After the attacks by Muslim Brotherhood members on reporters and media professionals in front of the group’s headquarters in Moqattam, several columnists have expressed their frustration with the group’s intolerance of others’ views and perspectives.
Islam’s morals
Amr Al-Shobaki
Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper
Looking at the background of the Muslim Brotherhood’s structure, Al-Shobaki states that it was expected that their attitude would vastly change after gaining power. The group used to be officially banned but unofficially tolerated, which made them work hard on mobilising people and accumulating popularity within the sphere of ordinary citizens, especially those in rural areas and villages. Using Islam as a shield, members of the Muslim Brotherhood have always claimed to be representatives of the religion through their religious preaching and charity work across the country.
Their strong organisational skills have made them reach out across all social grounds in Egypt. Al-Shobaki, however, condemns how the Brotherhood dramatically changed after reaching authority. Members of the group were seen beating female protesters in front of the guidance bureau office in Moqattam.
They also threatened to kill demonstrators as part of their understanding that whoever is against them is against Islam as a whole. The writer criticises their electronic militias, which are groups assigned to attack certain writers and intellectuals online. Al-Shobaki finally quotes his earlier pieces analysing the group and recalls his expectations about the Brotherood’s change of attitude after long years of oppression.
Teach your supporters to accept the others
Emad Al-Din Hussein
Al-Shorouk newspaper
After Muslim Brotherhood members attacked a number of journalists and media professionals in front of their headquarters in Moqattam, Hussein chides the group for not accepting different viewpoints. He believes that attacks on media denote that the group is totally against the freedom of the press. The Muslim Brotherhood hates the media as long as it attacks them or their ideology and behaviour. They want the media to be supportive of their actions and decisions, whether or not they appeal to the public.
Hussein explores the way through which certain Muslim Brotherhood figures perceive the media to be the Great Satan who must be quashed. The writer believes that probably the entire Islamist current does not understand concepts like freedom of expression.
Therefore, many Islamists look at the sarcastic comic show of Bassem Youssef as against Islam and good morals, rather than believing in constructive criticism. The writer concludes his article by calling upon the Muslim Brotherhood to accept that the coming period will witness free media, criticism of their group and a handful of different opinions than theirs. The era of sealing lips has gone, states Hussein.
