CAIRO: President Mohamed Morsi on Friday urged Egyptians to overcome the usual lethargy associated with the fasting month of Ramadan and keep up “work and production.” Morsi, who was sworn in last month as Egypt's first elected civilian president, attended Friday prayer at a mosque in his hometown of Zagazig in the Nile Delta to greetings of “Blessed Ramazan, doctor!” from several worshippers. As soon as the prayer was over, he took the microphone to make what appeared to be an impromptu speech.

“Blessed Ramazan to you all,” Morsi told attendants who scrambled to capture the moment on their mobile phones, in scenes shown live on state television.

“Ramazan is a month of fasting and worship... and it is also a month of work and production,” Morsi said, repeatedly calling on Egyptians to “keep working.”—AFP