Free Republic

Egypt's newly elected upper house of parliament picked an Islamist as its speaker on Tuesday, consolidating control by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party over the two legislative chambers. The election of pharmacology professor Ahmed Fahmy as speaker of the Shura Council came during the chamber's inaugural session. Saad el-Katatni, like Fahmy a member of the Freedom and Justice Party, was elected speaker of the more powerful lower house, or People's Assembly, on Jan. 23. The Muslim Brotherhood is Egypt's oldest and most powerful Islamic organization. Its Freedom and Justice Party members hold just under half of all seats...

A senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Saad al-Katatni, was elected as Egypt's parliament speaker on Monday, in the first session of the newly-elected assembly. Al-Katatni, who received 399 votes out of 498 cast, is a member of the brotherhood's political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, which won the largest number of seats - 47 percent - in recent elections.

The U.S. has decided to formally resume contact with Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood group - which does not recognize Israel – in a move that could further alienate some Jewish voters already skeptical of President Barack Obama, it was reported. One senior U.S. official said the Brotherhood’s rise in political prominence after the forced departure of former President Hosni Mubarak earlier this year makes the American contact necessary. The political landscape in Egypt has changed, and is changing… It is in our interests to engage with all of the parties that are competing for parliament or the presidency,” said the official,...

CAIRO, Egypt - A top U.S. Democratic congressman met a leading member of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, an outlawed opposition group, during a recent visit to the country, the Islamic fundamentalist group and U.S. officials said Saturday. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (news, bio, voting record) met with the Muslim Brotherhood's parliament leader, Mohammed Saad el-Katatni, twice on Thursday — once at the parliament building and then at the home of the U.S. ambassador to Egypt, said Brotherhood spokesman Hamdi Hassan. U.S. Embassy spokesman John Berry would only confirm that Hoyer, who represents Maryland, met with el-Katatni at U.S. Ambassador Francis...