The Salafi Dawah organization, based in Alexandria, accused the president’s office of spying on its leaders and bugging their phones on Tuesday following recent tensions.
Dawah Vice President Yasser Borhamy said he received an invitation to visit the United States at the end of this month. Somehow the president’s office found iut about the trip and called Borhamy to find out more about the trip, he said.
“I was surprised that the president’s office called to inquire after which American officials I would meet,” Borhamy said. “We plan to complain to the president about that,” he said, adding that there is no other way officials could have known about the planned visit save spying.
Meanwhile, Tarek al-Sahry, a member of the Nour Party’s supreme body, said his group denounces such practices and said Salafis were likely being targeted now that their relations with the government have soured over the dismissal of a Nour presidential advisor.
Meanwhile, sources speaking on condition of anonymity, said Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi refused to meet with leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, who offered an olive branch this week, claiming the group had no plans to overthrow the minister.
Rumors claiming the opposite had allegedly circulated in local media. “Brotherhood leaders are disappointed that Sisi did not meet them,” said the sources.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
