Morsi connects with his party's enemy

Egyptian Islamist intellectuals criticised President Morsi for his meeting with some of Egypt's intellectuals and artists. A number of Egyptian Islamist intellectuals criticised President Mohammed Morsi for his meeting on Thursday with some of Egypt's intellectuals and artists. A statement signed by some Islamist intellectuals and academic figures said on Saturday: "President Morsi met with some artists and intellectuals who all belong to the leftist and secular streams, while he didn't invite any of Egypt's Islamist intellectuals to the meeting, despite the fact that the Islamists have made great efforts for both their religion and their country. They have also contributed a lot in paving the way for Morsi to reach his position."
The statement signatories said: “This meeting was a sign that Morsi gave his attention only to those who used to criticise his party (the Muslim Brotherhood).”
They also called for sacking the Culture Minister who is believed to be the one who was responsible for preparing the invitation list, branding him as "anti-Islamist".
The statement pointed out certain names amongst the attendees, and granted them a special mention.
"Those who named the attendees must be held accountable, especially when we know that one of the attendees was the Egyptian journalist Iqbal Baraka, who is known for her criticism on the Hijab, along with the poet Ahmed Abdelmoeti Higazi, who was defending the teaching of painting women naked and was always accusing the President of trying to ‘Brotherhoodise’ the state, and finally the actor Adel Imam who used to make fun of the Islamists and Islam itself."
The signatories said they were shocked by Morsi's praise to some of the art works of the attendees, which they see as being prohibited in Islam.
The statement compared Morsi's meeting with the Egyptian artists and intellectuals with meetings the ousted President Hosni Mubarak used to have with them, saying that overlooking the Islamists was a clearly noticeable common factor between Morsi's and Mubarak's meetings.
Amongst the signatories was Dr Zeinab Abdelaziz Professor of History of Civilisations, Dr Helmi al-Qaoud Professor of Literature, Ibrahim Mohammed Awad Professor of Literature, Mohammed Abbas Islamist Theorist, Gamal Sultan Editor-in-Chief of the al-Misryoun Newspaper and Khaled Harbi Director of the Islamist Watch in Egypt.