Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh, secretary general of the Arab Doctors Union and formerly a leading Muslim Brotherhood member, has said his decision to run in Egypt's presidential election is independent of the Brotherhood. He said he is confident that some Copts will vote for him. In an interview with BBC Arabic to be broadcast this evening, Abouel Fotouh also said he aims to increase the annual number of tourists who visit Egypt to 200 million within five to ten years, compared to the 4 million who currently visit Egypt per year. He added that he does not intend to restrict tourists' freedom, saying that Islam does not prohibit non-Muslims from drinking alcohol. He said he will ensure that Egypt has a genuine parliament, and that creativity and freedom of expression will only be censored by the judiciary. Abouel Fotouh accused the former regime of persecuting all Egyptians over the past 30 years, including Copts and members of the Muslim Brotherhood. The 25 January revolution has put an end to this, he said, and “no Egyptian will now be oppressed.” He emphasized the importance of moderate Muslims' role in the forthcoming period in protecting moderate Islam and citizens' rights. Commenting on the Camp David Accords with Israel, Abouel Fotouh said it is being given excessive attention and the future of Egypt does not depend on it. Translated from the Arabic Edition
