 An Egyptian man delivers a speech as protesters gather in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday, November 30.  A man shouts as protesters gather in Tahrir Square on November 30.  A man holds a copy of the Koran and a cross in Tahrir Square on November 30.  Protesters run from Egyptian riot police during clashes near Cairo's Tahrir Square on Wednesday, November 28. Police fired tear gas into the square, where several hundred protesters spent the night after a mass rally to denounce President Mohamed Morsy's assumption of expanded powers. Activists have been camping out in Tahrir Square since November 23.  A protester carries a rock during clashes with police on Wednesday.  Egyptians carry a giant national flag as tens of thousands take part in a mass rally in Cairo on Tuesday, November 27, against a decree by President Mohamed Morsy granting himself broad powers.  An Egyptian protester holds up a Quran and a figure of Christ on the cross during Tuesday's demonstration.  Protesters continue to rally in Tahrir Square on Tuesday.  An Egyptian protester attempts to throw back a tear gas canister on Tuesday during clashes with riot police in Omar Makram Street, off Tahrir Square.  Activists in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Monday, November 26, carry the coffin of Gaber Salah, an activist who died overnight after he was critically injured in clashes in Cairo. Salah, a member of the April 6 movement known by his nickname "Jika," was injured last week during confrontations between police and protesters on Cairo's Mohammed Mahmud street.  Thousands of activists attend the funeral of Gaber Salah on Monday.  Protesters clash with Egyptian police at Simon Bolivar Square on Sunday, November 25, in Cairo. Egypt's powerful Muslim Brotherhood called nationwide demonstrations in support of Islamist President Mohamed Morsy in his showdown with the judges over the path to a new constitution.  Egyptian protesters hurl stones at police at Tahrir Square on Sunday.  Protesters gather at sit-in tents in Tahrir Square on Sunday.  Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy waves to supporters in front of the presidential palace in Cairo on Friday, November 23. Thousands of ecstatic supporters gathered outside the presidential palace to defend their leader against accusations from rival protesters that he has become a dictator.  Morsy supporters gather outside the presidential palace in Cairo on Friday. Morsy insisted that Egypt was on the path to "freedom and democracy," as protesters held rival rallies over sweeping powers he assumed that further polarized the country's political forces.  Protesters demonstrating against Morsy run from tear gas fired by Egyptian riot police during clashes in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday.  Egyptian protesters throw rocks toward riot police on Friday  Egyptian supporters and opponents of Morsy clash in the coastal city of Alexandria on Friday.  A man throws a rock during clashes in Alexandria on Friday.  Thousands of demonstrators march through the streets of Cairo to protest against Morsy on Friday.  Clashes rocked the coastal city of Alexandria on Friday.                      
Are you there? Share photos and video, but stay safe. Cairo (CNN) -- Central Cairo may belong to opponents of President Mohamed Morsy, but Saturday, across the Nile River, central Giza will belong to him, if his party and other groups rallying behind it have their way. The Muslim Brotherhood's political wing has called for two one-million-man marches in support of the embattled head of state after more than a week of protests against him, which saw stones fly, protesters and police clash and clouds of teargas waft through Tahrir Square. The Freedom and Justice party has called for the two marches to converge at noon (7:00 a.m. ET in the neighborhood of Cairo University on al-Nahda Square. The traffic circle on the Nile's opposing bank could become the antithesis of Tahrir for a day. Opposition factions have renewed their call for continued protests, which were to start near daybreak. But by noon, the famed roundabout, which was packed on previous days, was relatively empty. The Islamists will be joined in Giza by 18 groups that have announced their participation in the pro-Morsy rally. Most are religious groups, others are not, such as the Egyptian Revolution's Alliance, the Revolutionary Front to Protect the Revolution, and Coalition of the January 25th Youth. Seeds of Egypt's past sown long ago Anger boiled over into the streets of central Cairo last week after Morsy issued an edict to exclude any decisions he has made since he took office from judicial review. Many saw it as an overbearing grab for autocratic power. Morsy himself described it in an appearance on state TV as a necessary move to fight judges, who were working to destroy progress made in the Arab spring uprising. There are still holdover loyalists of deposed strongman president Hosni Mubarak on the benches of Egypt's judicial system. Some judges had threatened to disband the Constituent Assembly tasked with drafting a new post-Mubarak constitution. It was dominated by Morsy's Islamist allies, who also hold a majority in parliament. After discontent raged over Morsy's decree, the assembly rushed to conclusion, further fueling suspicions of a power grab. Christian, liberal and leftist constituents left the assembly, and some were replaced by Islamists, further increasing their numbers. Some experts saw the snap vote on the national charter as a move by Morsy to dissolve his own unpopular edict quickly, which he promised would become null and void as soon as a new constitution is in place. "The draft constitution will end the state of political division, because it will cancel the constitutional decrees that the president issued," said Dawood Basil, a Cairo University constitutional law expert. "I feel overwhelming joy after hearing the final wording of the articles." Opinion: Don't blame Muslim Brotherhood for Morsy power grab Whether the draft constitution will move Egypt toward being a freer and more open society is still in question, experts say. Citizens will vote in two weeks to either ratify or defeat it in a referendum. Some experts also see the vote as a referendum on President Mohamed Morsy's government. Morsy was elected to office after the popular uprising in 2011 that toppled President Hosni Mubarak. But his recent actions have increased suspicions of misappropriation of power that date back to his narrow election win, which opponents claimed was rigged. Morsy's Muslim Brotherhood party pushed through the 234-article draft in just 21 hours from Thursday into Friday. Frustrated Coptic Christians and liberals earlier had walked out, complaining their views were not getting enough consideration. Protesters to Morsy: Roll back your decree or leave A quick glimpse at the articles show that the language deals with individuals' civil rights, particularly how security forces and the justice system treats them. There's wording that prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention and ensures due process, a sensitive topic in Egypt. Mubarak and his loyalists are blamed for jailing and harshly mistreating innocents in the years before and especially during last year's uprising. Anyone jailed cannot be interrogated without an attorney present, and if detainees don't have one, the judicial system must appoint one, one article stipulates, and phone conversations, electronic correspondence and other communication cannot be tapped without a warrant. While the articles sound democratic, the fine print indicates otherwise, some independent rights experts say. "Moving a flawed and contradictory draft to a vote is not the right way to guarantee fundamental rights or to promote respect for the rule of law," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. He told CNN on Friday that key rights are ignored in the draft. "It guarantees 'freedom of expression,' but you cannot insult the Prophet. You cannot defame the Prophet," Stork said. Opinion: A new Egypt must learn political compromise The draft addresses freedom of religion, he notes, "but you have to be a Christian, Jew (or) Muslim." Some critics argue the constitution could move Egypt closer to Sharia law. Mohamed Naeem, a member of the Eyptian Social Democratic Party, said it opens the way for a theocracy. The preamble includes language pertaining to women, stating that they are equal to men but also accentuating their role as mothers. Heba Morayef, the Egypt director for Human Rights Watch, argued that the language regarding women is too vague. She worries that the mention of women's family role will trump other freedoms. The United Nations' high commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay, urged Morsy to reconsider the draft, saying a number of measures contained in it are incompatible with international human rights law. She called them "not yet sufficient." CNN's Reza Sayah, Amir Ahmed and Ben Brumfield contributed to this report.   |
12/01/2012
Islamists to protest in support of Egypt's president
Clinton: New Israeli homes hinder peace
Washington (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on Israel to reconsider plans to build thousands of homes in its occupied territory, saying it will set back efforts to bring about a two-state solution between the Israelis and Palestinians. Clinton's comments Friday followed news reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized the construction of 3,000 new homes, a move widely viewed as retaliatory after the Palestinians won a United Nations bid to recognize their claim to become a "non-member observer state." "In light of today's announcement, let me reiterate that this administration — like previous administrations — has been very clear with Israel that these activities set back the cause of a negotiated peace," Clinton said in remarks delivered at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy in Washington. Netanyahu has not publicly acknowledged the approval of the new construction -- details of which were reported by a number of Israeli news organizations, citing unnamed senior government officials. Clinton did not refer to any specific settlement in her remarks, though published reports have said among the West Bank areas being zoned is a four square-mile area east of Jerusalem. The Obama administration has repeatedly warned Israel against settling the West Bank, particularly that plot of land, because it would make it impossible to create a contiguous Palestinian State. Israel seized the West Bank, Gaza, Golan Heights and Sinai Peninsula during the 1967 war. The Sinai has since been returned to Egypt. Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1981, a move not recognized by the international community and condemned by Syria, which still claims the land. The more militant Palestinian group Hamas now controls Gaza, while the moderate group Fatah -- headed by President Mahmoud Abbas -- administers the West Bank, site of a growing number of Israeli settlements. Ultimately, the Palestinians are aiming to unite Gaza and the West Bank under the authority of a new state with the capital of East Jerusalem. The United States was opposed to Palestinian efforts to gain recognition by the United Nations as a "non-member state," warning that such a move might cause Israel to react. "Palestinian leaders need to ask themselves what unilateral action can really accomplish for their people. President Abbas took a step in the wrong direction this week, to say the least. We opposed his resolution," Clinton said. "But we also need to see that the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank still offers the most compelling alternative to rockets and permanent resistance. At a time when religious extremists claim to offer rewards in the hereafter, Israel needs to help those committed to peace to deliver for their people in the here and now." Palestinian officials have refused to enter into new talks with Israel until it stops building settlements on West Bank land. Netanyahu, meanwhile, has said there can be no preconditions on talks. The Palestinian bid to the United Nations and news of Israeli settlement construction came just days after a cease-fire took hold between Israel and Hamas that brought about an end to a series of Israeli military airstrikes against Gaza launched in an effort to stop Hamas rocket attacks. Clinton called on Egypt to use its "unique relationship" with Hamas to make clear it opposes any escalation of tensions. "We look to Egypt to intensify its efforts to crack down on weapons smuggling from Libya and Sudan into Gaza—and I am concerned that, if more rockets are allowed to enter Gaza through the tunnels, that will pave the way to more fighting again soon," she said. CNN's Bob Kovach reported from Washington, and CNN's Chelsea J. Carter reported from Atlanta. |
Judge refuses to ban anti-Islam film from YouTube
| By Reuters LOS ANGELES -- An actress who said she was duped into appearing in an anti-Islam film that stoked violent protests against the United States across the Muslim world lost on Friday her second legal bid to force the video off YouTube. Denying a request by actress Cindy Lee Garcia for a court order requiring the popular online video site to remove the crudely made 13-minute clip, a federal judge found she was unlikely to prevail on her claims of copyright infringement. U.S. District Judge Michael Fitzgerald of Santa Clara, California, also canceled a December 3 hearing he had previously set for oral arguments over Garcia's request. Garcia's lawyer, Cris Armenta, told Reuters she planned to appeal the decision. Actress sues, says she was fooled into acting in anti-Muslim movie The lawsuit, filed in September, names YouTube and its parent company Google Inc as defendants, along with the film's producer. A previous motion by Garcia for a temporary restraining order against YouTube's continued posting of the video was rejected by a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge. Garcia's case was the first known civil litigation stemming from the video, billed as a film trailer, which depicts the Prophet Mohammad as a fool and a sexual deviant. The clip sparked a torrent of anti-American unrest in Egypt, Libya and dozens of other Muslim countries. A judge denied bail for the alleged producer of an anti-Muslim film that sparked Mideast outrage. He was arrested for violating probation from a bank fraud conviction. KNBC's Beverly White reports. The outbreak of violence coincided with an attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi in September that killed four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya. For many Muslims, any depiction of the prophet is considered blasphemous. Google has refused to remove the film from YouTube, despite pressure from the White House and others to take it down, though the company has blocked the trailer in Egypt, Libya and other Muslim countries. Copyright claim But her federal lawsuit also asserts a copyright claim to her performance in the video, titled "The Innocence of Muslims," and accuses Google of infringing on that copyright by distributing the video without her approval via YouTube. US-based anti-Islam filmmaker, 6 others sentenced to death by Egypt court But in a three-page ruling, the judge questioned the validity of such a claim. He held that even if she could prove a legitimate copyright interest in her film performance, she effectively relinquished her rights to producers of the film. Fitzgerald also ruled that Garcia failed to show that she would suffer irreparable harm without an injunction.  Protests ignited by a controversial film that ridicules Islam's Prophet Muhammad spread throughout Muslim world. Garcia's lawsuit identifies Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, an Egyptian-born Coptic Christian living in the Los Angeles area, as the film's producer. His legal name has since been established to be Mark Basseley Youssef and he served time in federal prison for bank fraud. According to the lawsuit, Youssef operated under the assumed name of Sam Bacile when he misled Garcia and other performers into appearing in an anti-Muslim film they believed was to be an adventure drama called "Desert Warrior." She claims to have since received death threats. Man behind 'Innocence of Muslims' film sentenced to one year in prison for violating probation "We hope that worldwide the message has been heard that Ms. Garcia was not complicit and did not voluntarily participate in this heinous piece of hate speech," Garcia's lawyer said in a statement, despite Friday's ruling against her. Youssef was sent back to jail for a year on November 7 for probation violations stemming from his role in making the video, including his use of an alias in connection with the film. More content from NBCNews.com:
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Syrian rebels tighten grip on airport
N. Korea plans rocket launch within days
(CNN) -- North Korea plans to launch a rocket carrying a satellite between December 10 and 22, a spokesman for the Korean Committee for Space Technology said Saturday, according to state-run media. The Unha-3 rocket will launch from the Sohae Space Center in North Phyongan Province and put a "working satellite" into orbit, the report by news agency KCNA said. The planned launch is unusual because it comes only months after a failed attempt in April and during the wintertime. On that occasion, Pyongyang also said the rocket was supposed to put a satellite into orbit, but the launch was seen by many other countries as cover for a ballistic missile test and drew international condemnation. Scientists and technicians have analyzed the mistakes made in April and worked to improve the reliability and precision of the satellite and carrier rocket this time round, KCNA reported. The polar-orbiting earth observation satellite will blast off southward on a trajectory designed so that parts of the carrier rocket that fall off during the launch will not land on neighboring nations, the news agency said. It said North Korea had acted with "utmost transparency" on the last occasion and would "fully comply with relevant international regulations and usage" this time too. Echoing its response to April's launch, South Korea's Unification Ministry said in a preliminary statement: "The so-called working satellite is a test fire of long-range rocket in disguise and it is clearly in violation of U.N. security council resolution 1874." Another big rocket launch by North Korea could further sour its relations with the United States and South Korea. The failed launch in April scuppered a deal for Washington to provide thousands of tons of food aid to the North's malnourished population. It also drew criticism from the U.N. Security Council, which repeated demands for Pyongyang not to carry out similar tests in the future. CNN's KJ Kwon, Jethro Mullen and Joseph Netto contributed to this report. |