By
Khaled Mamdouh, IOL Staff
CAIRO,
February 27 (IslamOnline.net) – Coming in droves from all Egyptian
governorates and from all walks of life, hundreds of thousands of
Egyptians demonstrated Thursday, February 27, inside and outside Cairo
Stadium against the looming U.S.-led war on Iraq, chanting “No for War
on Iraq… No for Stopping the Intifada.”
The
demonstration begins with citing some verses of the Holy Qur’an,
followed by a speech delivered by Assistant Secretary-General of Arab
Physicians Union Dr. Abd al-Monaem Abul Fotoh, who dismissed as a “war
for oil” the potential invasion of Iraq.
“Iraq
is just the springboard to annihilate the peoples of the region and
re-draw the map of the Middle East to suit fine the Americans,” said
Abul Fotoh.
For
his part, President of the Physicians Syndicate Dr. Hamdi al-Sayed said
this demonstration serves as a message to the upcoming Arab summit.
He
said Arab peoples want from the summiteers decisive resolutions that
live up to the expectations of the Arab nation and flatly reject war and
the brazen Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people.
“You
great people of Egypt…This is a day of pride and this is a message
from the Egyptian people to their brothers who repudiate war and the
heinous crimes committed against the Palestinian people day in and day
out,” he said.
“Don’t
stop the Intifada…Don’t support war and stand up to it,” Sayed
vented his anger by sending a message to Arab leaders.
“This
historic rally is a solidarity message from the Egyptian people to the
Iraqis. We as Egyptians will never fail you…It is a message for the
Arab nation that aggression on Iraq is the first step to re-drawing the
map of the region. It is only the beginning not the end and I underline
and underscore,” he added.
Muslims,
Christians Against War
Dr.
Mohammed Ali Shehata delivered a speech on behalf of Grand Imam of
Al-Azhar Sheikh Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, who urged Arab peoples to reject
war on Iraq, asserting that it was a religious duty upon each Muslim
country.
“Our
religion tells us to spread peace and reject aggression. We do not
attack anyone and we must rebuff any attack from the bottom of our
hearts,” Sheikh Tantawi said.
Sounding
the same stance, Priest Hana Luke delivered the speech of the Egyptian
church, which fiercely condemned war on Iraq and the brutal Israeli
aggression on Iraq.
The
lay people also chanted anti-war slogans and lashed out at the U.S.
President George W. Bush administration and its malicious plans to
impose its hegemony on the region and deplete it of its natural
resources.
“There
is not God but Allah…Zionists and Americans are enemies of Allah,”
“I say it and I’m totally disappointed: it’s now Al-Basra turn
after Al-Quds,” “O’ coward Zionists…We are the people who
defeated you in 1973,” “In the name of Qur’an and Bible…We will
defeat you Israel,” “Let’s go to war for the sake of
Allah…We’ll never let you go Baghdad,” and “Bush Great offer to
the Americans: kill kids today and get 1,000 Ben Landens tomorrow.”
Even
children joined hands with the demonstrators. Maie Mostafa, a
13-year-old Egyptian child, chanted a song urging peoples to go to
Jihad. Its lyrics goes:
We
will not give up our land to the enemy…We won’t sell;
No
reconciliation…No normalization;
We
won’t let you down Baghdad;
We
won’t let you down Palestine;
We
will neither sell soil nor religion;
Salahudin
is coming back.
“I
offer my blood and soul as a small token to defend Al-Quds…and I stand
ready to go to Baghdad as a human shield. And This Bush has to
steamroller us first to get to Baghdad. They have to fight us first to
get there,” said Sami Abd al-Hai, from Alexandria.
