Egypt

Wednesday’s papers: Summits and summons

President Mohamed Morsy's speech in front of the Arab Summit in Doha and the aftermath of clashes between protesters and Brotherhood members dominate the headlines of Egypt's newspapers Wednesday.

State-owned Al-Ahram newspaper says "Egypt calls for ending the suffering of the Palestinian and Syrian people," in a headline that reminds readers with former president Hosni Mubarak's remarks in similar occasions, as Morsy extends his support to the people in Yemen and Somalia, and asking for better investment opportunities for Arab states in Egypt.

The story, written by the newspaper's Chief Editor Abdel Nasser Salama, also mentions the remarks of Qatari Prince Hammad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, who called for support for the Egyptian economy, as well as organizing a smaller summit led by Cairo to examine the Palestinian reconciliation process between Fatah and Hamas.

Freedom and Justice, the mouthpiece of the Brotherhood's ruling Freedom and Justice Party, reports that Thani also called for establishing a fund for Jerusalem worth US$1 billion, a quarter of which will be paid by his country.

In a story that never mentioned President Morsy's remarks and focused solely on Thani's remarks, as well as the speech of the head of the Syrian opposition delegation Moaz al-Khatib, the latter is quoted as saying that the Syrian people paid the price of freedom with the souls of 100,000 martyrs, while asking for better support for the Syrian people.

Privately owned Al-Shorouk newspaper reports on the summit's call to arm the Syrian opposition, as well as calling on the international community to acknowledge the Syrian opposition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

Meanwhile, private newspapers focus on the aftermath of the clashes between anti-Brotherhood protesters and members of the Brotherhood in front of the organization's headquarters in Moqattam, as Prosecutor General Talaat Abdallah issued an arrest warrant to a group of renowned activists and journalists, who refused to appear in front of him with the exception of activist Alaa Abdel Fattah.

The privately owned newspaper Al-Watan reports on Fattah's decision to be present in front Abdallah with his white prison shirt, holding his son in his arms, along with his wife "with a smile of struggle on her face".

The newspaper interviews the "heroes of the arrest warrants," including activists Ahmed Douma, Hazem Abdel Azim and Nawara Negm, among others.

Al-Watan quotes Douma as saying that he will lead protests against Abdallah, while Azim says that he will never appear in front of him even if it means "spending my entire life in prison."

Al-Tahrir newspaper says that the judge who issued the arrest warrants for the activists belongs to the "Judges for Egypt" group, which is believed to be affiliated with the Brotherhood, adding that Abdallah neglected similar complaints against Brotherhood members who allegedly attacked journalists and tortured citizens in front of the presidential palace.

The newspaper also reports on the arrest of former MP Hamdy al-Fakharany, who is known for his anti-Brotherhood inclinations, in Beheira Governorate. He is accused of, according to the paper, inciting violence against the Brotherhood’s headquarters in Mahalla.

Freedom and Justice newspaper, in contrast, celebrates the prosecutor general's efforts, adding that 90 of the Brotherhood members who were injured in the clashes were summoned to listen to their testimonies in the events.

The newspaper also reports on the decision of the Cairo Criminal Court to extend the imprisonment of six defendants involved in the case for 15 days.

Al-Shorouk newspaper says in a special report that a meeting to end an alleged rift between President Morsy and Minister of Defense Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took place recently.

The attempt was brokered by a well-known "political and journalistic figure" that was followed by mutual phone calls between the two sides before they appeared together in last Friday's prayers.

Sisi, according to unnamed sources quoted by Al-Shorouk, suggested a "real call for dialogue" with the opposition to end the escalating political deadlock.

The unnamed sources also say that the president admonished Sisi for the army's lack of support to its president, a remark to which Sisi responded that real support should come to assure a worried nation.

"At the same time, sources who spoke to Al-Shorouk whether in the presidency or in security and intelligence circles confirmed that the worst is yet to come," the newspaper says.

Egypt’s papers:

 

Al-Ahram: Daily, state-run, largest distribution in Egypt

 

Al-Akhbar: Daily, state-run, second to Al-Ahram in institutional size

 

Al-Gomhurriya: Daily, state-run

 

Rose al-Youssef: Daily, state-run

 

Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned

 

Al-Shorouk: Daily, privately owned

 

Al-Watan: Daily, privately owned

 

Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal Wafd Party

 

Youm7: Daily, privately owned

 

Al-Tahrir: Daily, privately owned

 

Al-Sabah: Daily, privately owned

 

Freedom and Justice: Daily, published by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party

 

Sawt al-Umma: Weekly, privately owned

 

Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the Nasserist Party

 

Al-Nour: Official paper of the Salafi Nour Party

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