The Muslim Brotherhood’s Guidance Bureau issued strict orders to its administrative offices and the Freedom and Justice Party’s secretariats to adopt the necessary security measures to protect Brotherhood headquarters on 25 January.

MB members should be prepared for attacks from opposition parties, but should exercise restraint, the bureau cautioned.

Sources within the group told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the bureau first issued orders to leave security matters to the police, but then determined that the risk of attacks on MB offices and headquarters was such that Brotherhood members should be prepared to act.

Brotherhood officials in each governorate have the freedom to decide whether youth members should stay on the premises or not on Friday.  

Sources said that certain forces who are trying to jeapordize the country’s stability would try to incite the Brotherhood to violence.

Freedom and Justice Party head Saad al-Katatny called on party members to exercise restraint, even if their offices are besieged, in order to protect Egyptian lives.

He instructed party members to stay within vital headquarters around the clock, including in Manial, Giza and Alexandria.

Osama Soleiman, a member of the guidance bureau, said the group is keen to keep the 25th peaceful, and that opposition protests must steer away from violence and sabotage, so as not to destroy state institutions.

The Brotherhood is not worried about the demonstrations, Soleiman told Al-Masry Al-Youm, but warned followers of the former regime not to hide among demonstrators and carry out acts of sabotage that could lead to violence and further divide Islamists and liberals.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm