards achieving the 'Living Independently' initiative over the next three years. The plan aims to strengthen the rights of persons with disabilities and ensure their full integration into society. It includes improving access to education and healthcare services, providing equal job opportunities, and developing more inclusive infrastructure. Egyptian Minister of Social Solidarity Maya Morsi noted that, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS), in 2022, the number of persons with disabilities in Egypt was approximately 10 million. Morsi said that 1.2 million integrated services cards have been issued for people with severe disabilities, confirming that the ministry's offices are open in all directorates to provide the service. According to CAPMAS, the proportion of persons with disabilities was higher in urban areas compared to rural areas, recording 12.1 per cent in urban areas versus 10.1 per cent in rural areas in the same year. Additionally, the percentage of persons with disabilities was higher among females than males, reaching 11.4 per cent for females compared to 10.6 per cent for males for the same year. The data also showed that individuals with severe to complete disabilities accounted for 4.8 per cent of the total population across the country in 2022. Based on the Amman-Berlin Declaration, internal cooperation among relevant stakeholders will be enhanced to achieve the 15 per cent for 15 per cent goal using advanced measurement and evaluation tools. Egypt will develop an implementation plan following the summit to ensure that disability issues are integrated across all sectors. The Global Disability Summit serves as a crucial platform to promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities worldwide. The summit aspired to transform labour markets to become more inclusive, ensure fair and equitable health and education systems, close the digital divide, and guarantee greater participation of persons with disabilities in public life. The summit, first launched in 2017, aimed at bringing together stakeholders from around the world to achieve inclusive development and comprehensive humanitarian action for persons with disabilities. The current summit was hosted by the governments of Germany and Jordan, in collaboration with the International Disability Alliance (IDA). The summit aimed to amplify the voices and enhance the participation of persons with disabilities in policymaking. It addressed key topics such as the economic empowerment of persons with disabilities, the role of social protection in this context, and its feasibility in low- and middle income countries. It also discussed inclusive employment in the Arab region, the challenges it faces, and the necessary policy recommendations to overcome barriers. Berlin served as a global stage for showcasing the priorities and perspectives of persons with disabilities directly to the international audience, reinforcing the slogan 'Nothing About Us Without Us'. * A version of this article appears in print in the 10 April, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
CairoScene
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Egyptian Illustrator Noran Morsi Captures Ramadan in New York
Egyptian Illustrator Noran Morsi Captures Ramadan in New York Egyptian illustrator Noran Morsi is a multidisciplinary creative wearing many hats, an AUC alumna who studied graphic design, currently working as an Editorial Production Assistant at The Drew Barrymore Show, where she coordinates media, props, and logistics for A-list guests like Chris Hemsworth and Sydney Sweeney. But this Ramadan, she's trading Hollywood glamour for ink and introspection. When Morsi moved to New York, she found that the sound of Cairo's Ramadan drums had been replaced by the hum of subway brakes. To capture her feelings throughout the holy month, she's marking the occasion with a daily illustration series on her Instagram account, sketching out moments of faith and community in the city that never sleeps. This isn't her first creative pivot. A self-described 'multimedia storyteller,' Morsi has blended photography, poetry, and film in projects like her Tedx Talk; A Love Letter to Photography, which dissects the tension between documenting life and living it. Morsi's Ramadan illustrations piece together the quiet, often unnoticed rituals of Ramadan in New York: friends gathering under the Manhattan skyline for iftar, late-night diner runs for suhoor, and solitary walks along the East River at dawn. Her sketches move beyond the usual depictions of the city, showing a different kind of New York—one where faith and routine intersect in subtle but meaningful ways. The project began with a single watercolour painting. Years ago, after photographing friends in Domino Park post-iftar, she turned the image into an illustration. 'That painting stuck with me,' she says. 'It wasn't just about the meal—it was about the moment.' Her process is spontaneous, sketching fleeting scenes—a subway ride, a quiet prayer, a shared laugh. 'I'm not chasing realism. I love playing with vibrancy and mood,' she says. 'Ramadan is full of texture, and I want each piece to capture that feeling, even if it's subtle.' New York's fast pace, she argues, doesn't erase reflection—it makes it stand out. 'There are these still, contemplative moments after the rush, like walking home by the river after iftar. I try to lean into those contrasts when I illustrate, capturing both the noise and the calm that coexist here.' The series also quietly reframes the city itself, quietly challenging assumptions. 'People reduce New York to brunch and nightlife,' she notes. 'And while that's definitely here, it's not the whole story, Art can make those quieter, less-seen narratives visible.' By the end of the month, her portfolio will hold 30 illustrated fragments of Ramadan—a visual archive of faith, community, and the ways people create belonging in a metropolis that's constantly on the move.
