Cairo’s pope slams Morsi
April 10 2013 at 11:24am
Cairo - Egypt’s Coptic Christian pope delivered an unprecedented direct criticism of the Islamist president on Tuesday after a mob attack on the church's main cathedral, saying he had failed to protect the building and warning that the country is collapsing.
The comments by Pope Tawadros II and the cathedral attack itself illustrate a new reality in Egypt, where institutions long seen as above the fray are being dragged into the country's intense polarisation and political violence.
Egypt has become increasingly divided between two camps, with President Mohammed Morsi and Islamist allies on one side and an opposition made up of moderate Muslims, Christians and liberals on the other, a schism essentially over the country's political future after decades of dictatorship. Opponents accuse Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood of seeking to monopolise power, while Morsi's allies say the opposition is trying to destabilise the country to derail the elected leadership.
Traditionally, a number of state icons were considered untouchable politically - nationalist pillars vital for the state's stability and so too important to be criticised or mired in disputes. But one by one, they have been sucked into the country's divisions, whether under pressure to take sides or outright plunged into controversy.
http://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/cairo-s-pope-slams-morsi-1.1498114
