Interview: Press freedom in Egypt not jeopardized: presidential advisor

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Interview: Press freedom in Egypt not jeopardized: presidential advisor

By Marwa Yahya (Xinhua) 08:42, September 05, 2013

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CAIRO, Sept. 4 -- Egypt's presidential advisor denies Wednesday that the freedom of press in the country was jeopardized as claimed by some rights groups amid the closure of some media outlets after Morsi Mohamed was removed from presidency.

"New Egypt is supporting freedom of media and speech, but closure of TV channels is governed by the law," Sekina Fouad, who is also a writer at state-run Ahram newspaper, told Xinhua.

"The freedom of expression is an important pillar of the society we are building, but words aimed at spreading lies and impairing chances of reconciliation are totally rejected," Fouad said.

Converting media outlets into a tool for deepening division and differences as well as inciting violence and hatred is also rejected, she reiterated.

Recently, some rights groups say the climate for local and foreign journalists to report in Egypt has deteriorated sharply since Morsi was ousted by the army on July 3, pointing out that several Islamist networks have gone off air.

Most notably, a Cairo court on Tuesday ordered to take the Al- Jazeera Mubasher Misr (Al-Jazeera in Egypt) channel off air, along with Ahrar 25, a network belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, which Morsi is affiliated, the Jordanian Al-Yarmuk and the Palestinian Al-Quds.

The ruling came one day after the same court ordered the closure of the Islamist AL-Hafez channel for "inciting hatred" against Coptic Christians and "undermining national unity."

Fouad used to be on Morsi's advising team but resigned upon the ex-president's constitutional declaration that gave himself absolute powers in November.

She argued the media should respect the truth and report it professionally instead of going beyond the academic criteria to serve certain factions, in reference to the Brotherhood, and fueling polarization in the society.

Fouad said she welcomes the rights to express opinions against the interim government but airing false information will harm the national security and is incompatible with the media's credibility.

Commenting on whether closing religious channels isolates the Islamic trend, Fouad said moderate Islam is within the composition of the Egyptian character, "but Egypt won't allow attempts to use simple and lowly-educated citizens under a religious cover for political interests."

Commenting on the continuous pro-Morsi's protests, she said "no power on the earth could bring Morsi back to rule, because he was ousted by more than 35 million Egyptians representing the people's will."

She stressed the Brotherhood, who had refused earlier reconciliation invitations, is still invited to the cause, and that the interim government intends to include all political forces in the national texture except those whose hands are tainted with blood.