Muslim Brotherhood fortress new hotbed for protests as Morsi sidelined

Fresh protests in Egypt make light of President Mohamed Morsi’s rule, directing anger towards the Muslim Brotherhood and its leader

Ahram Online

"......The presidential palace was a protest hotspot for several months but it can now make way for the building that lies on a hill which overlooks many parts of Cairo in the same way opposition believes Morsi is outweighed by Badie, who keeps a low profile despite being the subject of constant speculation and murmurs over his actual role in Egypt.

Badie, who was elected as the Brotherhood Supreme Guide in January 2010, one year before the eruption of the revolution which eventually propelled his once-banned group to power, is now under the spotlight more than ever.......


Brotherhood-Morsi relationship

Critics of Islamist movements feared Egypt would turn into an Iran-style hierarchy in which the president is overpowered by a cleric. They believe their fears were realized, at least partly, nine months after Morsi became the country’s first freely elected leader.....

“Morsi is a helpless president who cannot make any decisions. He simply follows the instructions of the Brotherhood Supreme Guide,” well-known writer Alaa El-Aswany, who supported Morsi in last year’s presidential elections but later became one of his staunchest opponents, wrote in his column in Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper.

“Morsi is the one who ruined his relationship with Egyptians … the millions who poured into the streets to celebrate his success in the elections are now calling for an end to the Supreme Guide rule.”......"