Egypt

Morsy discusses 30 June protests with Islamists

President Mohamed Morsy will meet with representatives from 12 Islamist parties on Saturday in anticipation of mass protests planned by opposition and activist groups for 30 June.

Talks will take place at the Cairo International Conference Centre.

The Islamic Legitimate Body of Rights and Reformation, an independent cross-party committee of Muslim scholars that includes Salafi and Muslim scholars, called for the meeting, which will be held at the Cairo International Conference Centre on Saturday.

The committee’s deputy chief Saeed Abdel Azim told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the meeting aims to calm Egypt's increasingly tense political atmosphere. 

Abdel Azim said he appreciated the president’s response to the invitation.

Islamic forces would stand behind the president, Abdel Azim claimed, even if opposition protests descended into violence.

Our men hope to die in the name of Allah, he warned the opposition, adding that launching pro-Morsy rallies on 30 June was still an option.

However Abdel Azim stressed that everyone in Egypt had a right to protest peacefully.

Muslim Brotherhood spokesperson Ahmed Aref said the president hopes to listen to the opinions of groups across Egypt's political divide.

The Muslim Brotherhood is also expected to meet with Morsy, although a representative has not yet been announced.

Meanwhile efforts by the Brotherhood and its political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, to engage with opposition forces ahead of 30 June continue.

Member of the FJP's Supreme Council, Said Mohamed al-Masry, stressed that it was still possible to respond to the demands of the opposition, providing they were presented in the form of consensual national dialogue.

Opposition forces, including the liberal National Salvation Front, have repeatedly rejected calls to attend national dialogue talks with President Morsy.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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