E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSClashes broke out Friday in Alexandria ahead of Saturday's final round of voting on the country's controversial draft constitution. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports.
ALEXANDRIA, Egypt — Supporters of President Mohammed Morsi and his opponents hurled rocks at each other in Egypt's second city on the eve of a final vote on a new constitution shaped by Islamists.
Police fired tear gas as scores of opponents of the constitution and thousands of Islamists hurled rocks across a security cordon separating them near a mosque in Alexandria that was the focus for violence last week.
"God is great," Islamists chanted when the clash began.
The Egyptian Ministry of Health said at least 55 people were injured in the clashes near the al-Qaid Ibrahim mosque in Alexandria, state media reported.
The Islamists had gathered in support of an Islamic vision of Egypt's future a day before a second round of voting in a referendum on the basic law. Opposition supporters had also turned out as worshipers assembled for Friday prayers.
Morsi and his Islamist allies back the draft constitution as a vital step in Egypt's transition to democracy almost two years after the fall of Hosni Mubarak.
The opposition says the draft, drawn up by an Islamist-dominated assembly, is a recipe for deepening divisions and more violence.
The Muslim Brotherhood called for the mass gathering in Alexandria to protest after a violent confrontation between Islamists and the liberal, secular opposition last week ended with a Muslim preacher besieged inside his mosque for 14 hours.
Rival factions had used clubs, knives and swords last week, but this time police kept the feuding sides apart, although witnesses saw several protesters and one police officer being helped away. Some protesters had head wounds.
The run-up to the final round of voting Saturday on a new constitution has been marked by often violent protests that have cost at least eight lives. The first round on Dec. 15 produced a yes vote that is expected to be repeated in the second round.
Lines of riot police cordoned off Alexandria's al-Qaid Ibrahim mosque, scene of last week's violence. Islamists chanted pro-Islamic slogans while a smaller group of opponents gathered nearby, chanting against Morsi, propelled to power in a June election by the Muslim Brotherhood.
Analysis: Egypt is rapidly approaching its own 'cliff'
"The people want the implementation of Shariah," the Islamist sympathizers shouted, in a show of support for Islamic law. "Our souls and blood, we sacrifice to Islam," they shouted.
In one incident, an Islamist filming anti-Morsi protesters was grabbed and roughed up. Islamists on the other side of a security cordon pushed and shoved police trying to reach him.
The opposition, facing defeat in the referendum, has called for a no vote against a document it says is too Islamist and ignores the rights of women and minorities, including the 10 percent of Egyptians who are Christian.
AP
Opponents of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi clash with Islamist supporters of the president,as a cordon of riot police separates the groups in Alexandria, Egypt, on Friday.
Reuters contributed to this report.
More world stories from NBC News:
- Engel, NBC crew believed they wouldn't leave Syria alive
- UN calls for ban on 'grotesque practice' of female genital mutilation
- Video: Syrian refugees speak out on the nightmare of exodus
- UFO lovers, light-seekers and lawyers await Maya end of days
- Rumors of plot to sterilize Muslims spark Pakistan killings
- Video: It's so cold in Siberia, boiling water freezes
- 'Doomsday' prompts jokes, mass arrests in China
Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
Islam at it's finest!
"The opposition says the draft, drawn up by an Islamist-dominated assembly, is a recipe for deepening divisions and more violence."
Yes, in hating and killing!
Saudi Arabian Sunni version is the worst. In Egypt, Islamic extremists like Salaffi, MB and others are the worst form of Islam.
It is bad news for sane Muslims, females, Christians and Israel!
All should join hands and throw out these Islamists at the earliest before they do serious damages in Egypt like other places.
Since when has religion been a step toward democracy?
Hey Morsi and the MB, "Watch your Step." That first step can be a doo-sey [sic]
Egypt is dead. There is no way that moersi understand people need. the clashes and violence will continue because moersi refused to understand. the united state has to cut all aids to Egypt .the policy maker should not listen to Muslim brotherhood lobbying .the lobbying group is trying a pretext to continue flowing money to radical Islam Gov.
Jonathan Hi long time since we spoke. I have a question if they could throw this worst branch of Islam out of Egypt who would take them? I doubt that other Sunni dominated countries would take them. Iran has threatened to kill anyone who even protests. The ME is full of these desperate poor Muslims who think they will get more from a Islamic based governance than they will from a western secular style government. They have multiple children with little means to give them a good future. It is easier to blame the secularists for their poor choices and continue their strategy of out pacing birth rate growth of the secularist.
Why oh why oh why can't we just keep ALL religion out of all governments? I don't blame Egyptians for protesting what Morsi is doing.
fight for freedom: Saudi version of Sunnis are in seventh century desert mode of hating and killing. They form around 80 percent.
Iranian version of Shiites are in tenth century. They form less than twenty percent.
Shiites and Sunnis are both battling on whose Allah is greater. I want them to fight to the end.
We infidels (for all Muslim sects) have no roles. If we get in between them they will be on us forgetting their Allah's battles!
As I was a staunch leftist once, I support (only moral that too from far off) the underdogs for the battle to be even.
We will worry about the remaining! Let us patiently watch Allah's battles.
In Egypt, I support sane Muslims (I don't consider that all are too bad), females, Christians and of course, moderate Jews of Israel.
I/we can't help much those addicted with high Islamic heroin.
I give up and leave it to Allah that he eliminates all extremist Muslims at the earliest!
fight for freedom: I read your posts. I agree with you most of the times.
Nice to see you remembering me. Happy holidays (advance)!
Jonathan Merry Christmas to you as well. I now understand why you want a more even fight between Sunni and Shiite. Iran though has many weapons to defend themselves and the Shiites in other countries are not as vulnerable to attack as Christians Jews and secularists. I wish we could have a trade program to export Muslims for Christians or other infidels. But the Muslims here don't want to leave as they know just how crappy their own countries are to live in.
The American government sending Egypt 20 F16's along with a hefty amount of cash seems irresponsible. No?
The American congress gives Egypt $1 BILLION a year, the joke is on us the American taxpayer. Cut social security and give the money to the crazies.
alim and we are arming and training the Alqaida and Muslims brother hood thugs in Syria , so whats new , that our government at its best .
Extremist Sunni rulers like those of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and other Sunni Arab League nations are fooling the US, British, French and allies.
Their hating and killer fronts like Salaffi and Muslim Bloodhounds of Eygpt went around the US giving false promises.
Here the US Jewish lobby and Netanyahus should understand that these Islamic extremists can never be trusted.
Just kick out all these hating and killing fountainheads.
NO ECONOMIC OR MILITARY AID OF ANY SORT.
ALSO IN ROLES IN SYRIA AND IRAN.
REMOVE SANCTIONS ON IRANIAN OIL TO WEAKEN THESE HATING AND KILLING ENEMIES.
Jonathan,
So you think the Shiite leaders aren't extreme? Do not remember the protests in Iran after their last election and how the government handled it, with the same methods.
What is the U.S. trying to gain by sending Egypt money??
that is just a bad habit without explanation.
My Turn, please provide sources for your utterly ridiculous claims.
"You're entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts." Daniel Patrick Moynihan
jerrry l: Please read my latest post.
It is popcorn time for infidels like I.
I want them to kill each other as many as possible such that we will have less of seventh century high Islamic heroin dosage, Sunnis and tenth century high dosage, Shiites.
The differences between Sunnis and Shiites are in levels of Islamic madness and numbers!
soon as the arabs in the middle east relize that relegion and State don't mix, they may find the world is really a nice place to live. But to get a real education in sciences, base on fact and not belife may be hard to find over there.....Hell if your in the souther US see Texas it getting harder to find as well....
Islam is not a religion. ITS A CULT !
Like the rest of the religions.
They can thank America for it, that is why their was a curfew for thirty years. When America ceases to exist the world will be a peaceful place.
Can I run that thought by the Nazi's?
Excellent point, jerry. Thank you. ☺
ya it would be peacefull place under the rule of a dictator, Maoist, and slavery where no one has a say in the matter. All dissident will be silenced. No liberty of freedom of thought. no America there will be peace. (sarcasm)
Cleopatra is rolling in her sarcophagus.
That's an excellent point, T. Ancient treasures are destroyed where ever sharia is implemented and Egypt is a treasure trove of human history. It would be a tragic, terrible thing for the world to lose the historical benefits that Egypt has to offer.
This link is one of the best known examples but it is by no means the only example.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12674541
Fortunately nobody knows the whereabouts of Cleopatra's tomb.
Wherever the location of her embalmed body, it must surely be secreted in a lavish burial place resplendent with gold, jewels, and priceless artefacts. When we recall the recent, mindless destruction in Afghanistan of the giant statues of Buddha, perhaps it is fortunate that the location of the lavish burial chamber of Egypt's last queen remains a mystery ---- an enigma that may soon be solved however, more than 2000 years after her death at age 39 in 30 BC.
Islam, especially Saudi version of Sunnis have become most dangerous and are on rampage in many Muslim nations (Syria, Egypt, Pakistan, Mali and other places) and non-Muslim nations.
Just don't support them anywhere including Syria and Iran!
Jonathan,
Iran and Syria are Shiite not Sunni. Other peaceful places for the Sunnis are Lebanon where they are killing the Christians, and that other peaceful country Iraq.
jerry l: If you read my posts you will understand.
I want the posts to be short. So I don't go into histories. Some accuse me of doing cut and post too!
When it comes to non-Muslims (Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and others) they all join hands.
If you study the history of Lebanon, it is most horrible genocides of Christians by Muslims (all tribes and sects joined hands).
Darfur, Sudan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey (Armenians) are some of the worst examples of genocides of non-Muslims.
Many Christians have alread left Iraq!
Obama says this is all wonderful and so much better than the the former government of Egypt.
Imagine how much easier it would be for the population to control their government if they were armed with guns... instead we read about brutal police attacks on people armed with nothing but sticks and stones. I bet the government thugs would think twice about gassing women and children if there were a few men with rifles in the crowd.
Islam is not a religion. ITS A CULT !
the same can be said of Christianity and Judaism... all based on the same story... all supposedly descended from the same inbred line.
Anonymous...nothing could be further from the truth. Jews and arabs are descended from Abraham. There may be a few other similarities but that's about it. Just as you encouraged someone to research democracy in another post, may I recommend that you do your research on the three religions that you mentioned.
chefaz,
Please remember that not all Arabs are Muslims and not all Muslims are Arabs. There are many Jewish Arabs including my wife whose family is from Syria.
Iranians are Persians, Turks are insulted if you call them Arabs and the most populous Muslim country is Indonesia.
Correct and I'm well aware of the differences.
I had thought the post was worded in such a way to reflect this but apparently it wasn't. My apologies for any confusion or misunderstanding.
jerry, after re-reading the post, I'm very glad you came along to point that out. Sometimes another set of eyes can be very handy.
No problem at all. I would question the posters point of inbred because there is no basis for that. I am sure we can all be traced back but that does not make us inbred.
Chefaz, it's a trilogy... Judeo-Christian-Islamic religion is just like StarWars or Lord Of The Rings... 3 books in the same story... or if you prefer, you could say Christianity and Islam are Jewish Fan-Fic.
Well now the best that can be hoped for: the military to take over Egypt as they have done in the past.
The only way the country can be governed
animals
why does morsi think he can start a democracy ??
islamist hate everyone out of their islam lines they draw
democracy is a union of all races religions and gender
not ISLAM ISLAM ISLAM
what a lieing joke he plays
its all about equal rights EQUAL RIGHTS
sadsadsad let them grind their teeth it will never change untill one sees religions as a belief in one god and not my god is better than your god
abraham is rolling in his grave knowing how idiotic peeps are who believe in the same thing yet they put their own agendas in front of gods agenda
always what man wants and not what god wants
I'd encourage you to research democracy... it's not practiced anywhere. There are democratic-republics... but pure democracy is mob-rule by the majority. It usually involves scapegoating minorities and limiting the rights of all but the majority group.
Egypt needs a Pharaoh
America has one... maybe we could send him over. (and before you call me names, I'm to the LEFT of President DroneChildren)
I am glad the people of Egypt are not taking it lying down. They should intensify their protests until the MB is gone and some sense of democracy is restored. Power to the people. Hoping for the same in Iran.
This we be a civil war eventually. The moderates and the Christians need to stand up against this form of Islam and eliminate it. Now you know why the MB was outlawed.
We should be backing the protesters, not the Muslim Brotherhood. Another fine mess.
Islamic Brotherhood = PIG S()T
The disaster in Egypt is one of the shining accomplishment of our incompetent administration. The Egyptians risking their life in their battle against the MB control, have repeatedly condemned the support given to the MB by the American Government. I am not asking for the United States to interfere in the internal affairs in Egypt, all I am asking for is that our Government put on hold all aids to Egypt until more rational people are in charge of the Egyptian Government.
That means NO military or financial aid to Egypt for the time being, and let Qatar puts its money where its mouth is.
Good luck to you and those you fight for.
Is this the "peace" that so many Progressives foresaw?
Obama says that this is all wonderful...and so much better than the former government in Egypt. Obama has urged all middle east countries to riot and try to overthrow their governments....How many have died? Is anyone really better off? Is the world better off? Obama approves of chaos....and death.
I'm confident the ones protesting against Islamic control will win.
They are obviously the smarter ones.
Don't worship a pedophile psychopath and don't smoke CRACK KIDS.