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The Blame for Egypt Goes to Morsi

The military's firing on pro-Muslim Brotherhood protesters has escalated the crisis to a deadlier level, but it is former President Mohammed Morsi and the Brotherhood who got Egypt to this point.

A policeman (C) cheers with protesters, who are against Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, as they dance and react in front of the Republican Guard headquarters in Cairo July 3, 2013. Egypt's armed forces overthrew elected Islamist President Mohamed Mursi on Wednesday and announced a political transition with the support of a wide range of political, religious and youth leaders. A statement published in Mursi's name on his official Facebook page after head of Egypt's armed forces General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
A religious scholar kisses an army officer as a greeting before talking to him in front of the Egyptian museum in Cairo, where Egyptian army soldiers stand guard, July 9, 2013. — REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih

When I think about the Republican Guard's tragedy in which tens of pro-Morsi protesters were killed, it seems to me that I am being blackmailed — either Morsi returns to office and the millions of protesters who filled Egypt's streets on June 30 are totally ignored as anti-democracy, pro-coup people who can't decide for themselves what's in their and their country's interest, or I am held responsible for the unjustified, cold-blooded killing of scores of fellow citizens, Muslim Brotherhood members or not — at the hands of the army.

I am blamed for the Republican Guard's tragedy based on my support for the June 30 protests that led to Morsi's ouster and the military's intervention, which eventually led to the occurrence of the sad incident. Not only do I plead not guilty, but I hold responsible Morsi, who told us clearly that we must accept that he stays in office, and who refrained from making any concessions of any kind. Options he shunned included holding early elections, a referendum over his stay in the presidency or even a cabinet change — in defiance of nationwide protests calling for early elections, or else his blood and the blood of his followers would be paid as a price.

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