Ever since his election President Morsi has shown a wish to mingle with the public and lead a life removed from the extravaganza of his predecessors. His personal security has, therefore, been of great concern to the Republican Guard responsible for his protection. Morsi is still keen to appear in public places, but his motorcade and army of security men have started to bother the public. A couple of weeks ago, Morsi opted to perform Friday prayers at Sayyeda Zeinab Mosque, which is located in a densely populated suburb of Cairo. The security forces stopped hundreds of worshippers from entering the mosque, while the imam was giving his Friday address about the qualities of a good ruler, who should avoid imposing his power by means of violence and oppression. The anger expressed by the public and quarrels with guards inspecting individuals at the doors of the mosque have given rise to the question as to how much is such heavy security costing the State and to what extent will it isolate Morsi from the public? An elderly woman eloquently summed up the whole issue. She told Morsi while entering Sayyeda Zeinab Mosque that if he was so worried about his security he should pray at home, because he was not the only worshipper in the mosque. Nowadays Morsi's motorcade is causing minor traffic jams, but people wonder whether the old ways are about to return and prevent the citizens from keeping their appointments whenever the President is passing by.
