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Egyptian Islamist reaches out

May 30, 2012

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood presidential candidate has sought to reassure women and Christians they have nothing to fear from moderate Islamism. Mohammed Morsi promised to govern in an inclusive way. Some are skeptical.

https://p.dw.com/p/154Cy
A supporter of Mohamed Mursi, the head of the Muslim Brotherhood's political party and the Brotherhood's presidential candidate, holds a flyer of Mursi
Image: Reuters

Morsi also appeared to be reaching out to revolutionaries in his press conference on Tuesday, saying that he would break decisively with the ways of former President Hosni Mubarak.

"When I am president, the presidency will not be reduced to one person," he said."The age of superman has failed and gone. The world is no longer like that. I am not like that."

He said that Christians would be placed in top government jobs and that no Islamic dress code in public for women would be imposed.

"Our Christian brothers, they are partners in the nation. They will have full rights that are equal to those enjoyed by Muslims," Morsi said. He added that women would have full rights in employment education.

Protesters vent frustration

Some 1,000 protesters gathered in Tahrir Square to voice frustration after the top two candidates who will contest the next round of voting were announced on Monday. Morsi will take on former premier under Mubarak, Ahmed Shafiq, in the runoff on June 16th and June 17th.

Shafiq's offices were attacked by protesters angry about his part in Mubarak's government late on Monday.

The Muslim Brotherhood leader has been keen to extend his support base ahead of the poll, presenting himself as the candidate for change. However, not everyone is convinced.

Supporters of Egyptian presidential candidate and former prime minister Ahmed Shafiq shout slogans after protesters set fire to his campaign headquarters
There were protests in response to the announcement that Shafiq had also made the runoffImage: Reuters

"It is his right to make propaganda for himself just as I have the right to listen to his words with one ear and let them out from the next," Girgis Atef, a veteran of the uprising that toppled Mubarak, told the AP news agency.

Mursi won 24.8 percent of the votes in the first round of presidential voting, slightly ahead of Shafiq's 23.7 percent.

Leftist candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi, popular with a large swathe of revolutionaries, was eliminated from the contest after he came third with 20.7 percent.

rc/av (AP, AFP)