Mohamed Badie, the supreme guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, denied on Friday verbally attacking the army and its command in his weekly address to the group on Thursday. He added that such allegations represent a conspiracy to harm the good relations between the two parties.
The address, which was posted on the group's Facebook page, was followed by media coverage denouncing it for implying criticism of the army. Moreover, Samir Sabry, a lawyer, filed a case against the supreme guide at the Military Prosecution, accusing him of attacking the army by calling its leadership "corrupt" and saying that the Egyptian people are in need of wise leadership.
In a clarifying statement, Badie wrote, "The part of my address that tackled Egypt, its people and its political leadership throughout history did not touch upon the military leadership in any form. The text of my address reads, 'The Prophet, peace be upon him, describes the people of Egypt as the best soldiers on earth, as in they are obedient soldiers, in need of leadership, and when the leadership was corrupt, these soldiers followed it, and that's why there is a need for a wise readership as well as raising the soldiers' awareness.'"
"There is some desperate attempt by some losers to reproduce the old regime," Badie continued, "and that's why they interpret our texts as they please and use them in the media to create rifts. But this won't work with the Egyptian people, and at the heart of them, the great army of Egypt, which we appreciate and which role in protecting Egypt and its revolution throughout history we will never forget."
Observers believe that the army is not playing a role in the current polarization between Islamist and secular forces over the constitution, since the current draft preserves its privileges and neutralizes its position, especially with regard to preserving military prosecution and the confidentiality of its budget.
