Movie star, televangelist support Egypt protests

Egyptian Actor Adel Imam denounced what he called “the situation of emptiness and insecurity," which hit parts of Egypt recently.

He stressed that “from now on there is no place for power succession,” adding that President Mubarak’s administration is responsible for the recent deterioration of the political situation in Egypt.

Imam, one of the top celebrities in Egypt and the Arab world, blamed Mubarak for not solving problems of the youth and for not listening to their demand for a decent living.

He also warned of the widening gap between the rich and the poor in Egypt.

Imam strongly dismissed a "YouTube" statement attributed to him denouncing the legitimacy of popular protests, saying, "I say to the protesters I am with you and in your side".

Amr Khaled, who is considered one of the moderate Islamic televangelists, also expressed his support for the protesters and criticized the government’s decision to disrupt Internet services in Egypt

“How can we claim we are in the way to reform and do not allow the young people to connect and listen to each other," Khaled told Al Arabiya TV in an interview.

Khaled emphasized the role of Egypt’s youth and added, "It was encouraging to see young people guarding Alexandria Library and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. They realized that it was their duty to protect those places and to me they are the real treasure of Egypt."

Another preacher, Sheikh Khalid Abdullah praised the Egyptian people for “keeping calm and restraint and discipline during these difficult days” and praised efforts of Egypt youth who led the demonstrations.

He also praised the armed forces and thanked them for considering the security of the Egyptian people as the most important priority.

How can we claim we are in the way to reform and do not allow the young people to connect and listen to each other

Televangelists Amr Khaled