Al-Jazeera TV Host Ahmad Mansour to Morsi Supporters: Our Revolution Was Hijacked by the Coup

Following are excerpts from statements made by Al-Jazeera TV host Ahmad Mansour, in an address to Morsi supporters. The address was posted on the Internet on July 8, 2013.

Ahmad Mansour: We should pay attention to the great deception. This is no longer about restoring President Morsi to power. It is about restoring to the people the January 25 revolution, with all its vigor and achievements – restoring all that has been hijacked by the June 30 coup.

We need to completely change our rhetoric. This is no longer about President Morsi. He is only part of the picture. Beware of falling into this trap. There were many martyrs in the January 25 revolution, which has given rise to a great constitution for Egypt, as well as elections for the parliament and Shura Council. The revolution had many achievements, and all these achievements have been made null and void, including the president.

Note that it is not just the president who was ousted. You should stop chanting names of individuals, and start chanting slogans for Egypt. Fly the Egyptian flag everywhere – just like the [anti-Morsi demonstrators] did on June 30. They raised the Egyptian flag and deceived everybody. They hid behind the flag and hijacked the revolution.

I urge you to change the rhetoric. The Egyptian people will not join us unless we remind them that the January 25 revolution has been hijacked and that they must take to the streets in order to regain this revolution.

If we keep talking about Mohamed Morsi, all his opponents will remain at home.

Dear brother, we should all be chanting the slogan of the January 25 revolution. They are the June 30 coup, and we are the January 25 revolution. That's how we will win the hearts of the people, and they will follow us.

We should see the big picture, not just the details. The small detail is that the president has been deposed, but the big picture is that the entire revolution has been hijacked. Beware of this scheme, this conspiracy. I ask you all to embrace the slogan of the January 25 revolution and to raise the Egyptian flag.

I beg you to take note of this. This revolution must remain peaceful. This great nation that toppled Hosni Mubarak is capable of toppling anyone who violates its legitimacy, its land, and its decision-making, so long as the people unite behind the great cause of Egypt and its January 25 revolution. Their fake revolution will collapse if the people restore the January 25 revolution.

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