The Revolution Youth Union announced in a statement Thursday that it had canceled plans to attend a protest planned for Friday, which is likely to be postponed.
The demonstration was first scheduled for last Friday, under the slogan "For the Love of Egypt," but 26 of more than 50 participating groups decided to postpone the event until this week in order to better prepare and give reluctant parties a chance to determine their positions on the protest.
Several of the main revolutionary groups have again decided that they will not join in this week.
Last week, organizers and participants said the demonstration aimed to reaffirm Egypt’s identity as a civil state that respects all faiths and guarantees equality among its citizens, regardless of religion or gender.
The Adl Party, Free Egyptians Party, Democratic Front Party and Hadara Party said they did not plan to take part in any demonstrations for the time being.
Sufi movements remain undecided on whether to participate. The prevailing opinion among the groups seems to favor abstaining from protests during the holy month of Ramadan, given earlier criticism of a Sufi-planned protest last Friday.
Abdel Khaleq al-Shabrawy, a senior Sufi cleric, said the demonstration planned for 19 August is merely a “reunion celebration," and will not urge Sufis or any other groups to make political demands.
Well-known author Alaa al-Aswany called for the protest to include Sufis, Copts and Salafis, as a way of voicing the collective demands of the revolution.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
