CAIRO: In an interview published on Saturday, Egypt's democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi said the United States had to change its stance towards the Arab world if it was going to be a true partner in the region. Speaking to The New York Times in Cairo, the interview was an attempt to reveal his persona to the United States after he took power on June 30 in the country's first-ever democratic elections following the ousting of former President Hosni Mubarak in a popular uprising. His ascension to power has left relations with the United States and Egypt on edge, with President Barack Obama saying in a recent interview that the two countries “are not allies, but not enemies,” highlighting the growing rift between Washington and Cairo. American analysts and government officials have been quick to hit on Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood relations – he was a top official in the Islamic group – and conservatives in the US have sought to end aid to Egypt, especially following the anti-American protests that erupted on September 11 over a film that insults and defames Islam. The NY Times reported that Morsi said the US must repair relations with the Arab world and to “revitalize the alliance with Egypt, long a cornerstone of regional stability.” He said that while American officials have urged Egypt to continue to maintain its treaty with Israel, he also said Washington must end its double-standards with Israel and commit itself to Palestinian self-rule, established in the 1979 treaty. After protests across the Islamic world, Morsi called on Washington to be respectful of the history and culture in the region, even if it is not lining up with Western values. He also condemned the US criticism that he did not condemn protesters in Cairo who scaled the US Embassy in Egypt and removed the American flag on September 11. “We took our time" in responding to avoid an explosive backlash, he said, but then dealt “decisively" with the small, violent element among the demonstrators. “We can never condone this kind of violence, but we need to deal with the situation wisely," he said, noting that the embassy employees were never in danger. Morsi also argued that Washington cannot dictate Egyptian policy and must work to be a partner, not an overlord, if they want to maintain the relationship with Cairo. “If you want to judge the performance of the Egyptian people by the standards of German or Chinese or American culture, then there is no room for judgment," he said. “When the Egyptians decide something, probably it is not appropriate for the US. When the Americans decide something, this, of course, is not appropriate for Egypt." Morsi is to be in New York starting Sunday for meetings at the United Nations. His visit is likely to spark a debate in the US, heading toward elections, over the role of Islamic leaders in the Middle East and the US government's decision-making and foreign policy approach.
