Muslim Brotherhood urges peace during protests

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CAIRO, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood said Friday it called on Egyptian citizens to express themselves peacefully given recent uprisings in the Middle East.

Protests this week erupted across much of the Middle East as pent-up frustration boiled over in response to a short film produced in the United States deemed insulting to the Prophet Mohammed.

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, in a statement from Italy, said the anger directed at the United States isn't doing much to address regional issues.

"These irresponsible actions (are) no good and draw attention away from real problems like the conflict in Syria, the fate of the Palestinians and the lack of stability in the Middle East," he was quoted by the official State Information Service as saying.

The Muslim Brotherhood, in a statement posted on its official news site Ikhwanweb, called on demonstrators to protest in a civilized and peaceful manner.

The Muslim Brotherhood said Muslims have "every right" to condemn the controversial film through peaceful and legal means but stressed that it rejected a violent response.

The Egyptian Independent newspaper said the Muslim Brotherhood organized several rallies in Egypt. It reported clashes between security forces and police near the grounds of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo.

At least 224 people were treated for minor injuries during the demonstrations this week, the report adds.