U.S., Egypt Exchange Accusations Over Arrest Of Satirist Bassem Youssef – And Over Tweet By U.S. Embassy In Cairo Of Segment Of 'Daily Show With Jon Stewart'

On March 31, 2013, Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef, host of the weekly Al-Barnamej show on CBC Egypt TV, was arrested for interrogation by the Prosecutor General's office on allegations that he had mocked the obligation of prayer and the Sunna of the Prophet Muhammad and humiliated Egyptian President Mursi. The move came after several Egyptian citizens lodged complaints against him for mocking Islam and insulting the president.[1] After the completion of the interrogation he was released on bail.[2]

An April 2, 2013 report stated that the Egyptian government had threatened to revoke CBC's broadcast license, and that a body acting on its behalf had sent the channel a warning stating that its license would be revoked unless Youssef's show stoped violating the workplace regulations of the media free zone out of which the channel operates, and stoped using sexual innuendo and insulting statements.[3]

The U.S. State Department's April 1, 2013 criticism of Youssef's arrest angered the Egyptian presidency and the Muslim Brotherhood (MB). The president's spokesman stressed that the Egyptian Prosecutor General's office has the right to prosecute any Egyptian citizen, while the MB issued a strongly worded communiqué calling the State Department's criticism "blatant interference" in Egypt's domestic affairs and adding that the Egyptian public considered it an indication that the U.S. was protecting the denigration of religious ritual by the Egyptian media, and that this could spark anti-U.S. sentiment among the Egyptians.

The following day, April 2, tensions further escalated with the outbreak of a Twitter war. A tweet by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo included a link to a segment from the April 1, 2013 edition of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, in which Stewart, using MEMRI TV clips and other material, criticized Mursi for Youssef's arrest; the Egyptian president's office and the MB responded with angry tweets of their own.

Following is a review of the Twitter altercation between the U.S. State Department and U.S. Embassy in Cairo and the Egyptian presidency and MB.

U.S. State Department: Youssef's Interrogation Is Evidence Of Restriction Of Freedom In Egypt

On April 1, 2013, U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland expressed concern over Bassem Youssef's interrogation and arrest, and said that this, "coupled with recent arrest warrants issued for other political activists, is evidence of a disturbing trend of growing restrictions on the freedom of expression." She expressed concern that although "the government of Egypt seems to be investigating these cases... it has been slow or inadequate in investigating attacks on demonstrators outside of the presidential palace in December 2012, other cases of extreme police brutality, and illegally blocked entry of journalists to media cities."[4]

The Egyptian Presidency Responds: The Complaint Against Youssef Didn't Come From Us; There's No Restriction of Freedom of Expression

In response to Nuland's statement, the Egyptian presidency issued the following statement: "The presidency would like to reiterate that following the revolution of January 25, Egypt became a law-abiding state that respects the independence of the judiciary. Therefore, the summoning of any Egyptian citizen [for interrogation], regardless of his capacity and his fame, is at the heart of the jurisdiction of the Prosecutor General, who works independently and without any interference from the presidency.

"The presidency also wishes to clarify, in this context, that it had not made any complaint against the journalist Bassem Youssef or anyone else, and that Egypt's legal system allows any person to lodge a complaint with the public prosecutor. The presidency emphasizes that it has full respect for freedom of expression and freedom of the press and media, as well as the right of all citizens to express themselves without the constraints that existed before the revolution. The first legislation passed by President Muhammad Mursi, upon taking up his functions as President of the Republic, was the prohibition of preventive detention of journalists. The presidency calls upon Egyptian citizens to exercise their right to express their opinions, yet urges them to abide by the law."[5]

The Egyptian presidential spokesman's statement.[6]

The Muslim Brotherhood: U.S. State Department Statement Constitutes Blatant Interference in Egypt's Affairs

The MB's Freedom and Justice Party issued a communiqué attacking the U.S. State Department statement on Youssef and saying that the Egyptian public perceives it as condoning contempt for the religion. According to the communiqué, the statement constitutes "blatant interference in Egypt's domestic affairs and in a legal [matter] that is still under investigation and that is being dealt with through legitimate legal means. These remarks arouse major questions with regard to the U.S. administration's position.

"The U.S. State Department spokesperson's comments suggest that this is simply a matter of insulting a president, whereas the main issue in the complaints [against Youssef] is contempt of the religion of Islam and the denigration of religious rites. This contempt, if true, represents a serious breach of the law and a violation of customs and social and cultural principles in Egyptian society, and could have serious repercussions in this sensitive phase [of Egypt's democratic transformation]. Moreover, it might fuel the Egyptian's feelings [of rage]...

"The Freedom and Justice Party strongly and categorically denounces the statements made by U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland, because they will receive only one interpretation by the Egyptian public: that the U.S. welcomes and defends contempt of religious rites by the media. At the same time, the Freedom and Justice Party emphasizes that it respects freedom of expression and the freedom to criticize all leaders in the executive branch, including the leader of the state, within the framework of the law and the constitution, and while respecting the principles of religion and culture of this free, revolutionary, and independent people."[7]

The Freedom and Justice Party's statement[8]

The Twitter War Between The Mursi And MB Regime And The U.S. Embassy In Cairo

The tension between the sides over Youssef's arrest escalated still more on social networking sites, when on April 2, 2013, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo tweeted a clip from the April 1 edition of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in which Stewart, using two MEMRI TV clips and other material, criticized the arrest.[9]

The Egyptian president's office tweeted in response to the U.S. Embassy in Cairo: "It's improper for a diplomatic mission to engage in such negative political propaganda." The official MB Twitter account tweeted that it was "another undiplomatic & unwise move by @USEmbassyCairo, taking sides in an ongoing investigation & disregarding Egyptian law & culture."[10]

Several hours later, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo removed the link to the clip from its Twitter page.[11]

U.S. Embassy in Cairo Tweets Jon Stewart clip[12]

Response tweet from the president's office

Response tweet from the official MB Twitter account[13]

Egyptian Reactions On Social Networks

There were many Egyptian reactions on social networks to the U.S. criticism of Bassem Youssef's arrest and to the Twitter exchange between the U.S. Embassy and the president's office. While some attacked the Mursi regime for their steps against Youssef, others attacked the U.S., accusing it of blatantly interfering in Egyptian affairs. There were even some threats to burn the embassy and eradicate any American presence in Egypt.

Anti-American Comments

Post on the U.S. Embassy's Facebook page: "We are able to erase any U.S. presence in Egypt..."[14]

Post on the U.S. Embassy's Facebook page: "USA Go to hell... We'll burn your embassy..."[15]

Post on the U.S. Embassy's Facebook page: "You are the monkey and pigs Zionists [sic]"[16]

Tweet to the U.S. Embassy in Cairo's account: "Take your poison out of Egypt. Do not overstep the limit and interfere in our affairs again."[17]

Tweets Attacking The MB And Supporting Bassem Youssef

Tweet to the official MB account: "You're denying people their basic right to free speech & imposing your beliefs."[18]

Tweet criticizing Youssef's interrogation: "Bassam Youssef is best described as a political satirist, a respected role in free societies."[19]

Tweet supporting Bassem Youssef: "Go Bassem go."[20]