CAIRO: Khairat al-Shater, the Presidential hopeful, described the ruling issued by the Cairo Administrative Court on Wednesday concerning the nationality of his mother as “a victory for the credibility of Islamists.” It should be noted that candidates are not eligible to run for president if their relatives or parents have ever held any nationality other than Egyptian, including dual citizenship. Abu Ismail's lawyer said that the ruling, which appears to confirm his mother was Egyptian, was a “historic victory.” However, it does not rule out the possibility that other authorities besides the Interior Ministry could have evidence that his mother held US citizenship, or prove she did not. Moreover, El- Shater accused the media of “systematic shelling” of the Muslim Brotherhood and of “blowing some of the statements given by some of the group's leaders out of proportion.” On the other hand, and regarding the candidacy of former Vice President Omar Suleiman, El- Shater said it is a sign that the people have only removed the head of the regime, while the rest of its body remains. Regarding recent statements by independent MP Amr Hamzawy describing Shater's candidacy as “an unsuccessful political move” for the Brotherhood, Shater told Bikyamasr.com that the comments were normal, as Hamzawy is a liberal who is naturally opposed to the candidacy of a Brotherhood member. Addressing those who demand that he resign from the Brotherhood after being nominated, Shater said, “Was any American president asked by his voters to leave the party that he belongs to?” It should be mentioned that El-shater is the Brotherhood's key financier. He joined the Muslim Brotherhood in 1981 after years as a student activist and was promoted to its guidance bureau in 1995.
