The Morsi the merrier? The Morsi the merrier?

Egyptian leader snubs lookalike

Street vendor and Morsi doppelgänger blocked from meeting his president

By ToI Staff 16 June 2013, 7:44 am

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Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi (left) next to his doppelgänger, Ramadan Al-Sohagai (composite image: AP/Al Arabiya acreen capture)

Apparently, Cairo is only big enough for one Mohammed Morsi.

After a man looking remarkably like the Egyptian president, complete with salt-and-pepper beard, tried to approach his lookalike at a mosque, he was blocked by guards, al-Ahram reported Friday.

Street vendor Ramadan Al-Sohagai said he thought his resemblance to the Islamist leader would convince the guards to let him through the human shield to shake Morsi’s hand at the Al-Hamad mosque, but it was not to be.

Video from the event shows Morsi waving to people, but not meeting up with his doppelgänger.

Sohagai told Al-Arabiya TV last month that he is often mistaken for the president, which can cause problems when confronted with Morsi’s many critics.

With the first anniversary of his ascension just around the corner, the Egyptian president is expected to face fierce protests that critics warn could threaten his rule.

The protests are slated to begin on June 30.

Sohagai said that at a recent pro-Morsi rally, he was mistaken for the president and carried to the podium, while people remarked about his folksy dress.

“I told them, ‘I’m not Mohammed Morsi or his father. My name is Ramadan Sohagai. Please, I don’t want to go to prison.’”