I received a letter of reproach from Brother Essam El-Erian over my article on the Muslim Brotherhood published last week. The letter said: God forgive you for your unwarranted suspicions towards the Brotherhood. Perhaps some relayed information to you in an unfaithful manner. You ought to hear from us and not about us, and to debate our documents, stances and statements with us, as it is your habit with all other parties. Your article today, Friday, is ambiguous, and your and other people's fears from the Muslim Brotherhood have no justification. Ever since the uprising in Tunisia took place, we have published statements pertaining to Egypt on our website, the first of which was published on January 19 and you may refer to them. American and Zionist concern is not about the Muslim Brotherhood or Islam. Instead, it is about freedom and democracy, especially since these did not stem from foreign support or come on board a U.S tank this time and particularly as Egyptians are well able to continue their march to build a true democracy, unlike the superficial U.S-style democracy exported to foreign countries. We are in favor of a civil, free, independent and democratic state, where the nation is the source of all authority, and where the president is elected for a specified term, the parliament being the reference point for legislation and oversight, while the Constitutional Court monitors the constitutionality of laws, and where civil, advocacy, and political activities are a right guaranteed to all. [A state where] power is rotated among parties in free and fair elections, and where Islam is the reference point for the people of the nation, both Muslims and Christians, as they contributed to the its great civilization, and who are now, to date, all citizens with equal rights; even non-believers have rights, and so do non-Zionist Jews. [It would be] a civil state for all its citizens, a state that would restore self-confidence to our nation and return it to its rightful place… I say that the message is clear. Dr. El-Erian, member of the Muslim Brotherhood's Guidance Office and the group's spokesperson, began his letter by reminding me that he was an irregular contributor in Al-Hayat. He said that he begins reading our newspaper's headlines, then the news on Egypt, and then my column. He concluded his letter by asking me to pray for Egypt's freedom, security, dignity and stability. I have no problem at all with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt or elsewhere, and I welcome them as an essential part of any government in every Arab country, but without them monopolizing authority anywhere, because many people have different views that perhaps run contrary to the Muslim Brotherhood ideology. I do not want to be ruled by Sheikh al-Azhar or the Pope of Alexandria, or any cleric whatsoever. Instead, I quote my personal choice from Dr. El-Erian's letter or the ‘Civil, free, independent, secular and democratic state'. My article, to which Dr. El-Erian responded, started with examining the scaremongering campaign against the group. After the trend had been once to say ‘the reds are coming' in the Cold War, they now say ‘the Muslim Brotherhood' is coming. My response to this in the article was ‘God willing', and I added that ‘if the Muslim Brotherhood intimidates Israel, the American Likudniks and the enemies of Arabs and Muslims, then all I say is that they are most welcome”. In the paragraphs that followed, I said that the Muslim Brotherhood is adequately organized, funded and experienced to allow it to regain its foothold in Egypt without seeking to monopolize power, because the Egyptian army would not allow them to do so and because they know that the outside world would not approve of them. Dr. El-Erian's letter to me was similar to an article he wrote and published in the New York Times on the tenth of this month, under the title of “What the Muslim Brothers Want”, in which he spoke about gradual reform, progress, rights for all and a democratic and civil state. If this is indeed the Brotherhood's stance, then we welcome them in Egypt and every other Arab country. I am aware of how popular they are, and I had written about Egypt on the eve of the Egyptian parliamentary elections, and was shocked following the announcement of the results that the Brothers did not win any seats. For this reason, I wrote in this column on 22/12/2010, while President Mubarak was still in office and there was no threat of being ousted: “I never expected that the Muslim Brotherhood would not win any seats, and I hope that the president will dissolve the new parliament in the time he deems appropriate, and order that new elections be held”. Perhaps what motivated Dr. El-Erian to discuss my column published last Friday was the statement I made at the end, when I said, “I welcome the Muslim Brotherhood as partners in government without being fooled by their statements”, and concluded my analysis of the Muslim Brothers by quoting the Egyptian saying “Pretend you are helpless when you can”. First of all, no one who is indeed able to seize power would decline to rule, be it a single person or a political party. Second, I accept the statements made by the Muslim Brotherhood since the uprising against Hosni Mubarak, specifically their pledge that they will not put forward a presidential candidate, and that they are seeking to establish a civil and democratic state for all citizens. Third, in my next visit to Cairo, I will take some examples of the scaremongering campaign against the Brothers to Dr. El-Erian, especially the one orchestrated by the Israel lobby in the U.S. Four, I advise the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood to deliberately attempt to grow ‘thick skin', and the phrase is translated from English, meaning that they should expect criticism and bear it, because they will receive much of it, especially as politics are a jungle. [email protected]
