Indonesia, Malaysia protests over deadly Egypt crackdown
Hundreds of Muslims demonstrated in Indonesia and Malaysia on Friday against a crackdown on the protest camps of Egypt’s Islamists which left almost 600 people dead.
It came as Cairo braced for more protests after supporters of Mohammed Mursi, ousted as president in a military coup last month, called for a “Friday of anger”, and the UN urged “maximum restraint” from all sides.
US President Barack Obama has cancelled a joint US-Egyptian military exercise but has stopped short of suspending Washington’s annual US$1.3 billion in aid to Egypt.
They brandished placards reading “Stop Egypt Massacre”, “Jihad for Egypt” and “Stop Killing” outside the mission as scores of riot police stood guard.
“We have witnessed such cruelty,” one protester shouted through a loudspeaker, while others responded by shouting “God is Great” in Arabic. “God, please shows us ways to fight back.”
At a demonstration of several hundred people at the landmark Hotel Indonesia roundabout, protest organiser Arief Aditya said: “As Muslims we feel a connection to those in Egypt.” Indonesia is the country with the world’s biggest Muslim population.
