Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, whose political party propelled the nation’s president to power, called for a nationwide peaceful demonstration on Friday to condemn insults to Prophet Mohammad, a senior official said on Wednesday on the group’s website.

The statement followed a protest in Cairo on Tuesday in which some demonstrators scaled the U.S. embassy walls and tore down the American flag over a film they blamed on the United States. The Egyptian government called the assault unjustified and said the U.S. government could not be held responsible.

In Libya, Islamist gunmen killed the U.S. ambassador in an attack on the Benghazi consulate prompted by the film.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Brotherhood secretary-general Mahmoud Hussein called for a “peaceful protest to condemn insults to religious convictions and insults to the Prophet”, adding it would start after noon prayers on Friday in front of main mosques across Egypt.

The group called for all Egyptian groups to join in. President Mohammad Mursi rose to power through the Brotherhood, although he formally resigned from the group on taking office.

The Salafi Call, an influential group of ultra-orthodox Salafi Muslim sheikhs, called for “suspending any cooperation between the two countries until (the U.S. government) takes practical measures to stop this farce,” it said in a statement.

It did not say whether it supported the protest.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount