We would like to wish our Muslim readers a blessed and peaceful Ramadan on this first day of the fasting month of Ramadan. Blessings and peace are needed….

My previous article was written before the clashes between Muslim Brotherhood supporters and the army at the Republican Guard Headquarters, not far from the Raba’a Adawiya mosque in Medinat Nasr in Cairo, which has left 51 people killed and which are the deadliest clashes since the January 25, 2011 Revolution.

Earlier, Muslim Brotherhood offices were destroyed. I have been speaking on Skype with Dr. Nagia Abdel Monem of the Moral Rearmament Association, an Egyptian peace movement in no way associated to the Brotherhood. Dr. Abdel Monem lives very close to Cairo University and has seen armed attacks on pro-Muslim Brotherhood demonstrators.

Amnesty International published a report suggesting “that the security forces have used excessive force against supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi. Since last Friday at least 88 people have lost their lives in protests and political violence, including three members of the security forces, with around 1,500 wounded.

At least 51 Morsi supporters were killed on Monday during clashes outside the Republican Guard headquarters.”

The Amnesty International report attracted a lot of media attention outside Egypt, but was not reported in Egyptian media. That is not surprising since Egyptian media does not tend to highlight foreign reports about Egypt, but do give attention to investigative reporting done inside Egypt.

I have spoken with Muslims living close to the Raba’a Adawiya mosque. They have seen lower class people such as day-workers and farmers who had been incited to demonstrate by leaders believed to be Muslim Brothers. They are very emotional, believing that they have been victimized for being pious Muslims. Local people had, however, their doubts about the way the emotions of people had been misused.

The military released film showing that there were snipers in the vicinity of the protests, obviously intending to kill to provoke wider popular sentiments. We all know in Egypt that it is rather easy to hire baltaga, or thugs, who, for some money, are willing to do the dirty job. Many times in the past they have been said to cause chaos in peaceful demonstrations. Accusations of who is involved in armed attacks are flying left and right. Accusations involve the Muslim Brothers as well as their opponents, the army and the police. Witnesses may or may not be very .

Very often the truth is hard to determine.

The military responded to the violence with a statement on July 9, “Destruction of public property or the stability of the state will not be tolerated,” the military said in an audio statement broadcast on state television. “A constitutional declaration has been issued and the road to transition is clear, so people should feel secure.”

The Brotherhood’s Grand Mufti, Abdulruhman Albir, told Reuters on July 9 that he does not recognize the authority of the nation's interim president and will not negotiate until Morsi regains power. Only when Morsi returns as president is he willing to “have a national and comprehensive reconciliation in which all the problems can be discussed over a negotiation table but through a prior constitution.” Albir, therefore, does not recognize the constitutional declaration of interim President Adly Mansour, giving himself limited power to make laws and an outline of a timetable for parliamentary and presidential elections, according to state media.

MENA reported that the declaration calls for a constitutional referendum in November, followed by parliamentary elections in December and a presidential poll in February.

With wishes for a blessed Ramadan. I much hope this month will be used to seek reconciliation between Egyptians of all faiths. I have heard of plans to organize iftar meals between Muslim Brothers and Egyptians with different political convictions. I sincerely hope this will be organized in an effort to build bridges.

Cornelis Hulsman,

Editor-in-Chief, Arab-West Report

First day of Ramadan, July 10, 2013