Ghozlan: Bin Laden Was Never Member of Muslim Brotherhood

Dr. Mahmoud Ghozlan, member of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Guidance Bureau, rejected statements made by Ayman Al-Zawahri, Al-Qaeda leader, in which Zawahri claimed that Osama bin Laden had been a member of the Brotherhood before moving out to fight in Afghanistan.

In a statement to the American news satellite channel CNN’s official website, Saturday, about recent claims by Zawahri, Ghozlan said: "Zawahri’s claims are baseless. Osama bin Laden was never a member of the Muslim Brotherhood at any time at all, nor was Ayman Al-Zawahri himself ".

Regarding leaders of Al-Qaeda’s recent criticism of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and elsewhere, Ghozlan said: "Criticism by Al-Qaeda is an honor for us. Because attacks and criticisms by militants and extremists – who rely on violence to achieve their goals – prove that we stand against their principles.

"Therefore, this criticism is clear evidence that we are a centrist, moderate group that relies on peaceful promotion of virtue and prevention of vice through good counsel. We rely on political action and apply principles of democracy. We respect the will of the people whether they choose or refuse us at the ballot box. All this shows the depth of the gap between us and Al-Qaeda."

Ghozlan further denied any presence of the Muslim Brotherhood as an organization in Saudi Arabia, stressing that Egyptians who belong to the group in the Kingdom are individuals who happen to be there for a variety of reasons and have nothing to do with partisan activities.

Ghozlan played down the possibility of the Arab street being influenced by Al-Qaeda positions or statements, as the Muslim and Arab street no longer cares for that organization’s dictates: "The Egyptian and Arab peoples generally believe in moderate, centrist Islam."