Wasat Party Spokesperson Tarek al-Malt has accused a group of Salafi preachers of inciting Friday’s clashes in Abbasseya.
Malt told Al-Masry Al-Youm Saturday that the Salafi preachers who called for jihad against the ruling military council and storming the Defense Ministry should be tried for their inciendiary language.
"I reject holding the Salafi youth only responsible for the events, they are the victims of the Islamic discourse of their sheikhs, characterized by escalation and calling for confrontation,” he said. “I call for referring those sheikhs to a swift trial if found guilty in the incidents of killings and riots in Abbasseya Square.”
He said disqualified presidential hopeful Hazem Salah Abu Ismail's call for staging sit-ins in squares following his disqualification was “ a mistake that led to accusing him of orchestrating the events."
He added that even if Abu Ismail had been oppressed unjustly, like the former candidate claims, he should not have called for a sit-in, to avoid confrontations and bloodshed.
He also called on the revolutionary youth and other revolutionary movements not to clash with the military.
"Criticizing the political performance of the military council and staging demonstrations against it is one thing, and clashing with the armed forces is another,” he said.
