TAKE 1 OF 3 - - CAIRO PAPER INTERVIEWS MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD OFFICIAL

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06707274
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: December 14, 2017
• Case Number: F-2017-02578
• Publication Date: April 19, 2005

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RATUZYUW RUCWAAA4589 1091840-UUUU--RHHJJAA
191840Z APR 05
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WARNING: TOPIC: DOMESTIC POLITICAL, INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL, LEADER
SERIAL: GMP20050419035001
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COUNTRY: EGYPT, UNITED STATES
SUBJ: TAKE 1 OF 3--Cairo Paper Interviews Muslim Brotherhood
official
SOURCE: Cairo Afaq Arabiyah (Internet Version--WWW)
in Arabic 14
Apr 05
TEXT:
[Interview with Dr Abd al-Mun'im Abu-al-FUtuh, member of the
Guidance Bureau of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) Group in Egypt and
Secretary General of the Arab Medical AsSociation, by Muhammad
Husayn, in Cairo; date not given]
[FBIS Translated Excerpt]
[HusayT] Why has the MuslimBrotherhood [MB] taken to the street
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to declare its position toward the issueof reform?
[Futuh] MB activity has never been at anyone day isolated from
the feelings of the rank and file. In the last.two years, for
example, we went out to hold a rally at the sports stadium to
express ourrejection of the war against Iraq. We also staged a
rally, which started fromthe al-Azhar Mosque: This was not the
first time we took to the street on theissue of reform. Moreover,
the MB young men at the universities andprofessional associations
staged rallies to declare their position towardreform.
The reason we took to the street was thatas an MB and as an
Egyptian national faction, we discovered that there wereattempts to
impose foreign hegemony over our country and that the ruling
regimewas backing down in the face of these attempts. Our national
and Islamic senseof belonging has imposed on us specific duties,
i.e. that we should not standby as spectators or with our hands
folded, or allow the infringement on ournational sovereignty, or
tolerate the attempts at foreign hegemony or themarginalization of
Egypt's role on the national or international levels, or
thescientific, technological and cultural backwardness, or the
strangulatingeconomic crisis, or the political, economic or social
corruption.
[Husayn] However, some people said thatthe MB took to the street
as a reaction to the US pressure on the Egyptianregime, not the
contrary. What do you think?
[Futuh].Let them understand it as theywant. However, what is
certain is that the MB, which is the largest politicalforce in the
arena, was perhaps the only force, which-the Americans did notmake
any contacts with. The MB did not make any contacts with the
Americanseither. The MB was perhaps the only political force, which
the US ambassadordid not confer with. In fact, we refused tO confer
with him while he conferredwith heads of political parties,
politicians and other officials.
We did so for the purpose of coping withthe US pressure, because
we knew that while the apparent goal of this pressurewas to demand
democracy and freedom, they want for Egypt a freedom anddemocracy
in the US style. As for us the MB, we want for Egypt democracy
andfreedom that is compatible with the Egyptian Islamic culture.
Consequently, wehad to say: "We had our own platform on the basis
of which we are demandingreform."
We are offering ourselves to God:
[lusayn] But there are people who believethat through this
action, the MB tried to offer itself to the US administrationas the
strong alternative to the ruling regime?
[Putuh] We only offer ourselves to God andthen to our people. We
do not offer ourselves like others do because from thestandpoint of
our religion, ethics and patriotism, we refuse the interferenceof
the US administration in our internal affairs. How would we then
offerourselves to the US administration? It is others who are
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living on politicalopportunism, who have offered themselves to the
Americans. They thought thateverything that moved and worked did
the same thing as they did.
[Husapl] Despite the MB denial more thanonce of not making any
contacts with the Americans, there are those who insiston leveling
this charge to the MB. What is your answer to this?
[Futuh] It is easy to accuse others.However, what is difficult
is to provide evidence and proof of suchaccusationg. All this is
dishonest and untruthful talk. We challenge all honestnationalists
to say that we are acting at the instructions of the
USadministration. We are only acting at the instructions of our
Islamic andnational conscience.
� Regulation, not prohibition:
[l-iusayn] But why has the MB insisted onstaging this rally
despite the disapproval of the security services?
[Futuh] We have staged this rally becausethe Interior Ministry
regrettably departed from the constitution and law. Therole of the
Interior Ministry is to regulate not to prohibit the rallies.
Wesupport the regulation of the rallies because everything should
be regulated.We, as members of the MB, were raised on the respect
of law and order. Theprinciple of prohibition is applied by a
despotic regime.
Instead of regulating the growth of thepolitical parties, the
regime prohibited them. Instead of regulating thepublication of
newspapers, it prohibited them. Consequently in such a case, noone
should imagine that we would continue to be inactive toward a
regime thatwas incapable of holding out in the way of foreign
hegemony and did not wantthe people to hold out in the way of such
hegemony. As the old saying goes: "Itis not helping and it is not
allowing others to help."
A New beginning:
[Husapi] In your view, was the MBrejection of the security ban
on the rally a beginning of a new strategy of theMB dealing with
the security service?
(futuhl As MB's, we are still forregulating the rallies and the
Interior Ministry should perform its duty inundertaking this
regulation, not the prohibition. The security service wouldhave
done better had it deployed the thousands of officers and Central
Securitysoldiers to do something productive for Egypt or to defend
its nationalsecurity instead of using them to confront our people,
such as the MB andothers.
(HusElyn] Has not the MB exploited theweakness of the regime in
the face of the US pressure and sought to make onestep on the path
of obtaining legitimacy?
[Futuh] It is true that the Egyptianregime is weak. Had we
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SUBJ: TAKE 2 OF 3--Cairo Paper Interviews Muslim Brotherhood
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official
REF: 1. GMP20050419035001 Cairo Afaq Arabiyah (Internet
Version--WWW) in Arabic 14 Apr 05 ///weak. Had we
SOURCE: Cairo Afaq Arabiyah (Internet Version--WWW) in Arabic 14
Apr 05
TEXT:
wanted to exploit the weakness of the regime, we wouldhave done so
on many occasions in which the regime was weak. Since when was
theEgyptian regime strong in the face of the us pressure. For well
over 20 years, the Egyptian regime was retreating in the face of the
US pressure. It was weakwhen it released Israeli spy Azzam from
prison, when it signed the nuclearnon-proliferation treaty, when it
retracted from many positions that infringedon national security.
All these were symptoms of the weaknessof the regime, which we
did not utilize. On the contrary, in the initiativelaunched by his
eminence the General Guide about one year ago, we called on
theregime to derive strength from its people and to unite itself
with the peopleto confront foreign intervention. However, the
regime did not heed our call. Wedo not want the Egyptian regime,
whether it is headed by Husni Mubarak orsomeone else, to be weak
We are demanding that the regime become strong withthe support of
its own people, not by seeking protection from foreign and
USforces.
We do not beg our rights:-
[iusayn] However, have you not acted toachieve gains for the MB?
[Futuh] We have clearly declared that ourmovement as an MB seeks
no personal gains or gains for the MB. We are notbegging our rights
and we accept any regime elected by the people. We have paidthe
price of defending Egypt since 1948. The sons of the MB are being
arrested,imprisoned, executed and their blood spilled while the MB
did not retaliate inreprisal for themselves or for their own group.
They demanded their reward frothGod.
They devoted themselves to the service of Egypt through their
educational, social and cultural work in the manyinstitutions they
run. Meanwhile, at a time when the regime recognized theCommunists
and the nationalists and allowed their parties to function, it
didnot recognize us. It is still using various form b of resistance
against us,such as arrests, imprisonment, terrorization and even
the killing of our sons.
No deals with anyone:
[Husayn] In your view, why is thisduplicity in dealing with the
political forces?
[Futuh] Because the regime does not wantany political force in
Egypt to become strong and does not want Egypt to becomestrong.
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Otherwise, it would have sought to create a strong civil society
and stronggroups and parties. Nonetheless, it is working for
weakening society so as tocontinue to exercise its despotism,
tyranny and corruption without anyoneconfronting it.
[Husayn] Is the regime afraid of the MB?
[Futuh] It is natural for the regime tobe afraid of the MB. It
is even afraid of everything in Egypt. The morepopular any
political force grows, whether it is the MB or others, the
morescared the regime becomes. The regime is not fighting the MB
because of itsIslamic orientation, but because it is a large
popular force. Consequently, thepolicy of the regime is to weaken
the Egyptian people so as the Egyptian peoplewould not be able to
exercise their control on the regime's practices andcorruption?
Ditmayn] What is the truth about what hasbeen said that the MB
only took to the street to support external issues suchas
Palestine, Iraq and others, that their rally on 27 March was the
first inwhich they held to support local issues, and that this step
was very belated?
[Futuh] It could be that this step wasbelated because a large
organization should have comprehensive calculations.However, it is
untrue that this was the first time we took to the street tosupport
a local issue. We took to the street when the Camp David Treaty
wasconcluded in 1979 and many MB members were arrested. We also
stageddemonstrations in 1981 to stop the sectarian sedition, which
some people triedto bring to ahead. [Passage omitted on the rally
held at the Cairo sportsstadium]
[Husayn] What is your perception as an MBgroup of the
relationship between you and the ruling regime in the .
upcomingperiod?
[Futuh] The future of our movement isclear. We will not allow
the outbreak of chaos in Egypt. We will confront anyparty or
persons trying to create chaos for the benefit of the Americans.
Weare also determined to exercise our legal and constitutional
rights throughgatherings, processions and political action. We are
also determined tocomplete the upcoming presidential and
parliamentary elections through fairmethods. We will respect any
People's Assembly or president elected throughfree and fair
elections. These are the landmarks of our movement. �Moreover,
wewill not clash with anyone or be the cause of hurting anyone. We
will seek cooperationwith all the Egyptian political forces to stop
the onslaught on Egypt.
[Husayn]
[Futuh]
pressure on
gatherings,
processions
Egyptiansas
more danger
What is your platform forexecuting this perception?
We shall exercise all forms ofconstitutional and legal
the regime, which does not want reform,through peaceful
processions and conferences. We hope to stagethese
under a regime that can safeguard the image of the
a cultured people. [Passage omitted noting that the
is posed toEgypt, the more concessions are given by a
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regime that should abandon power]
[Husaym] President Mubarak excluded inpress statements what he
described as the rise of religiously based politicalparties and
added that the MB could join the already existing parties. What
doyou think?
[Futuh] In many of his statements,president Mubarak insisted
every time the subject of the MB was mentioned onsaying that "we
rejected the establishment of religious parties" although wewere
clear. We have declared dozens of times and our declarations
reached thepresident himself through his assistants that as MB's,
we rejected the rise ofreligious parties.
The MB is demanding a political civilparty with an Islamic term
reference as is the case with the National DemocraticParty [NDP].
The difference is only in the function. The NDP is a corrupt
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SUBJ: TAKE 3 OF 3--Cairo Paper Interviews Muslim Brotherhood
official
REF: 1. GMP20050419035001 Cairo Afaq Arabiyah (Internet
Version--WWW) in Arabic 14 Apr 05 ///is a corrupt
SOURCE: Cairo Afaq Arabiyah (Internet Version--WWW) in Arabic 14
Apr 05
TEXT:
partyand we do not want a corrupt party. The NDP shelves the
Egyptian constitution,which affirms in its second article that
Islam is the main source oflegislation. No party could ever rise in
Egypt with a term reference other thanIslam. Otherwise, it would be
violating the constitution.
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