Senate condemns coup against Mursi

KABUL): The Senate on Sunday condemned the ouster of Egyptian president Mohammad Mursi as an act against international law and democratic norms, calling the move an insult to the public mandate.

The condemnation came two days after more than 30 people were killed and over 1,000 injured in violence triggered by the military coup. Wednesday’s removal of the Islamist leader followed protests from millions of people.

Egypt’s first freely elected leader, Mursi is in detention. Some senior figures of his Muslim Brotherhood movement have also been held.

“The military coup was against democratic principles,” said Maulvi Mohiuddin Munsif, an upper house member from central Kapisa province. He asked the house to condemn the ouster of Mursi, saying the Egyptian leader and his supporters had been struggling to establish a legal and Islamic government.

He warned the international community against creating unrest in Muslim countries. “When the world foments trouble in an Islamic country, it spreads to other Muslim states,” the lawmaker argued.

His colleague from Baghlan province, Abdul Wali Raji, said: “Slaves of Christians and Jews didn’t allow Mursi and his supporters to set up an Islamic government in Egypt.”

He accused the UN of being unwilling to intervene in the Egypt and rectify situation because the world body was controlled by the US.

The US State Department issued a condemnation of Friday’s violence and called for all leaders to put a stop to further aggression.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has also expressed alarm at the violence, saying it was for the people of Egypt to determine the way forward – and all people, including women, needed to be part of that process.

Senator Khaliqdad Balaghi said the military action was an insult to the votes cast by millions of Egyptians.

“The coup is worth condemning because it flouted democratic values and international law,” remarked 1st Deputy Chairman Mohammad Alam Ezedyar, who chaired the session.

He also urged Afghan insurgents to shun violence in respect to the holy month of Ramadan. TV channels should also stop screening programmes that ran counter to Islamic values, he demanded.

myn/ma

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