Beltaji: We preserve Egyptians' dignity by resisting the coup

According to Dr. Mohammed Al-Beltaji, a member of the Freedom and Justice Party, history has never seen crimes such as the massacres that were committed by the coup during the operation to disperse two pro-Morsi sit-ins at the Rabea Al-Adawiya and Nahda squares in Cairo. In a recorded message broadcast by Al-Jazeera Live Egypt, Beltaji explained that no tyrant throughout history has committed such heinous crimes as burning protestors alive, murdering the wounded, and violating the sanctity of mosques and burning them. The coup even killed 25 of its own soldiers in Rafah in order to distract the world’s attention away from its murder of Muslim Brotherhood detainees outside the Abu Zaabal detention facility.

Beltaji said that the protestors’ only crime had been to stand for 48 days to voice their rejection of the military coup and to stand against turning Egypt into a blood military state. However, the coup is using the “war on terror” slogan to deceive the world and try to turn its attention away from their crimes. The sit-in, which lasted for 48 days, was peacefully held in front of military facilities, such as the financial affairs office of the armed forces, the headquarters of military intelligence, and other military facilities. And yet the protestors did not throw one stone at these facilities; they did not close the gate nor deny any soldier entry throughout that entire period.

Beltaji refuted the coup’s accusations against the sit-in protestors and the Brotherhood members of carrying arms. He wondered: if we had arms, then why did we not use them to defend our murdered sons? Why did we not use the weapons to defend the General Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, and other leaders who have been arrested? Precisely which terrorist operations and armed militias affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood are Egypt’s coup leaders talking about? What is the use of arms when we are being murdered in the thousands?

Beltaji also denounced the coup’s accusations of terrorism against the Muslim Brotherhood, saying that the coup is merely trying to justify their bloody crimes with the “war on terror” slogan. Otherwise, why would Beblawi negotiate with a terrorist group once he took office as interim Prime Minister?

And when did General Sisi learn that the Brotherhood is a terrorist group? Beltagi noted that during the time when Sisi was chief of military intelligence, he never once informed anyone of the Brotherhood’s supposed terrorism, leading Beltaji to wonder: if Sisi is so sure that the Brotherhood are terrorists, then why did he allow members of a terrorist group to win the majority of parliamentary seats and lead the Egyptian Parliament? Why did he allow a member of the terrorist group to run for president and to take an oath, all the while knowing that he was affiliated with a terrorist group?

Beltaji said by fabricating these lies, the coup aims to mobilize ordinary Egyptians to suppress opponents of the coup. But the Brotherhood continues to stand in the face of the coup, sacrificing their lives and the lives of their children to restore the Egyptian people’s right to live in dignity, and to build a fair and democratic civil state.

Beltaji made a plea to the Egyptian people, saying: Do not silence your conscience against injustice. Do not be afraid of the coup. Do not be quiet like a mute devil. Citing the Prophet Mohammad – peace be upon him – Beltaji warned against not supporting the oppressed: God will try those who do not support the oppressed in the future when there will be no one to support them.