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Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood vilifies country's military ahead of planned mass holiday rallies

Associated Press
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In this image released by the Delegation of European Union in Egypt, Egyptian Minister of Defense, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, right, meets with High Representative of the European Union, Catherine Ashton in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013. (AP Photo/Pedro Costa Gomes, Delegation of European Union in Egypt) (The Associated Press)

An Egyptian youth poses for a picture as workers plant greenery in Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013. Egypt's army-backed interim government is sprucing up Cairo's famed Tahrir Square ahead of planned celebrations in honor of the military this weekend. Supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi are also planning counter-rallies in the square, the center for Egypt's recent uprisings against successive leaders, raising the specter of renewed violent confrontations. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) (The Associated Press)

An Egyptian Municipality workers paints a sidewalk in Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013. Egypt's army-backed interim government is sprucing up Cairo's famed Tahrir Square ahead of planned celebrations in honor of the military this weekend. Supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi are also planning counter-rallies in the square, the center for Egypt's recent uprisings against successive leaders, raising the specter of renewed violent confrontations. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) (The Associated Press)

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has sharply criticized the military for ousting the country's Islamist president, comparing its rule to that of Adolf Hitler or Roman emperor Nero.

Thursday's criticism appears designed to whip up support for the Brotherhood and its planned rally on Sunday against the military and its popularly-backed July 3 coup that ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, a longtime leader of the group.

The military's supporters are planning a rival rally on Sunday in central Cairo to mark the start of Egypt's war against Israel in 1973, raising the prospect of violent clashes between the two sides.

The Brotherhood statement came as EU's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, is visiting Cairo in an effort to defuse Egypt's political crisis. She met military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on Thursday.