Egyptians in Hamilton say they're deeply concerned about the unrest in their home country, after the north African state's military deposed president Mohamed Morsi and announced plans for a new set of elections.
Mohamed Naser, an Egyptian-born engineering professor at McMaster University who came to Canada in 2005, said he opposes the military's seizure of power and worries it will lead to further violence.
"I don't agree with what's going on," said Naser, who is from Cairo, the Egyptian capital. "I believe that we should keep the president. Everything is illegal with it actually."
The coup, Naser said, is not democratic. He believes Egyptians who wanted a new president should have waited for Morsi to step down of his own volition or vote him out at the ballot box.
Related: Egypt's President Morsi ousted in coupMorsi was elected to the presidency in a runoff vote in June 2012, in the wake of a revolution that forced Hosni Mubarak, who had held the post for nearly 30 years, from office.
A stalwart of the Muslim Brotherhood, a party that has long advocated for a greater role for Islam in the governance of Egypt, Morsi came to power promising democratic reforms, including a new constitution and regular, fair elections.
'Mad action'
The revolutionary tide that carried Morsi into office quickly turned against him. Millions of protesters — decrying rising unemployment and crime and also fears that Morsi had turned his back on his promise for open, democratic government — took to the streets on June 30 to demand the president's resignation.
'I like that Morsi's not the president, but I don't like the way it happened.'—Omar Zeitoun, McMaster grad student
Then, on Wednesday, the military ousted Morsi, after giving him a 48-hour ultimatum to yield to the protesters' demands.
"It's a mad action," said Naser of the coup. He said he's worried it will lead to more severe violence and unrest.
"What I'm guessing will happen is that people will go in the streets and continue to the revolution," he said. "But I hoping that there is not a lot of blood. . . .I don't want to see it go to a scenario like Syria or Libya."
Omar Zeitoun, a graduate engineering student at McMaster, also objected to the military's actions.
"I like that Morsi's not the president, but I don't like the way it happened," said Zeitoun, who was born in the seaside city of Alexandria.
"Eighty per cent" of his Egyptian friends are "happy" that Morsi has been stripped of power, but many, he said, are also uncomfortable with how his departure came about.
Zeitoun, as well as Naser, supported Morsi in the 2012 runoff, but both said they would vote for another candidate if elections were held today.
However, Zeitoun said he isn't convinced the military, which comprised a key component of Mubarak's power base, is the best group to oversee a transition in leadership.
"I'm not sure that's it's better for the army to tell us what to do."
Zeitoun said he has been in contact with family members in Alexandria since the coup. They were OK and expected to be relatively safe from violent protests that could result from the coup, he said.
"It's never as bad as it is in Cairo. It's never the main site where people protest in the streets."
'Writing on the wall'
Atif Kubursi, a professor emeritus of economics at McMaster, returned from a 10-day trip to Egypt on June 20. He was in Cairo to meet with members with the board of an economic research group upon which he sits.
"The writing was on the wall" for Morsi's government, Kurbursi said, noting the country was in the midst of "the worst economic recession it's ever had."
Related: Egypt on edge: key players, flashpoints, developmentsBetween 2009 and 2010, he said, citing statistics from a recent talk he delivered on the Egyptian economy, unemployment rose from nine per cent to 12.5 per cent, with young people making up the vast majority of those out of work.
Moreover, Kurbursi said, the country was dealing with constant power outages and increasing water shortages, who is of Lebanese origin.
"I have to tell you how widespread the disenchantment was and the incompetency that the people have felt."
Morsi's removal, Kubursi said, was probably necessary, adding "if we left it to the streets, it would have been a bloodbath."
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