Islamists in Egypt are divided over the presidential bid of outgoing Defence Minister Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, with the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters deploring it and calling for mass protests, while pro-army Islamists like the Salafists giving a warm welcome to the long-anticipated announcement. "I am here before you humbly stating my intention to run for the presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt," al-Sisi said in a televised statement, still dressed in military fatigues. "Only your support will grant me this great honour." "If I am granted the honour of the leadership," al-Sisi said, "I promise that we together – leadership and people – can achieve stability, safety and hope for Egypt." On 27 March, only one day after Al-Sisi made his announcement, the Muslim Brotherhood issued a statement voicing its rejection of Al-Sisi's presidential bid, echoing claims that this proves that Al-Sisi has orchestrated a "coup" against deposed president Mohammad Morsi in July last year. "Now, the illusion has been pierced, all hidden secrets revealed. It has become evident that what happened on 3 July 2013 was indeed a full-fledged military coup d'état," the statement said. "Paradoxically, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces' main mission is to protect, not rule, the country," the statement said. "However, it absurdly authorizes its chief, the coup leader, to run for president, so the military should consolidate its power and dominate political life in Egypt. The military is supposed to keep away from politics altogether," it added. The Brotherhood urged civil movements and parties to "wake up to the truth and face up to the coup". London-based Muslim Brotherhood leader Ibrahim Munir said that "there will be no stability or security if Al-Sisi wins elections." In the meantime, the pro-Brotherhood National Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy (NASL) called for rallies to protest Al-Sisi's presidential bid. "The fake mask fell off the face of the coup's leader after he had said he will run for presidency," the alliance said on its Facebook page. The Islamist alliance, which backs former president Morsi, has been calling for demonstrations on a weekly basis to protest what they called the "coup against legitimacy", in reference to Morsi's removal from power. Soon after Morsi's ouster, the military-backed interim government cracked down harshly on the Muslim Brotherhood, arresting many of its members. Despite criticism by human rights groups over its crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood, the government did not decelerate its suppression of the Islamist movement. Other Islamist parties also voiced their rejection of Al-Sisi's presidential bid. Egypt Strong Party, chaired by former presidential candidate and resigned Muslim Brotherhood senior member Abdel-Mun'im Abu-al-Futuh, issued a statement saying that Al-Sisi's announcement made it clear that "3 July [2013] was a coup against the will of the people." The statement further said that "Egypt does not need a saviour but it needs justice, freedom, dignity, pride and real independence". For its part, the Building and Development Party, the political arm of the Islamic Group, said on its Facebook page that "it is now obvious that the coup against the president [Morsi] did not seek to end division and that it sought power." On Twitter, director of the Islamic Party's media office Muhammad Hassan Hammad said: "The liar [in reference to Al-Sisi] makes his candidacy announcement while his hands are stained with martyrs' blood and fangs dripping from the flesh of the tortured." On the other hand, some pro-military Islamist parties and movements expressed their support of Al-Sisi's step. On top of these parties was Salafist Al-Nour Party, whose spokesperson Nadir Bakkar said on his Facebook page: "We welcome Field Marshal Al-Sisi as a patriotic, civilian candidate." The party's secretary-general Jalal al-Murra said that Al-Sisi was "an honourable Egyptian citizen," and that Al-Nour Party supported his presidential bid "amid the difficult situation experienced in the country." Al-Murra urged Egyptians to cooperate with each other in order to "get out of this quagmire and for Egypt to return to its national, regional and international position." Al-Nour Party has been subjected to criticism by some Islamists for backing the army's ouster of president Morsi in July and the constitution drafted by pro-military panel in January. The Salafist Call movement also welcomed Al-Sisi's move. On his Facebook page, the movement's member Sa'id Abdel-Fattah recounted a decision by the movement's sheikhs to support Al-Sisi, saying the decision was "the wisest, best, and most worthy." Renowned Al-Azhar preacher Mazhar Shahin hailed Al-Sisi's step, saying it was the most important event. "Field Marshal Al-Sisi's presidential bid has been the most important event since the deposing of Morsi and the Brotherhood; the people's rally behind him is the only guarantee for the stability of Egypt and the Arab region; and his success is an affirmation of the success of the 30 June revolution in ousting the Brotherhood regime," Shahin said on his Facebook page. "We, all, support Al-Sisi so as to achieve the goals of the January and June [revolutions] and purge Egypt from terrorism and terrorists," he added. Al-Sisi is widely expected to win any presidential election by a landslide, as many see him as the only candidate with the authority to control a country wracked by three years of post-revolutionary turmoil. To many, Sisi represents a bulwark against Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.
