Two Versions of Morsi's Friday Prayer

From MEI Editor's Blog Sat Dec 1 2012, 01:11:00

President Morsi had a curious experience at Friday Prayer today, though there are varying accounts of what precisely occurred. The state-run Ahram Online says only this:

The president had to intervene to contain the anger of some worshippers during Friday prayers in an upscale district of Cairo, when the mosque's preacher dedicated his sermon to defending Morsi's latest decisions. "My dear brother, the one who is angry, please come and explain to me why you are angry. It's your right and it's my duty [to explain]," Morsi said in the mosque, drawing applause from worshippers. "After prayers, we will talk for a few minutes," the president said. "I hope you will all listen." So the President conciliated some dissidents gathered for Friday prayer. The story the Egypt Independent tells is much more confrontational:

Worshippers at Hassan al-Sharbatly Mosque in New Cairo protested against President Mohamed Morsy while he was attending prayers there Friday, when the imam of the mosque tried to justify the president's recent decisions.

"Prophet Mohamed and the Caliphs used to dismiss and appoint judges, and there is no problem with Morsy doing that," the imam said, according to an eyewitness. The imam was referring to Morsy's dismissal of the prosecutor general, which was deemed a staggering interference of the president in judicial matters.

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