CAIRO — Egypt's leading religious authority Friday warned of “civil war” and called for calm as political factions clashed ahead of major rallies the opposition hopes can force the President Mohamed Morsi to quit. A member of the ruling Muslim Brotherhood was shot dead overnight. Dozens of people were wounded in Alexandria, many by shotgun pellets, when opposition marchers clashed with Islamists on Friday, two days before Morsi's critics hopes millions take to the streets to demand new elections. “Vigilance is required to ensure we do not slide into civil war,” clerics of the Al-Azhar institute said. In a statement broadly supportive of Morsi, it blamed “criminal gangs” who besieged mosques for street violence which the Brotherhood said has killed five of its supporters in a week. The movement's political wing warned of “dire consequences that will pull the country into a violent spiral of anarchy”. It held liberal leaders, including former top UN diplomat Mohamed ElBaradei, personally responsible for inciting violence by hired “thugs” once employed by ousted leader Hosni Mubarak. Opposition leaders also condemned the violence. In Alexandria, at least 36 people were wounded, a Health Ministry source said, many by birdshot when hundreds scuffled outside a local office of the Muslim Brotherhood. A Reuters reporter saw about a dozen men break off from an anti-Morsi march on the seafront to throw rocks at the building's guards. They responded. Bricks and bottles flew. Gunshots went off. Ambulances arrived. Military helicopters hovered overhead. The army has warned it will intervene again if there is violence and to defend the “will of the people”. Both sides believe that means the military may support their positions. The US has urged compromise and respect for election results. Egypt's 84 million people, control of the Suez Canal and treaty with Israel all contribute to its global strategic importance. — Reuters
