Wave of Arrests of Muslim Brotherhood Officials
In early February 2010, several days after the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt reshuffled its leadership, electing Dr. Muhammad Badi' as general guide and replacing several members of the General Guide Office, there was a wave of arrests of movement officials. Those arrested included deputy general guide Dr. Mahmoud 'Izzat, office members Dr. 'Issam Al-'Arian, Dr. 'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Barr, Dr. Muhyi Hamed, and Dr. Osama Nasr, several movement Shura Council members, movement provincial branch heads, and dozens of activists.[1]
Several accusations were leveled at the detainees:
a) Egypt's State Security Prosecutor claimed that deputy guide 'Izzat is actually the secret general guide of the international Muslim Brotherhood organization, having secretly obtained the bay'a (declaration of loyalty) of the movement's leaderships abroad – even though officially the general guide is Badi'.
b) Members of the General Guide's Office who were arrested are accused of planning to establish secret cells in various provinces with the aim of changing the regime and setting up an Islamic state. The investigation found that 'Izzat set up a terror cell, which included individuals who advocate the use of violence for regime change;[2] that 'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Barr was in charge of establishing a cell in the Al-Daqahliya province, and that Muhyi Hamed was in charge of establishing one in Al-Sharqiyya province.
c) 'Izzat is accused of leading a special women's organization, similar to the organization led by Muslim Brotherhood activist Zainab Al-Ghazali in the 1960s. According to the prosecution, the arrested members of the Supreme Guide's Office had tried to recruit women to this organization, who would carry orders from the leadership to the field, in order to evade detection by security apparatuses.[3]
Muslim Brotherhood: "These Arrests are the Continuation of the Current Regime's Violence and Corruption"
The Muslim Brotherhood's official response to the arrests and accusations stated: "[The arrests] underline how the regime and its security forces [are preventing] widespread popular and political forces and movements that are deeply rooted in all sectors of the [Egyptian] nation from participating [in politics], particularly in the next parliamentary elections. These arrests are the continuation of the current regime's [policy of] violence and corruption, [which it carries out instead] of dealing with the great challenges facing the country from within and without... The arrests came after the movement's internal elections, which were honored and respected by [objective] observers in Egypt and abroad, and which demonstrated the maturity of the social and political movements, and their basing of their activity on peaceful means. This displeases the ruling group, which is striving to arouse tension and instability, and to perpetuate violations of freedom...
"It appears that someone is striving to thwart and topple any strong element that supports the Palestinian people, the resistance to Zionism, and the liberation of Palestine and Al-Aqsa mosque... The continued arrests and false accusations against the Muslim Brotherhood, the destruction of families and their livelihoods, and the use of barbaric methods reflecting state terror – none [of this] serves the homeland. It [only] causes instability, increases the corruption, and serves the Zionists' interests. These arrests are intended to silence the voice of all the honorable oppositionists belonging to this people..."[4]
Muslim Brotherhood Official: Freeze Muslim Brotherhood Political Activity
Following the arrests, Muslim Brotherhood official Dr. 'Abd Al-Mun'im Abu Al-Futouh proposed that the Muslim Brotherhood announce that it will not run in Egypt's elections for the next two decades, so that the regime would stop persecuting it, until democracy was established in the country. But his initiative was not accepted, and even evoked enraged reactions from within the movement.
Supreme Guide Badi' hinted in his weekly sermon that the Muslim Brotherhood would not relinquish running in the elections, saying that even if it did, the persecution and arrests would not stop: "They are not fighting us to distance us politically, or to gain [a monopoly] over parliament, the [trade] unions, and the associations..."[5]
Muslim Brotherhood parliamentary faction chairman Dr. Sa'd Al-Katatni clarified that Al-Mun'im's proposal is counter to movement strategy, and that it is not on the agenda.[6]
In contrast, movement official Dr. Gamal Hishmat supported Abu Al-Futouh's proposal to boycott elections, but added that the move should have no set timeframe. Hishmat assessed that in the upcoming parliamentary elections, the Muslim Brotherhood would end up with strictly token representation.[7]
In an interview, Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmad Nazif told CNN that that the Muslim Brotherhood should either distance itself from politics and stick to da'wa, or distance itself from religion and stick to politics.[8] In response, Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Dr. Muhammad Mursi said that the prime minister must know that the Islamic path is integrative, and combines social, popular, and political activity.
General Guide Office member Sa'd Al-Husseini responded to Nazif's statements by accusing Nazif himself of exploiting the religion for political purposes, using Al-Azhar fatwas to further the government's political goals.[9]
Endnotes:
[1] www.ikhwanonline.com, February 8, 2010; Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt), February 12, 2010; www.alarabiya.net, February 19, 2010.
[2] Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt), February 10-11, 2010.
[3] Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt), February 13, 2010.
[4] Ikhwanonline.com, February 10, 2010.
[5] Ikhwanonline.com, February 18, 2010.
[6] Al-Misriyoun (Egypt), February 18, 2010.
[7] Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt), February 19, 2010.
[8] Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt), February 21, 2010
[9] Al-Misriyoun (Egypt), February 22, 2010
