Fr Rafic Greiche, spokesman for the Egyptian Catholic Church, told AsiaNews that "up to 20 million Egyptians could take to the streets" in late afternoon. Large rallies against recent episodes of violence are expected in Cairo and Egypt's main cities. Tonight, after dusk, Catholic and Coptic Churches will ring their bells as a sign of friendship to Muslims who are fasting for Ramadan.

Cairo (AsiaNews) - After Friday prayers, "up to 20 million Egyptians could take to the streets," Fr Rafic Greiche told AsiaNews. In the country, tensions are indeed running high with Islamists expected to show their opposition to the military in the streets of Cairo. In fact, for the clergyman, who is the spokesman for the Egyptian Catholic Church, although most Egyptians "are against extremists, the people is divided".

In an address to the nation on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said that "every honourable and honest Egyptian must come out" against "terrorism" and "violence".

Many from the moderate secularist parties have already said that they would take part in this afternoon's rally.

Conversely, the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafists have expressed their intention to continue demonstrating in favour of Morsi's reinstatement, but they plan to protest after sunset, when the fasting for Ramadan ends.

Mohammed Badie, the Muslim Brotherhood's supreme leader, who on Wednesday slammed al-Sisi's words as a clear "call to civil war", asked his supporters not to escalate their protest to the point of violence, urging them instead to demonstrate in favour of 'freedom' and 'legitimacy'.

Many Egyptians and foreigners are concerned that Morsi's ouster is a military coup dressed up as people's power.

For Wael Farouq, an Arabic professor at the American University in Cairo, "The danger that the military might 'steal' the Revolution is real." Yet, "the dangers associated with a Morsi government are worse and more realistic," he told AsiaNew.

"When Mohammed Morsi was deposed, the Muslim Brotherhood blamed it on Christians and Shias. Those who voted for Morsi were 13 million of Egyptians; those who deposed him were 30 millions in the country," he explained.

Tonight at sunset, when Ramadan fasting is broken during the iftar, Catholic and Coptic Churches will ring their bells as a show of friendship to Egyptian Muslims.

"The military's action is backed by the Egyptian people," Prof Farouq noted. "The Catholic and the Coptic patriarchs as well as al-Azhar are united. Christians and Muslims have realised that is a fight against violence and terrorism."

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