• June 13, 2007
  • 24 minutes read

About the Reformative Political Project of the Muslim Brotherhood

About the Reformative Political Project of the Muslim Brotherhood

In the Name of Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and those who follow him. The Muslim Brotherhood Movement is exposed to a severe campaign at this moment of time in particular. It is being accused of missing a political project, using religious mottoes that mix religion with politics, exploiting the Muslims” emotions to achieve pure political gains, and profiting from the offered area of freedom and democracy to gain power. It is claimed that if the movement gains power, it will turn against democracy and return to its imperious dictatorial trend, which is a distinctive feature of all the Islamists of different groups!

About the Reformative Political Project of the Muslim Brotherhood

 

In the Name of Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and those who follow him. The Muslim Brotherhood Movement is exposed to a severe campaign at this moment of time in particular. It is being accused of missing a political project, using religious mottoes that mix religion with politics, exploiting the Muslims” emotions to achieve pure political gains, and profiting from the offered area of freedom and democracy to gain power. It is claimed that if the movement gains power, it will turn against democracy and return to its imperious dictatorial trend, which is a distinctive feature of all the Islamists of different groups!

In fact, these accusations are far from the truth and are directed to the Muslim Brotherhood to defame its image before the nation that placed its confidence in it, or to exploit the successes that the movement achieved by Allah”s Favor, and which frighten the internal and external parties alike. These successes frighten the internal parties who are of different races, religions and political trends, and who deliberately attempt to keep people away from the true realization of Islam and the methods of those who call to it for many decades. Also, they frighten the external parties who are filled with greediness, avidity and fear for their vested interests and advantages in our country. They only gained them in the absence of Islam from power and guidance; as those who sing the praises of false freedom among the professional politicians and their blind followers of the mercenaries, the claimers of culture and enlightenment, and those who were deceived by their black propaganda against Islam and its culture and system, seized power.

Our Islamic political project

The Muslim Brotherhood Movement proclaimed its initiative to achieve reform and its view concerning its Islamic project in March 2004. It is a comprehensive view that includes the field of building a nation; the political, judicial, electoral and economic reform; and the fields of education, scientific research, struggling against poverty and social reform. Also, it includes taking an interest in the issues of woman and non-Muslims in the Muslim society; the fields of culture and foreign policy; the national issues, as that of Palestine and Iraq; and many other fields.

The movement worked towards spreading this initiative through all the available mass media and through delivering it to those who are interested in the public affairs in the country. In spite of that, the malevolent people neglected it. Instead of discussing and criticizing the initiative constructively in order that the movement and the other parties make use of it, they denied its existence completely and, when they felt ashamed of that, they described it as ambiguous and general. We do not claim that our work is perfect; as perfection is only divine. Rather, it is a limited human effort in understanding the religion of Allah and the reality of the nation, and it can be added, detailed and amended by every sincere person to his religion and nation. We do not monopolize the right, and do not claim infallibility; as our motto is the saying of Almighty Allah, “I only desire reform so far as I am able, to the best of my power. And my guidance cannot come except from Allah, in Him I trust and unto Him I repent.” (Hud: 88)

 

 

Verily, our mottoes are Islamic

As for our using Islamic mottoes and mixing politics with religion, we do not deny or wash our hands of this matter; rather, we say it in public, proud ourselves on it, think it is right and fight in its cause. Furthermore, we believe that the understanding that confines Islam to the acts of worship and morals and divests it of aiming at leading humanity and conducting its affairs is contradictory to the real Islam that was brought by Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) and is in conflict to Allah”s Objective: “Say (O Muhammad), “Verily, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the worlds. He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims.”” (Al-An`am: 162-163)

If they divested Islam of politics, economy, judgment, legislation and Jihad, and denied its role in education, enlightenment, arts, literature and information, what have they, then, left for Islam?! About what Islam do they talk?!

Although we do not say that Islam has, concerning all fields, a detailed saying and an accurate decision that closes the door on independent judgment and cancels the role of the mind, we believe that its minimum is detailed judgments and its maximum is total rules that give way to the independent judgments according to its principles and fundamentals, in order to keep the immortal religion of the Almighty and His Final Message to the worlds suitable for all times and places.

The claims of exploiting freedom and turning against it

As for their claims that we exploit the offered freedom and democracy to gain power and win victory, then to turn against them, as we are opinionated and rebellious by nature; we will not say but Allah”s Words, “It is not right for us to speak of this. Glory be to You (O Allah) this is a great lie.” (An-Nur: 16)

We do not think that there is a nation which has suffered from dictatorship and oppression like our nation, or a people that are deprived of its principal right to have freedom like our people. Also, we do not know of a group that went through the atrocities and the crimes of the tyrants, like those who call for Allah in this vast Islamic world, especially the Muslim Brotherhood. Then, how do dictatorship and oppression occupy a place in our hearts and minds?! How do we accept them?!

We call for a religion that honors man regardless of his race or belief, as Almighty Allah says, “And indeed We have honored the Children of Adam.” (Al-Isra”: 70) Also, it gives him responsible and comprehensive freedom, and makes the legal responsibility dependent on the ability to choose, as the enforced person will not be held responsible for his oath. Furthermore, Allah excused for this nation their mistakes, forgetfulness and what they are forced to do, and declared that want for freedom is the innate nature of all humans. Consider the famous words of `Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) to the emir of Egypt when his son attacked one of the Copts, “How do you enslave people, while their mothers gave birth to them free?!” In addition, Islam respects the rights of animals; as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “A woman was doomed to enter the Hell-fire because of a cat. She imprisoned it and neither fed it nor set it free to eat the rodents of the earth.” Then, what do you think of man that the Almighty created him by His Hands and breathed into him the soul which He created for him?

Consultation in Islam does not mean the political freedom or democracy in our Islamic view only, and is not a right of the citizens on the rulers nor an obligation on the rulers only, as the Almighty says, “… consult them in the affairs …” (Al `Imran: 159) and, “… (conduct) their affairs by mutual consultation ” (Ash-Shura: 38); rather, it is a general nature and morality, and a decisive obligation on every Muslim in all the fields of life. Even in the case of a mother weaning her child, and she is divorced from the father, consultation is obligatory; as Almighty Allah says, “If they both decide on weaning, by mutual consent, and after due consultation, there is no sin on them.” (Al-Baqarah: 233)

Because of the bitter tyranny in our societies, many people became tyrant in one way or another over those who are under them in the house or work, following the example of their rulers or giving vent to their inner suffering from oppression!

 Political pluralism and circulation of power

When we support and call for the political pluralism and the circulation of power, we do not do so to keep abreast of the developments in the other countries or to follow them; rather, we support these principles according to our history, heritage and the reality of our religion that makes diversity in creation one of the permanent rules, as Almighty Allah says, “… and we made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another.” (Al-Hujurat: 13) Also, it makes diversity one of the signs that denotes Allah”s Omnipotence, as He (Exalted and Glorified be He) says, “And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colors. Verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge.” (Ar-Rum: 22)

The political pluralism was the distinctive feature of this nation, especially at the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Rightly-Guided Caliphs. The first Caliph, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, came to power through a free choice and wonderful consultations after an open political dialogue among the Muhajirun (Emigrants) and the Ansar (Helpers). The last of them, `Ali ibn Abi Talib, recognized the Khawarij (Seceders) who accused him of disbelief in his state, and did not deprive them of their rights, nor start fighting against them until they fought against him and sought mischief in the earth, i.e. he fought to stop their aggression and not for their political disagreement. In addition, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) established the right of the nation to choose its Caliph, as he addressed Saqifat Bani Sa`idah when they chose him, “I have been appointed as your Caliph whilst I am not the best man among you. I am following (the norms established by the Prophet) and not establishing new practices. So if I get it right help me, and if I go astray redirect me.”

Thus, it is a matter of a religion, in which we believe, and not merely a policy that may be a deception.

The party pluralism

Consequently, we believe in the legitimacy of establishing parties in the state of Islam in order to compete with one another in righteousness and piety, strive for the interests of the nation and not for narrow party interests, and to protect their nation from the political tyranny and the evils of the rule of the individual. We decided this in the past, published it in the books and the documents of the movement, spread it among all people, and made it our method in alliance with the existing parties and in co-operation with them in the parliament, syndicates and civil authorities. In spite of that, they accuse us of political deception and of concealing our actual intentions! If anyone deals with them in the same manner, they will accuse him of evil intentions, mistrust, and attempting to open the hearts to search for the truth.

Their claims are greatly dependant on the words of the martyr Imam Hasan al-Banna, in which he attacked the political parties in his time. It is well-known that these parties were corrupt and most of them were puppets in the hands of the colonialists and the corrupt king and his attendants. These parties did not serve as an expression of the social powers and were not indicative of the essence of democracy and the majority rule. Rather, the minority parties seized the power for a long time, and they were one of the main causes of the disaster of Palestine; moreover, because of their ill deeds and the orders of the deputies of the major countries, Imam Hasan al-Banna was murdered. Verily, he told the truth when he described them, “The colonialist sows the seeds of discord amongst them, and brings them together according to his wishes only. Thus, they do not resort to anybody but to him, and do not meet except while visiting him!”

Suppose that the movement disagreed with its leader on some opinions and personal judgments, isn”t this a proof that the movement believes in consultation, reconsideration, and modernization?

Our program for reform

In its initiative for political reform, the Muslim Brotherhood movement decided that the people are the source of all authorities and called for the circulation of power through elections. The movement stressed the freedom of belief and establishing the religious rituals of all the acknowledged heavenly religions, the freedom of expression, the freedom of establishing political parties, and the freedom of the public meetings in the framework of keeping the safety of the society. Also, it emphasized the right of peaceful demonstrations, and the right of representation in the parliaments for all citizens through free and fair elections. It demanded not to involve the army in politics in order to engage wholly in defending the state, and to define the duties of the security authorities to keep the state and the society safe and that they should not be exploited to support the ruling party or to suppress the opposition. Furthermore, it called for defining the duties of the president and the period of presidency, canceling all the laws that restrict freedom, releasing all the political prisoners, strengthen the punishment of torturing citizens, and canceling the laws that paralyzed the civil and syndicalistic action.

We believe that our Islamic project for reform is no mere program or just highly elegant words to attract people; rather, it is basically derived from Islam. Thus, the success of this program only depends on the true belief in this religion, and the absolute conviction that it is the religion of the Almighty Who will call all creatures to account about it and that any worldly success is valueless if it will not be followed by getting Paradise and deliverance from the Hell-fire.

Working towards achieving the success of this Islamic project is the responsibility of each individual and the whole nation; it is not true to think that an individual or a group acts for the whole nation, or that it will be called to account about it alone. The success of this Islamic project guarantees for the non-Muslims to live under the wing of its civilization, which they delighted in and participated in its formation for many centuries.

Allah, the Almighty, says, “Allah will not allow except that His Light should be perfected.” (At-Tawbah: 32)