Mohamed Saad el-Katatni

Organisation: Muslim Brotherhood
Position: Head of parliamentary bloc

Biography: Mohammed Saad el-Katatni is a member of the Guidance Bureau, head of the Muslim Brotherhood’s parliamentary bloc and the group’s media spokesman.

His appointment is considered by analysts a move to refute suggestions that the new leader, Mohamed Badie, has no interest in opening up to mainstream politics. US policy towards the Muslim Brotherhood has been one of non-engagement but, in 2007, El-Katani met a delegation of four US Congress members.

The delegation was the second to meet the group, indicating the US could possibly engage with the movement. El-Katatni attended president Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo in early 2009, saying afterwards that Muslims awaited the translation of these words into policy.

El-Katani praised Obama’s call for democratic elections in the Muslim world and called on Arab leaders to respond to the aspirations of their people for democracy.

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