Muslim Brotherhood Joins Egypt Strike

"We are against any tampering with the state institutions, public and private properties and any form of chaos," said Akef.

"The Muslim Brotherhood supports the call for citizens to stay at home on May 4, with the exception of those working in medical and public service institutions, and those who have exams," Supreme leader Mohammed Mahdi Akef said in a statement obtained by IslamOnline.net.

"The Muslim Brotherhood supports peaceful protests calling a solution for crises and deteriorating conditions the Egyptian people are suffering from."

Egyptian activists, grouped on the social networking system Facebook, are calling for a day of protests on May 4 against soaring food prices.

The group now has close to 74,000 members, up from about 60,000 a month ago.

The May 4 strike is also supported by the protest movement Kefaya, which began in 2004 in opposition to a new presidential term for Mubarak or any attempt to install his politician son Gamal as his successor.

Mubarak's current fifth term expires in 2011 and he has not said what he intends to do afterwards.

The prestige of the ruling establishment has been shaken over the past year by an increased number of labor strikes demanding higher wages to face inflation which has hit 14.4 percent in the year to March.

Food prices from dairy goods to cooking oils have also hit record highs.

Peaceful

The Muslim Brotherhood, which controls a fifth of seats in parliament, stressed that the May 4 strike must be peaceful.

"We are against any tampering with the state institutions, public and private properties and any form of chaos," said Akef.

The group, which can mobilize larger crowds than any other opposition force in Egypt, refrained from supporting a similar day of protest was held on April 6.

Three people were killed by police after clashes with demonstrators in the Nile Delta city of Mahalla al-Kubra on that day.

The Muslim Brotherhood denied any link between its decision to join the May 4 and jail sentences slapped against some of its senior members on Tuesday, April 15.

"Certainly not," Mohammed Habib, Akef's deputy, told IOL.

"There are many social and economic crises besetting the country and the government is failing to address them," he explained.

In a session not attended by defense lawyers, international observers or defendants' relatives, a military court sentenced the group's number three Khayrat al-Shater and businessman Hassan Malek for seven years.

It also ordered the confiscation of defendant's business assets.

The Brotherhood has borne the brunt of a government crackdown on many forms of dissent over the past 15 months, and hundreds of members are usually in custody without charge.