Egyptian Lawyer Reacts to Iran

Arab and regional opinions of the Iranian situation have been noticeably scant in the initial media coverage of the Iranian election fallout, although the Washington Post reported last week that Egyptian activists have been watching Iran closely. A request to Egypt’s government by Mamdouh Ismail, a Muslim Brotherhood lawyer, may shed light on Egyptian public opinion regarding Iran. Ismail requests that Egypt ban President Ahaminedjad from entering Egypt for a meeting next month.

The appeal is founded on widespread skepticism about the veracity of the Iranian election results. Ismail writes, “if he is not the legitimate president, then he shouldn’t be received in Egypt as such. His illegitimacy is obvious in the protests against him inside Iran.” Egypt and Iran enjoy cold relations and the Egyptian government did not congratulate Ahmadinejad when the election results were released.

Meanwhile, Paul Salem at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Beirut attempts to diffuse understated Arab opinions about Iran.  The absence of foreign (including Arab) reporting in Iran was caused by a crackdown on the freedoms of foreign journalists, yet al-Jazeera was granted permission to film in Tehran yesterday. Its footage covered scenes of a return to normality in the streets, although silent reminders of the protests remain throughout the city, including pro-Mousavi graffiti.