MB’s opinion, True political reform is the gateway to real change in Egypt

Recently, the Arab world has witnessed many subsequent incidents internally and externally some of which are related to the idle position of most Arab rulers demonstrated in their currently feeble stands during the recent Arab summit. The summit failed to achieve any concrete results to lift the Arabs out of the current crisis regarding the consistent IOF’s aggression against the occupied city of Jerusalem, the Aqsa Mosque and the entire Palestinian territories.

The Arab regimes continue to poorly interact with the Israeli’s constant attacks where  they not only failed to take action on the IOF’s attempts to demolish the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Muslims’ first Qiblah and the third holiest site they also committed violations against their citizens who angrily took to streets in protests to defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque.  Egypt’s regime failed to illustrate compassion revealed with the daily arrest of dozens of MB members. The number of MB detainees rose to 368 including highly ranked leaders of the group. Despite many release orders most were rearrested. Assaults did not stop at the detainees but continued with violations to wives and children.

Egypt’s political arena however witnessed intelligible mobility in the internal affairs illustrated by a visit from the Muslim Brotherhood’s delegation to the leftist Tagammu’ Party. In addition to this an expanded meeting attended by representatives of opposing national political powers organized by the Muslim Brotherhood’s parliamentary bloc took place to discuss ways to support the bill on political rights recently submitted by the Egyptian opposition to the People’s Assembly.

In such a climate, we emphasize the following:

First: The internal political situation

1. The Muslim Brotherhood argue that true political reform is the gateway to real change in Egypt and is a prelude to support Arab and Islamic issues as the regime must endeavor to create work to create a favorable environment bringing  about political reform with the absence of  security intervention. Elections must be free and fair to provide a decent life for the Egyptian people. Corruption and tyranny must be resisted and job qualification should not depend on preference and favoritism but on skill and proficency

2. The MB urges all active political powers, movements, independents and the elites in the Egyptian society to convene to reach an agreement on the basic demands.  Authorizing   public freedoms and the abolishment of special and emergency laws are imperative.  The continued referral of civilians to military courts must end and judicial oversight of polls, peaceful transfer of power and the formation of new parties is crucial

3. The ongoing campaign of detentions and arrests within the ranks of the Muslim Brotherhood demonstrates that the regime has no desire for real reform and the exploiting of the state bodies and institutions in its war against adversaries must stop. The continued defiance to prosecutions’ rulings and the court rulings in addition to the undermining of state institutions and establishment of one-party control must end.  Failed policies have led to the suppression of freedoms, incarceration of innocent peoples, increase in poverty and corruption, and the   collapse of the state’s economic, political and social life and infrastructure.

4. The Muslim Brotherhood warns the security’s assaults on women and children of the MB detainees and violations of the sanctity of their property are a grave encroachment. The concerned authorities must comply with the law and reconsider their acts in dealing with movement’s members and leaders.

5. Organizations concerned with human rights and civil liberties must expose the farce taking place in Egypt’s universities and the maltreatment of MB students in colleges as security and university administrations continue assaulting MB students who take to the streets in demonstrations supporting Al-Aqsa Mosque.

6. The Brotherhood’s stance is clear regarding the forthcoming presidential elections. The group will examine all proposed agendas and will listen to all views at the appropriate time and they will announce their standpoint in due time after careful study of candidate’s values and ethics rather than personality.

Second: The ongoing IOF’s aggression in the old city of Jerusalem

1. The Muslim Brotherhood emphasizes that the Aqsa Mosque, the Holy City of Jerusalem and all the Palestinians lands are the land of Arabs and Islam.  The primary cause of Arabs and Muslims efforts must be mobilized towards the defense of Jerusalem who are facing Zionist schemes. The MB reiterates its call to all sects of the Egyptian people to continue their protests aimed to defend the Palestinian cause. They also call on NGOs and trade unions to assume their leading role assigned to them in the defense of Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque.

2- The Arab and Islamic regimes must reshape the US-Arab relationship and their relationship with the IOA to serve Arab national interests.  We can play an effective role in influencing US decision towards Arab causes.

3. The Arab leaders must shoulder responsibility towards the people they have let down because of the meager results of the Arab summit in Sirte.  The unusual meeting they scheduled for next September should be a prelude to activate the mechanisms of the Arab League and the reviving of common Arab action.

4. Arab leaders must implement Doha’s summit decisions regarding the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and the lifting of the siege imposed on more than one and a half million Gazans

5.The Muslim Brotherhood pays tribute to the British authorities, who expelled the Mossad agent who abused his diplomatic immunity as a cover in the assassination of martyred Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh from Hamas. They also pay tribute to the French authorities who announced that they will take similar steps