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Suhaib Salem / Reuters
A man reads a newspaper featuring Muslim Brotherhood presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq outside his shop in Cairo on Wednesday.
CAIRO – With Egypt ready to go to the polls this weekend in the presidential run-off election – swords are being drawn between the Islamic Muslim Brotherhood’s political party and remnants of the old regime.
On Thursday, judges appointed by former President Hosni Mubarak dissolved the Islamist-dominated parliament and ruled that Mubarak's former prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, can stand in the presidential runoff this weekend.
Prior to the dramatic court ruling – described as a military coup by some commentators – the Egyptian media took to the airwaves to blast the Muslim Brotherhood’s presidential candidate, Mohamed Mursi, raising questions about whether he was even fit to serve as president if he won the election.
Brain tumors, seizures, Hep C?
The popular Egyptian talk show, NassBook, on the Rotana satellite channel, disclosed what it claimed were private medical records from the United States and Egypt. The show asserted the records proved that Mursi had had operations to remove benign brain tumors, which could cause him to suffer from seizures as a result, and is afflicted with Hepatitis C.
Investigative reporter, Adel Hamoud, and talk show host, Hala Sarhan, displayed what they said was a pharmacy receipt showing that Mursi had purchased prescription medicine in the United States to treat Hepatitis C for 48 weeks.
Dismay in Egypt as court orders newly-elected parliament to be dissolved
Daniel Berehulak / Getty Images
A protestor stands on a barricade of barbed wire as Egyptian military police stand guard during a protest against presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq outside the Supreme Constitutional Court on Thursday.
They also showed what they claimed was a request from Mursi for medical assistance from an Egyptian university for the equivalent of roughly $42,000. The TV presenters maintained that the amount requested by Mursi indicated he needed major surgery.
A separate newspaper report also alleged that Mursi had two operations to remove benign tumors in 1985 and 2008 in the U.S. and London, respectively.
Mursi’s media relations person, Dr. Murad Ali, called in to the talk show to defend the candidate, pointing to Mursi’s ability to take part in a punishing campaign schedule as proof that the candidate is in good health. Ali repeatedly refused to answer pointed questions about previous brain surgeries.
Photo blog: Egypt court rules Shafik can run in presidential election
‘Spare has a flat’
Whether the late breaking reports of ill health will sway undecided voters is still uncertain. Mursi’s bedrock supporters would vote for him “if he were a body in a coffin,” said one political observer. But others might be influenced by his alleged ill health.
“The spare has a flat,” quipped one voter. Egyptians jokingly refer to Mursi as “the spare” after he replaced Khairat El Shater as the Muslim Brotherhood candidate. El Shater was disqualified days before the first round of voting because he was recently imprisoned under the Mubarak regime.
Other stories in Thursday’s independent newspapers could discourage voters who are already lukewarm on Mursi.
The Shurouk newspaper’s headline promised “Details of the Secret Meetings Between the Brotherhood and the Military before the Elections.” The Al Dustour newspaper asked “Will Egypt become like Tunis??!!! The Brotherhood Rule Tunisia….and the people can’t remove them [from power].” And the Wafd paper warned its readers that “The Brotherhood will lead Egypt toward a Military Coup.”
Many here are considering voting for Mursi as the lesser of two evils. They view a vote for former Prime Minister Shafiq as a vote for the old disgraced regime.
In a hard-fought race between two candidates who were neck and neck in the first round of elections, each vote counts and the last thing any candidate wants at this point is negative press.
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If Egypt wants a religious leader, so be it!... If they want draconian islamic laws, so be it!.... They can just forget about tourist dollars... SO BE IT!
Looks like the Muslim Brotherhood is taking over in Egypt.... I really don't feel like being beheaded so I guess I won't be seeing the pyramids any time soon. Most of us saw this coming months ago, the Islamists always make the most noise and intimidate people into voting for them....Gee what a surprise.
Maybe not. it would appear things are opposite over there from where they are here. There, the media seems to prefer to err on the side of right. Here, they err on the side of evil and wrong. So, there seems to be hope for Egypt after all. They may be "mildly suppressed" under the "old style rule" (if that holds), but better to be suppressed than be exterminated, raped, tortured, and/or relocated.
If Mursi (a front cover for the most backward looking and bigoted Sunni Islamic religious Nazis, MB) is voted to power, it will be very bad Egyptians.
It will be slow and torturous march towards to the seventh century desert tribal days.
We will shortly learn whether getting rid of Mubarak was a wise move. If the Muslim Brotherhood takes control we'll have a far worse problem to deal with, and a war with Israel is also likely to ensue.
the military has little to no interest in war with isreal just to satisfy the brotherhood. Its a lose/lose for them (militarily and financially). Egypt isn't the US where the military would automatically obey the civilian gov't.
No, they may not be foolish enough at this point to initiate war with Israel, but the problem is they ARE motivated and driven to work towards the destruction of Israel and other western/Christian nations. They are a patient lot, and we and others will be dealing with their $hit and irrational behavior for many many generations and at some point, they WILL wake up on the wrong side of the bed, or get drunk, or scrape up enough support and beer muscles, AND do something stupid.
Every nation, little, medium, or otherwise they assume control of puts them one step closer to where they want to be and makes global security and a reliable oil market that much closer to being difficult to maintain. Today Egypt, tomorrow Sudan, the next day Libya, then Chad, then ...
If Musri wins then it will be quite bad for Israel and he will be a good match for Netanyahos!
Egypt's military has been in control since the King was deposed. Naguib was military, Nasser was military, Saddat was military, Mubarak was military, they are in control now. For eight days after the assassination of Saddat was the government in control of a civilian. Egypt's military has no thirst for war with Israel. Most of Egypt's foreign aid from the US is military supplies and food. War with Israel would mean a end to that. A radical Muslim government means no tourists and a big hit in foreign aid. Iran's elite supported the clerics. Egypt's do not.
Looks like Obamas friends, the Muslim Brotherhood are about to be put back in their place! Unfortunately. I can see fighting, death, destruction, much along the lines of Syria coming to Egypt. The Military stepping in is a positive step.
However, none of this would have been necessary had Barack Hussein Obama not sided with radicals and extremists within the Muslim Religion. BHO's pulled the rug out from under President Mubarak. As a result of his actions, the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) is now stronger than it has ever been in over 50 years.
BHO's siding with extremists also provided a strong boost for radicals to try the same thing through out the Middle-East. On the down side to this, Muslim countries that accepted us, no longer trust Americans intentions. As an example: Saudi Arabia (SA) is now looking to Russia & China for foreign support because SA knows Americas schizophrenic foreign policy could hurt it. In fact, SA gave millions to the MB, in order to insure other even more extremist organizations did not take over. This action also proves that SA does not want Democracy any where near it. Just 3 years ago BHO was bowed (Kow tow) to the King of SA. Today, SA is keeping BHO at arms length.
The so-called Arab Spring has been going on for well over a year now. Only 3 entities have clearly benefited from what is really a Arab-Obama Winter. They are:
The #1 winner is the Muslim Brotherhood. They have been around for 50 or so years but have never been as big or had as much influence as they have now. The MB has grown in at least 7 countries since this "false freedom" movement started.
The #2 winner is Iran. Iran has re-established ties with Egypt. Became the dominate foreign political power in Iraq. Increased it's influence in Afghanistan. Now has a land route to deliver weapons to Hezbollah (through Iraq & Syria). And, is meddling in Yemen, Bahrain, Qatar, etc.
The #3 winner is Hamas. Egypt is now looking the other way mostly when "supplies" slip over the border into Gaza. Iran, via Egypt, is arming Hamas as well.
A big question people and the media should be asking is why Obama helped create this mess in the first place. But, then we know themeida will never admit Obamas part of the Arab-Winter.
Egypt is screwed. We turned on a long time ally, leaving our enemy stronger. Our other allies will never trust us again.
"Egyptian media took to the airwaves to blast the Muslim Brotherhood’s presidential candidate, Mohamed Mursi,"
MB has picked the right the candidate for their march towards Sharia Laws and Islamic state.
Mursi needs surgeries in the US, Britain and even prescriptions for medications in the US!
Anyhow most of MB members are mental cases fit (special type of Islamic religious cases) to be in mental hospitals. Let us name them as Sharia Law hospitals!
Time4apurge - Your attempt to link President Obama to the mishaps now taking place in the Middle East is misguided and incorrect. First - the Arab Spring is due to Middle Eastern Leaders oppressing their populations for decades and investing national wealth into the greedy hands of a few - mostly Royalty, Military, and religious Zealots at the expense of the people. These well funded and in some cases oil rich leaders have abused and betrayed the people's trust and therefore deserves to be opposed and replaced. As to who will replace them, ultimately that is up to the middle eastern people - NOT PRESIDENT OBAMA. The US most allow these countries the path to self-determination. In the past the US has propped up despots which has contributed to the mistrust felt by most arab people. This mistrust of US policy has pushed the arab people into the camps of radicals. Hopefully the US will not make the same mistake this time.
Yes much better that we cement our reputation that we cannot be trusted as allies with Obama as President because he will turn on you if he thinks it will help him get elected. Nothing better to have a reputation as untrustworthy. Nothing better than making sure other countries are ruled by religious maniacs who want to destroy us. Never blame Obama for anything because that makes you a racist. A religious fascist is better than other types of fascists according to this post.
Jeff, Your need to politicize these events blurs the underlying point of this article - which is not Obama but the struggles of the Arab people and there quest to find freedom and democracy. From our own US history we can see that achieving freedom and democracy is a messy and bloody business and may take decades to accomplish. Obama's influence in these affairs are limited - He is not God. At this time the best thing for him to do is stay on the side of the Arab people because in the end the Arab people's self determination and drive will win the day!
Correction: Ahmad Shafiq, the man in the newspaper picture, is not the Moslem Brotherhood candidate. He is the opponent of the Islamic candidate.
Muslims and democracy-- kind of like dogs and a Ferrari.
But lets look at the bright side. They can piss on the tires.