Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website

An Appeal by the Muslim Brotherhood to all Egyptians

Does what happened last night around Maspero make sense? especially amongst those who were taking turns to pray every Friday in Tahrir Square, with Christians pouring water for fellow Muslims to wash, those who belong to two religions calling for love, peace, kindness and fairness?

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Does what happened last night around Maspero make sense? especially amongst those who were taking turns to pray every Friday in Tahrir Square, with Christians pouring water for fellow Muslims to wash, those who belong to two religions calling for love, peace, kindness and fairness? And all supposedly because of a small incident in the far south of the country? That could have easily been resolved amicably – the judiciary could look into relevant documents: if a proper license was obtained, a church is to be built without further delay; but if not, everyone must respect the law and the final decision of the judge.

Needless to say, the number of dead and wounded and the extent of the destruction all prove that these events are not merely the result of the Edfu, Aswan Church, but the work of domestic and foreign hands endeavouring to abort the revolution and disrupt the march towards freedom, justice and democracy, even if that leads to civil war between brothers who share and have always shared homeland, blood and history, as some declared openly.

Legitimate demands can be dealt with through proper channels, in appropriate ways and at the right time. All the Egyptian people have grievances and legitimate demands, not only our Christian brothers. Certainly, this is not the right time to claim them. The current government is only transitional, and the general conditions of our country are uniquely chaotic and confused. Even if decrees are issued to pass new laws, they would be reviewed following the formation of the elected parliament. Wisdom dictates patience and prudence: wait for a government elected by the people, which derives its legitimacy from the public, is loyal to the masses, and endeavours to meet their fair and legitimate demands, especially on the eve of free elections that we have always sought, and should make them happen without delay. That would help get the country to a state of stability and legitimacy, popular constitutionalism and the establishment of a sound democratic life.

We are aware that there is a lot of anger and frustration amongst our fellow Christians as a result of perceived injustice and marginalization. This injustice was committed by a corrupt despot who did not respect religion and betrayed the trust of the people. This injustice was inflicted upon all the Egyptian people. It is no secret that the Muslim Brotherhood were subjected to many times the suffering and injustice inflicted upon others. It is not right, nor is it the right time to seek retribution and vent anger now at this critical period in Egypt’s history, not on the current transitional government which is not responsible for whatever happened in the past.

We have this to say:

- We call upon all fair-minded people to intervene and extinguish the flames of anger and rekindle the spirit of brotherhood which originally accompanied the revolution of January 25, and seek the return of essential cohesion to the fabric of this one nation which highlights the greatness of the Egyptian people throughout history.

- We call for immediate investigations into what happened, and for the results to be announced with the utmost transparency. We call for the upholding of the rule of law over all persons and all considerations, so all those found guilty should receive proper punishment.

- We call upon our Christian brothers not to give the opportunity to the enemies of the nation at home and abroad to stir up discord and unrest.

- We call for elections to be held according to a schedule agreed upon by the appropriate national forces, in order to accelerate the transfer of power and responsibility and the return of stability with all the positive benefits this means for the whole country.

- We call upon the media to fear God in their outlook on the people and the country, and to seek credibility, honesty and transparency and accuracy in what they publish, report and circulate.

- We demand that a law is passed quickly to impose a political ban on everyone who is found guilty of corrupting political life, in order to save the country from thuggery and chaos, especially during the elections.

- We call upon the armed forces and the security forces to spare no effort in protecting the electoral process. The Muslim Brotherhood is willing to help with popular committees in order to achieve this noble national goal.

Finally, we remind those who have already forgotten what General Amos Yadlin, former Director of Israeli Military Intelligence, said and published in newspapers on 2/November/2010, before the revolution: “Egypt represents the biggest playing field for Israeli military intelligence activity. This activity has developed according to plan since 1979. We have penetrated Egypt in many areas, including the political, security, economic, and military spheres. We have succeeded in promoting sectarian and social tension there so as to create a permanent atmosphere of turmoil, in order to deepen the discord between Egyptian society and the government and make it difficult for any regime following that of Hosni Mubarak to alleviate this discord”. Is it time to wake up?

May God save Egypt, unite her people and guide her leaders for the good of the country and the people.

The Muslim Brotherhood

Cairo: 12 Thul-Qida 1432AH – 10 October 2011.