Egypt is in turmoil today. The international community joins many in the Egyptian diaspora in mourning the opportunity for a peaceful revolution as the violence yesterday took the lives of more than 500 people.
The military moved into two squares in Cairo that were filled with supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi. The supporters ignored repeated warnings to disperse and violent clashes ensued leaving more than 3,000 people injured.
Egypt’s interim government is faltering. Vice President Mohamed El Baradei had resigned before the military acted saying there were peaceful options the leadership could have taken to end the crisis, and the authorities extended Mohamed Morsi’s detention for 30 days.
Muslim Brotherhood supporters stormed government buildings in Giza, and burned Christian churches in retaliation. The country is once again under a state of emergency with nightly curfews enforced.
U.S. President Barack Obama condemned the violence and cancelled planned joint-military exercises that were to have taken place this month.
Dr. Emil Sherif is a pediatric surgeon at the Montreal Childrens’ Hospital. He is a Coptic Egyptian who follows the situation in Egypt closely. He is questioning the western media’s reporting of events over the summer.
Ehab Latoyeff is a Muslim Egyptian living in Montreal, He is an engineer at McGill University and a founding member of Canadian Egyptian for Democracy. He is still hopeful that a democratic route can be established. I spoke with them both earlier today.
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