AFP PHOTO
The April 6 Youth Movement has distanced itself from comments made by cofounder Ahmed Maher regarding Egypt’s national holiday on 23 July commemorating the 1952 Revolution. On Friday he tweeted that “If anyone wants to go down on 23 July, it should be to call for the end of military rule, not to go down to celebrate the military revolution and continuation of military rule.”
Nasserists from Qena issued a statement on Saturday criticizing Maher’s comments for what they considered to be ignorance of historical context and sympathy with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Today, Mahmoud Afifi spokesman for the April 6 Movement told the Youm 7 newspaper that Maher’s views are his own and do not represent the movement’s official stance. Afifi denied any call by the movement for the cancellation of celebrations on Monday, respecting the Free Officers movement of the 1950s and drawing a distinction between it and the current military leadership.
Afifi cited tyrannical use of power under Sadat and Mubarak as the foundation for the current military rule.
The April 6 Movement has been an outspoken critic of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and its inability to hand power to a civilian government.
Political parties across Egypt, including the Muslim Brotherhood, plan on celebrating and commemorating the 1952 Revolution on Monday.
