ANALYSIS:Muslim Brotherhood claims it is not out to impose a religious state on the country
EGYPT’S MUSLIM Brotherhood declared yesterday the movement had no intention of taking power or putting up a candidate for president once incumbent Hosni Mubarak is no longer in office.
Spokesman Muhammad Morsi told a packed press conference in Cairo, “We want to participate, not to dominate.” He said the brotherhood had “positioned itself with the people” protesting in the streets and squares of Egypt. He pointed out that brotherhood members were present at the ongoing democracy movement demonstrations at Tahrir (Liberation) Square, in the heart of Cairo, but they did not constitute a majority.
Dialogue with the regime was the only mechanism for breaking the deadlock, he said. “We reject monologue,” he said regarding regime diktats. “The people in the square have demands. The president must resign – there must be evidence that there is a serious transition,” he added, to a new system of governance. “Pray for us. Up till now, no transition is taking place.”
Morsi observed a state of emergency imposed in 1981 remained in force, casting “doubts on [the] intentions” of the regime. Muhammad Katany, former head of the brotherhood’s parliamentary bloc, dismissed the notion that it seeks to impose an “Islamic state” on Egypt. “We reject a religious state.”
Morsi accused foreign forces of “using the brotherhood as a scarecrow” with the aim of justifying support for the current regime. Such forces, he said, say the regime is the “only [power] that can safeguard the country. But this is wrong . . . it is their way to try to ignore the people and their demands.”
The brotherhood, which has suffered decades of repression, has adopted a cautious approach to largely secular pro-democracy demonstrators since they mounted their campaign to topple the 30-year Mubarak regime. At first the brotherhood leadership held back from supporting the mass protests, but permitted individual members of the outlawed but tolerated movement to take part.
The brotherhood had reversed its stand that there could be no talks with the regime until Mubarak resigned, and went on to attend last Sunday’s encounter with vice-president Omar Suleiman. But this was sharply criticised by movement members, particularly those involved in the protests.
At the time, the figures who took the decision to talk to Suleiman – along with representatives of the established opposition parties and distinguished figures – took the view they must “give talks a chance”. But the frontal assault on Tahrir Square by pro-Mubarak elements last Wednesday made engagement all the more difficult.
The brotherhood, founded in 1928, is Egypt’s largest and most well organised opposition group. It takes the view that individuals, families, society and states should behave in accordance with the prescriptions of the Koran and the Sunnah, the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad. The movement’s slogan is “Islam is the solution”.
While the brotherhood formed an armed wing that took part in Egypt’s struggle for independence from Britain, it was compelled to adopt a non-violent strategy for achieving its objectives after the British-backed monarchy was toppled in 1952. The government cracked down hard on the brotherhood in 1954 when an attempt was made on the life of president Gamal Abdel Nasser. Between 1970-’81, during the rule of his successor, Anwar Sadat, the brotherhood was rehabilitated and, under Mubarak, it became a mainstream party.
In the 2005 parliamentary election it won 20 per cent of seats, alarming the regime and its chief ally, the US. The brotherhood, which commands the support of 10-20 per cent of the populace, won no seats in the 2010 election, prompting accusations of fraud against the government.
Although the Obama administration has said it has no contacts with the brotherhood, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs suggested it could take part in a new government if it adheres to non-violence, the constitution and agreements between Egypt and other countries – the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty being of primary importance to the US.
