A Salafi group in Alexandria on Wednesday denounced calls by secular forces for a million-strong demonstration in Tahrir Square slated for 7 July. The protest is intended to pressure the government to decide on writing a new constitution before holding parliamentary elections.
The group, which is the largest Salafi group in Egypt, said that in the March referendum on constitutional amendments people clearly identified what should happen during the transitional period, namely holding parliamentary elections before the writing of a new constitution. The newly elected parliament would then elect a constituent body to write the constitution.
In a statement, the group said no one has the right to speak on behalf of the people, not even a million people, because Egypt’s 85 million citizens have not given anyone such a right, not even to the prime minister or his deputy.
The statement warned of giving in to the demonstration’s demands, which the group says represent an explicit violation of the nation’s will, adding that this would produce chaos and destruction.
The group claimed that the Egyptian masses all adhere to the Islamic sharia law and know that calls for writing the constitution first are made by an "elite” that do not represent the broad will of the people, but rather seek to impose a liberal and secular constitution on them.
It added that religious scholars and preachers would work on thwarting such an attempt.
The group said that the council’s legitimacy would be in question if it responded to demands for a written constitution before elections. The council, it said, is tasked with preserving the country's security and interests.
