Al-Erian: Muslim Brotherhood Continues Ideological Reviews

Essam Al Erian, a top leader and chairman of the political bureau of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, stressed that the moderate group is carrying out from time to time reviews to its ideologies when it is necessary.Such ideological reviews stem actually from constants and principles of the group, said Al Erian in a seminar entitled “Islamic Movements and Ideological Reviews” held in Moqattam Cultural Palace.

This seminar included also Dr. Amr Al-Shobaki, a researcher at Al-Ahram centre for Political and Strategic Studies and a specialist in Islamic Movements” affairs, who urged the Muslim Brotherhood to carry out an ideological review like the ones carried out by the Jihad movement. He also stressed that the Muslim Brotherhood has never adopted violence as a means for change.Al-Shobaki pointed out that the Muslim Brotherhood”s ideology needs so much review, including its attitude towards the Special Apparatus, the assassination of Al-Noqrashi, not disconnecting Da”wa (mission) from politics and their schizophrenic speech, citing Hamas movement which dismisses Oslo agreement upon which it reached power.

Essam Al-Erian stressed that what Al-Shobaki said raises several points of disagreement. He pointed out that the Muslim Brotherhood attitude towards the errors committed by the Special Apparatus was very obvious. Late MB chairman judge Hassan Al-Houdaiby was one of those who called for freezing and dissolving this Apparatus because it was only founded to fight the British Occupation and- after occupation ended and battles in Palestine ended- it is no longer needed. As for Al-Noqrashi”s assassination, AlErian said that the Muslim Brotherhood”s attitude was clear from the beginning. Muslim Brotherhood founder and chairman Hassan Al-Banna issued a statement at that time in which he said that those who committed this assassination aren”t belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood and aren”t Muslims. This proves, AlErian said, that the Muslim Brotherhood has adopted peaceful means for change from the very beginning of founding it.

Al-Erian commented also on Al-Shobaki”s view towards separating between Da”wa and politics. He said that there are many views in this issue but all of them are pouring into necessarily allowing the Muslim Brotherhood to carry out its activities and duties freely so that it can establish a political party through which it can exercise the political action. To dismiss the issue of being schizophrenic, Al Erian said that all Egyptian political powers opposing Camp David treaty, which violates Egyptian sovereignty over its own soil, are allowed to freely exercise their activities. This is similar to Hamas movement which rejects Oslo agreement but has accepted to get engaged into the political process and work for ending this treaty which has violated rights  of the Palestinian people and recognized an occupational entity. Hamas power sharing decisions have nothing that may show its recognition to such an agreement.

For his part, Al-Shobaki said in the seminar that the reviews carried out by Jihad and Islamic Group movements reflect a genuine change in ideologies of both movements, despite the security pressures and tortures which they faced.Al-Shobaki added that the concept of reviewing is a natural outcome of the failure in changing the regime through the use of force. This yielded an anti-violence project. He also described the reviews as “as a shock” that reinforces chances for a peaceful change which has deteriorated due to the continuous arbitrary and random crackdowns carried out by the regime in Egypt throughout the past 20 years.Dr. Hassan Al-Hayawan, the director of Al-Moqattam cultural palace, said that the country should draw and woo businessmen and investors whose businesses have been hurt by terrorist actions, and that the regime should pay compensations ruled by courts for detainees belonging to Islamic movements. He also underlined efforts to assimilate those released persons into the society otherwise they will turn into time-bombs, especially after some of them were released to face the tragic actions of homeless families.