by Lucky Gold, CNN

There is no such thing called an Islamic democracy

Mohamed Morsi, one of three leading candidates for the presidency of Egypt, appeared on Amanpour on Wednesday.  The American-educated engineer leads The Freedom and Justice Party, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood.

As Egypt’s most powerful political movement, controlling half of parliament, winning the presidency would give the Muslim Brotherhood – and Mr. Morsi - sweeping power to control Egypt’s future.

But what would that future look like?   He was asked if a Morsi government would tilt toward a fundamentalist theocracy, reflecting the Muslim Brotherhood slogan - “Islam is the solution.”

Morsi answered in Arabic with an English translator:  “The Egyptian people are freely making their choice now… We want to transform from a president of the institution to an institution of the presidency.  To an executive branch that represents the people’s true will and implements their public interest.”

He was asked if Morsi’s (and the Muslim Brotherhood’s) Egypt be more like secular Turkey or fundamentalist Iran?

“There is no such thing called an Islamic democracy,” said Morsi.  “There is democracy only…The people are the source of authority...that’s democracy.  And that agrees with consultation called for in Islam.”

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