Street Riots As Vote On Egyptian Constitution Commences

Street Riots As Vote On Egyptian Constitution Commences

As if things couldn't get more tensioned with the upcoming vote to pass or bin the new Egyptian constitution, riots broke out in the city of Alexandria, in the Northern Mediterranean part of Egypt.

The riots were provoked by the statements of an ultraconservative cleric that urges “believers” to support the new constitution, a constitution that has a more radical view of the Islamic Sharia Law.

Riots and clashes between the pro Islamist factions and the people opposing the new draft of the constitution have broken out. Witnesses say that the Islamists were armed with swords while their opponents were reported to throw rocks.

The new constitution is deeply opposed by the Christian minority in Egypt as well as by liberals and Egyptian secularists who accuse it of trying to create a dictatorship with religious undertones.

While among its supporters are clerics and religious leaders especially in the southern part of Egypt who say that voting in favor of the new constitution is a victory for Islam.

Violence seems to be at home in Egypt in the last weeks as sporadic revolts and clashes have erupted all over the country between pro and anti Morsi supporters.

Rights groups warn that the election that will take place this Saturday may see its fair share of frauds, thus undermining the legitimacy of the result and sinking Egypt in a deeper political crisis.

Posted by James Fried on Saturday December 15 2012, 6:11 PM EST. Ref: FOX News. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0