Missionary: 40% of Egyptians back Mubarak
February 04, 2011
An Italian missionary who ministers in an impoverished section of Cairo has told the Fides news agency that President Hosni Mubarak, who has ruled Egypt since Anwar Sadat’s assassination in 1981, enjoys substantial support among the nation’s middle and upper classes.
Mubarak supporters “may count for 40% of the population,” Father Luciano Verdoscia told Fides. “The division between rich and poor in Egypt is very deep and evident.”
“Tempers are heating up,” he added. “I hope that this will not have a bloody ending, because what has occurred in recent days has been an example of nobility, gentleness and courage on the part of this people.”
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Further information:
- “The climate has changed: foreigners are urged not to leave their homes. There are many Mubarak supporters” (Fides)
- Crackdown in Egypt Widens but Officials Offer Concessions (New York Times)
- Missionary: Egyptian protestors want democracy, not Islamic state (CWN, 2/3)
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