Egypt’s religious leaders demand calm

Ahmed al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Mosque, has called on all Egyptian religious and political authorities to show “responsibility” as violent clashes continue to sweep the country. Speaking during a visit to Luxor on Saturday, Tayeb appealed to “everyone: the leadership, government, political forces and the honourable youth of Egypt, to fulfill their responsibilities before God and the nation.” The Al-Azhar leader meanwhile offered his condolences to the victims of violence in Egypt, after at least 30 people died in weekend clashes between demonstrators and security forces. The Sufi Union’s board of trustees also denounced the violence on Saturday, calling on President Mohammed Morsi to establish a national unity government with immediate powers. The Union meanwhile called on political blocs to not participate in upcoming parliamentary elections after some Egyptian governorates called for independence from the state. “The mere thought of independence of any area of Egypt is disastrous,” it said. The Sufi organisation demanded President Morsi avoid Egypt turning into a “Brotherhood state.”