Is President Morsi the new Grand Ayatolla of Egypt?
With supporters of the Egyptian President shouting, “Defending Morsi is defending Islam.”, during a recent clash with opposition activists, one must wonder if Mohamed Morsi is becoming Egypt’s new religious dictator.
On November 22, 2012, President Morsi granted himself sweeping powers that preempted the judicial branch from questioning his executive orders. This was fairly out of character for a man that was just democratically elected back in June.
The Muslim Brotherhood party, under which Morsi was elected, was able to draft a new constitution that is purported to be heavily slanted toward sharia law. If the constitution is approved by a popular vote and President Morsi decides not to give up newly decreed immunity from legal challenges, he may install himself as President for life.
Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s previous President for life, was more of a secular dictator. President Morsi’s has openly supported a return to Islamist law that will firmly bring religion and state hand in hand. The recent protests over his decree and draft constitution prompted at least three of his advisers to resign.
What is odd is how quiet the military has been with all the political drama. Early in July President Morsi re-convened the primarily Islamist dominated parliament after the military had disbanded it. Did Morsi cut a deal with the military to let him rule an Islam center government while the military is left alone?
With President Morsi being so new in the Presidency and the unprecedented political upheaval Egypt has gone through it is hard to predict what will happen next. But if the current political trajectory persists, Egypt is transforming into a religiously centered state like Iran where Morsi is both President Ahmadinejad and Grand Ayatollah all rolled into one.