Habib’s Rebuttal to PM Statements About Muslim Brotherhood

Dr. Moahmed Habib, the First Deputy Chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood responded to the Prime Minister statements. He made the following statement to Ikhwanweb

"If anything the Egyptian government needs to “think clearly about”; it will be how to respond to the people pressing demands and begin the process of genuine political reform. There will be no real development and economic progress in the country until we achieve a comprehensive political reform, which will ensure stability and prosperity.

What really matters is not what Mr. Prime Minister personally thinks, but what the majority of people believe and gets reflected in ballot box. The constitution renders the People to be the source of all state powers. The people rallied around the Muslim Brotherhood during last election and the government is aught to respect their free choice. The Muslim Brotherhood is a  major political force that has made a significant impact on the country’s political map and it is utterly unrealistic to attempt to marginalize it

Moreover, the Muslim Brotherhood is certainly not a secret organization, their members represent 20% of the parliament and by  government’s own calculations; at least 40% of Egyptians voted for them. The Muslim Brotherhood might not be a “legal” organization by an unjust law, but it is certainly a legitimate entity entrusted by the people. Perhaps Mr. Nazif and his cabinet should focus their attention on the real problems that affect the Egyptian people and reduce their suffering instead of trying to find ways to undermine the opposition and challenge the will of the nation.

Mr. Nazif once again proves that he is out of touch with reality. By dismissing the police attacks on peaceful protestors and blaming the violence committed solely by his own security forces on demonstrators, he puts his own credibility on the line, especially after the whole world watched the disgraceful pictures of police brutality transmitted by news agencies. The right of the people to protest and express their opinions peacefully is protected by the constitution and is not “thuggery”. The people, not Mr. Nazif, are fed up by the government’s misinformation and its constant reneging on the promises of reform. It is time to reconcile with the people and treat them with the dignity they deserve after long-suffering"

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Egypt’s Brotherhood says PM comments betray reform
By Yara Bayoumy, Reuters                           Sun May 21, 2006 5:03 PM GMT

Egypt’s banned Islamist opposition Muslim Brotherhood said on Sunday comments by the prime minister about preventing its members from standing in future elections proved the government was not committed to reform.

The group, which won a fifth of parliament’s seats in elections last year, would attract more support from Egyptians if the government resorted to repressive measures to keep its members out of parliament, deputy leader Mohammed Habib added.

"It is obvious that the government does not have any real desire or serious intention towards reform. This is obvious by the way it wants to silence opposition voices," Habib told Reuters.

Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif said on Saturday the Egyptian government wants to prevent the Muslim Brotherhood forming an opposition parliamentary group by winning seats as independents in future elections.

The Brotherhood is not allowed to form a political party and thus cannot officially field candidates in elections because Egypt’s constitution forbids the establishment of religiously-based parties. The group says it won seats despite official election abuses.

Nazif’s remarks were another indication the government is having second thoughts about some concessions it made to the political opposition last year when it was under U.S. pressure to bring about political reforms.

Habib said the government would probably use arrests and military trials to prevent the formation of another Brotherhood-based opposition bloc inside parliament, where secular opposition parties hold only nine seats out of 444.

"If they use repressive methods, and that is what is expected … then it will only result in more sympathy and support for them (the Brotherhood) from the Egyptian people," he said.

The Brotherhood bloc in parliament has called for — and been denied — official enquiries into police beating of demonstrators during recent protests, and over a conflict between judges and the government over judicial independence.

The authorities have detained 314 Brotherhood members for 15 days pending investigations after demonstrations last week in support of the judges.

"They (government officials) want to suppress the political movement to set the stage for an idea that is already rejected by the Egyptian people, that of inheritance," he said.

Habib was referring to a complaint by Egypt’s opposition groups that Mubarak is grooming his son Gamal, a prominent member of the ruling party, to take over after him.