Anti-Morsi protesters outside the Presidential Palace (CCL Bora S. Kamel)

Several prominent Arab news sites are reporting crucifixions of regime protesters in Egypt. An article in the Saudi Arab News says:

A Sky News Arabic correspondent in Cairo confirmed that demonstrators belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood crucified opponents of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi naked on trees in front of the Presidential Palace, while torturing others. Likewise, other Brotherhood demonstrators locked the doors of the media production facilities of Six October, and proceeded to assault several popular journalists.

Similar reports appeared in Egypt’s al Khabar News, Dostor Watany and Egypt Now.

An article in Egypt’s El Balad describes the attack on Cairo’s Media Production City as a “siege” by “thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters.”  The article says Brotherhood supporters injured the Editor of Youm 7 and destroyed his car, kept a popular On TV broadcaster from going to work and “terrorized” other employees.

Youm 7 and On TV are both secular media outlets reporting on the Brotherhood’s Islamist agenda.

The article also describes attacks on supporters of news talk show host and outspoken Morsi critic Tawfiq Okasha outside the Presidential Palace:

Supporters of the Brotherhood as well as of President of the Republic Dr. Mohamed Morsi attacked them with sticks and knives and Molotov cocktails yesterday evening, Wednesday, and crucified some of them to trees, resulting in the deaths of two people and the injury of dozens. Okasha supporters implicated Brotherhood supporters and Brotherhood militia in the attack.

The article quotes lawyer Sharif Hilali, Executive Director of the Arab Foundation, as saying that this was a Brotherhood attempt to “terrorize the media and silence their voices.”

Freedom of press under attack

And it’s not an isolated attempt:

• In April a group called “Jihad to Cleanse the Country” sent a letter to On TV threatening its studio and facilities, and threatening organizations dealing with On TV with “painful and severe punishments.” The letter also targeted three leading On TV journalists, by name, with kidnapping and “liquidation.”

• Okasha goes on trial this Saturday on charges of “insulting” Morsi and “inciting his killing.” His satellite channel has  been shut down, despite previous assurances from then-candidate Morsi that “no station or media will be shut down in my era.”

Sky News, which originally reported on the crucifixions, has taken down their article. Not revised it, mind you, or said that it was in error. Simply taken it down.

Can you blame them?

Crucifixions no surprise

But the crucifixions should come as no surprise.

• According to the Qur’an:

The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and his apostle and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be exiled. (Surah al-Mā’ida 5:33)

• Earlier this year, an Egyptian lawmaker introduced a bill in the People’s Assembly that would apply sharia law–including crucifixion–for various crimes.

• A cleric at Egypt’s renowned Al-Azhar University recently issued a fatwa against anti-Brotherhood demonstrators. He said that they were guilty of “a major treason” and that fighting them is “a religious obligation.”

I couldn’t give you the links to a couple of the news articles I mentioned in the first paragraph. The links are in Arabic and this program can’t read them. But, ironically, the next headline under the Dostor Watany article about the crucifixions is entitled, “Clinton Says The World Looks to President Morsi to Form an Inclusive Government in Egypt.”

And just last month, Clinton lectured nervous Israelis about the Arab Spring. She said it’s:

a time of uncertainty but also of opportunity. It is a chance to advance our shared goals of security, stability, peace and democracy,”

Really, Madame Secretary?

Talk about hiding our heads in the sand.

H/T to Raymond Ibrahim