“Your letter is rejected” is the headline of the state-owned Al-Gomhurriya newspaper in response to the letter that Iranian Supreme Guide Ali Khamenei sent to President Mohamed Morsy inviting Egypt to follow the Iranian model. With widespread fear in Egyptian society of potential Iranian influence over Egypt’s government that was heightened by Morsy’s recent visit to Iran, the big red letters used in the headline seem about right.
According to the paper Khamenei told Morsy in a 1200-word letter that Iran has become one of the most advanced countries in the world under Islamic rule. He urged Morsy to ignore international pressure and calls for the separation of religion and politics and told him that Iranian thinkers would be able to help him make Egypt an Islamic society.
The official response to the letter in the paper came from Presidential Spokesperson Yasser Ali, who said that Egypt would only follow its own model, derived from popular will. The paper also publishes rejections from the Muslim Brotherhood, opposition members and Islamic scholars.
In reaction to the letter, the paper publishes rejections from the Muslim Brotherhood, the opposition and Islamic scholars.
The president’s rapid rejection of the letter seems necessary, as privately owned Al-Shorouk newspaper writes that Western diplomats foresee a bleak future for Egypt, ultimately predicting that the country may reach out to Iran for help.
Four anonymous Western diplomats told the paper that Egypt’s economic situation is deteriorating to a crisis point. Al-Shorouk derives four stages from the diplomats’ analysis, which start with a hunger uprising, followed weakened Egyptian borders which lead to an increase in weapons smuggling before Egypt finally reaches out to Iran for economic support.
According to Al-Shorouk, the presidency says that the letter had been another effort to improve relations between Egypt and Iran and that the president is dealing with it according to national security criteria, adding that it would be impossible to implement the Iranian model in Egypt.
Freedom and Justice newspaper skips the news about the Iranian letter and sticks to its daily routine of numbering the government’s achievements. On the front page, the paper announces that the government will provide 200,000 apartments with easy payment options for youth.
Opposition papers focus more on the protest movements in the street.
According to privately owned Al-Watan newspaper, Morsy was able to return to the presidential palace yesterday after its walls were damaged during clashes Friday. The paper also reports protests at Public Prosecution offices and in Port Said, where another person died from injuries suffered during recent violence that broke out in the canal city, leading to calls for civil disobedience.
Al-Watan also continues attempting to prove the existence of a hit list against opposition figures.
The paper alleges that the Brotherhood is attempting to destroy evidence of the hit list, which the paper publishes, adding that it was found with the terrorist cell that was arrested in Nasr City and contains the names of 100 opposition figures.
The paper alleges that Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed al-Beltagy is leading efforts to conceal the document.
The paper goes further, announcing, “The attempts have begun” and reporting that two gunmen attacked a National Salvation Front conference in Suez. Though there is no evidence tying the gunmen to the ruling government or any Islamist groups, the paper considers it an assassination attempt, proving its reports about the hit list.
Egypt’s papers:
Al-Ahram: Daily, state-run, largest distribution in Egypt
Al-Akhbar: Daily, state-run, second to Al-Ahram in institutional size
Al-Gomhurriya: Daily, state-run
Rose al-Youssef: Daily, state-run
Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned
Al-Shorouk: Daily, privately owned
Al-Watan: Daily, privately owned
Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal Wafd Party
Youm7: Daily, privately owned
Al-Tahrir: Daily, privately owned
Al-Sabah: Daily, privately owned
Freedom and Justice: Daily, published by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party
Sawt al-Umma: Weekly, privately owned
Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the Nasserist Party
Al-Nour: Official paper of the Salafi Nour Party
