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Mayhem at the mosque: A gripping dispatch from the cauldron of Cairo... as police storm holy site to evict Morsi supporters
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Wherever you go in Cairo, you can see the minaret of the al-Fath mosque. It is a towering reminder of the faith of the majority of Egypt’s people.
But yesterday its transformation into the epicentre of the turmoil ravaging the country’s political landscape was complete.
Security forces and gunmen traded fire as police attempted to storm the mosque in Ramses Square to remove the hundreds of supporters of the deposed President Mohamed Morsi inside.
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Flashpoint: Riot police force their way into the al-Fath mosque yesterday, where hundreds of supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi were holed up following a vicious crackdown by the new regime
The gun battles erupted as police tried to force their way into the mosque, where Morsi supporters had taken refuge following a day of violent clashes on Friday.
The police fired heavy bursts at the building after they were shot at from a second floor window inside the mosque. It was the fourth day of violence in Egypt which has seen some 800 people killed.
Yesterday’s stand-off came after bloody battles on Friday’s ‘day of rage’ that claimed at least 173 lives and saw more than 1,000 Muslim Brotherhood supporters arrested.
Friday’s protests, led by opponents of the country’s military-backed leadership, turned to bloodshed when security forces fired on marchers in Ramses Square.
The mosque was turned into both a morgue and a makeshift hospital for the injured. Those inside barricaded themselves in, shoving furniture against the doors.
The Muslim Brotherhood claimed that one of those killed in the square was the son of senior Brotherhood leader Mohammed Badie. Ammar Badie, 38, died of a bullet wound.
Meanwhile, security sources claimed Egyptian authorities had arrested Mohammed al-Zawahiri, brother of Al Qaeda head Ayman al-Zawahiri, for supporting Mr Morsi.
A protester is escorted away: Yesterday¿s stand-off came after bloody battles on Friday¿s 'day of rage' that claimed at least 173 lives and saw more than 1,000 Muslim Brotherhood supporters arrested
Arrested: A file picture shows Mohammed al-Zawahiri, a Muslim Brotherhood supporter and brother of Al Qaeda head Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was also apparently held in the crackdown, Egyptian authorities said
HAGUE CONDEMNS VIOLENCE
Foreign Secretary William Hague has condemned the 'disproportionate use of force' by the Egyptian security forces as he issued a fresh appeal to all sides to end violence.
In a call with Egyptian foreign minister Nabil Fahmy, Mr Hague said Britain condemned all acts of violence, whether by the military or by some demonstrators protesting at the overthrow of former president of Mohammed Morsi.
He said that attacks on mosques and churches were 'unacceptable' and called for places of worship to be protected.
His comments came after security forces stormed the al-Fath mosque in Cairo while Muslim Brotherhood supporters have been blamed for a series of attacks on Coptic Christian churches.
'The Foreign Secretary emphasised UK condemnation of all acts of violence, whether disproportionate use of force by the security forces or violent actions by some demonstrators,' a Foreign Office spokesman said.
'They also discussed the recent attacks on places of worship and the Foreign Secretary stressed that attacks on mosques and churches were unacceptable and that places of worship must be protected.'
Mr Hague urged the Egyptian government to return to the political road map published last month based on dialogue between parties who accepted peaceful political processes.
'He underlined the need for urgent steps by all sides to end the violence and enable a return to dialogue. The Foreign Secretary also emphasised the EU's collective determination to support a peaceful resolution of the situation,' the spokesman said.
Some Morsi supporters were escorted out of the al-Fath mosque yesterday, to be confronted by an angry crowd armed with sticks and iron bars.
Dozens, including women and children, were still trapped inside last night, refusing to leave for fear of being attacked by the mob, who chanted: ‘God take revenge on Morsi and those standing behind him!’
One man, Waleed Attar, was among a group who managed to escape the building as gunfire erupted.
He said: ‘We didn’t know where the bullets were coming from. Even the security forces took shelter.
‘We found our way between vehicles before the thugs could trap us. We ran for fear of being shot. Many of those trapped were being assaulted by thugs. They said we would all be slaughtered.’
Last night army tanks and soldiers were closing off main entrances of Ramses Square, with soldiers erecting barbed wire.
Elsewhere in Cairo, the authorities have encouraged machete-wielding men to protect their neighbourhoods by setting up makeshift checkpoints. These vigilantes are invariably young, male and not averse to intimidating drivers into paying bribes to pass.
At one checkpoint, residents prevented ambulances and cars carrying wounded from Ramses Square to hospital.
On Friday, I feared for my life as I travelled through the city. I was just three blocks away from my hotel when shots rang out.
Suddenly, people were running towards us, driven back by army tanks. One young man, his shirt soaked with blood from a wound on the right side of his chest, was hobbling along in pain, aided by two friends.
An elderly caretaker beckoned us to shelter in the lobby of an empty office building. When we emerged two hours later, pools of blood were congealing in the street. Cars were smashed and broken glass was scattered like confetti along the main promenade overlooking the Nile.
Egyptian riot policemen get in the community services hall of the Al-Fath mosque: Dozens, including women and children, were still trapped inside last night, refusing to leave for fear of being attacked by a waiting mob
Armed officers brandish their guns: Police had earlier fired heavy bursts at the building after they were shot at from a second floor window inside the mosque
As anger rises on all sides, the prime minister, Hazem el-Beblawi, has proposed the legal dissolution of the Muslim Brotherhood but supporters vow they will fight on.
Fatma el Sayed Fathi, a 28-year-old architect whose husband, Sabri, a construction engineer, was shot in the head outside the mosque last Monday, told me: ‘I will tell my children that their baba is in paradise and that he gave his blood for his country and his beliefs.
‘This is a war on Islam, not Egyptians. My husband believed very much in Mr Morsi, as do I. He is still our president. We won’t stop until he is back in office.’
Mr Morsi was ousted by the military on July 3 after widespread protests against his administration. He is in custody at a secret location.
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