The Muslim Brotherhood takes steps to counter a two-month long security crackdown, reports Gamal Essam El-Din The latest security crackdown on Egypt's largest outlawed opposition force, the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) began in February. Leading members of the MB's Guidance Bureau are already in detention and more arrests are expected in the run-up to elections of the Shura Council and People's Assembly in the second half of this year. In an attempt to counter the campaign of isolation led by the security forces and the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), the MB is moving on several fronts, encouraged by courts on 5 April ordering the release of senior Guidance Bureau members Mahmoud Ezzat and Essam El-Erian, together with 14 MB provincial leaders. The MB's strategy includes "ending historical enmity and mending fences with leading opposition parties such as Wafd, Tagammu and the Nasserists". "Our meetings are aimed at reaching a historical reconciliation with opposition," says Mohamed El-Beltagui, an Ain Shams University professor and Brotherhood MP. "We are engaged in a serious bid to find common ground in the run-up to elections and for the sake of promoting constitutional and political reform." Three meetings have been held between the MB and opposition parties. A fourth meeting which was planned to be held with the liberal-oriented Democratic Front party led by journalist Osama El-Ghazali Harb on Tuesday was postponed. Several independent observers told Al-Ahram Weekly that the Brotherhood is seeking to escape political isolation by rallying the support of opposition parties and working under their umbrella. "The Brotherhood was excluded from a three-day conference held by four major opposition parties in the middle of March," points out political analyst Ammar Ali Hassan. "Their exclusion was more biting because it came in the midst of a harsh security crackdown." Hassan is sceptical that the group's dialogue with opposition parties will be successful. "The ideological gap between them remains far too wide. And it is no secret some official parties toe the NDP's line. They will not conclude political deals with the Brotherhood." The MB's first reconciliation meeting on 28 March, with the leftist Tagammu Party, ended with some Tagammu members resigning. El-Tagammu's chairman, Rifaat El-Said, said that while he was not happy about the meeting it went ahead because "the Brotherhood asked for a dialogue and we would have found it churlish not to comply." El-Said is highly critical of the MB and its Islamist ideology and vehemently opposed the group being invited to last March's opposition conference. He did not attend the group's Tagammu meeting and says he does not believe the Brotherhood's request for dialogue was prompted by a sincere desire to find common ground with opposition parties on political and constitutional reform. "We all know that in times of need the Brothers are keen to secure the support of the secular opposition," argues El-Said. "It has happened before, under former supreme guide Mahdi Akef, and it ended in nothing." El-Said expects that the Brotherhood will become more isolated "as long as it insists on mixing religion with politics and espousing an ideology aimed at turning Egypt into an Islamist state." Amina El-Naqqash, editor of Tagammu's mouthpiece Al-Ahali, said: "The Brotherhood's request for dialogue and reconciliation is just a tactic aimed at seeking the support of secular opposition forces in the face of repeated security crackdowns. Once they feel strong they will reject dialogue and resume mocking the opposition." "During the meeting," says El-Naqqash, "I asked the delegation about their bias against women and Copts and their response was that it is not on their agenda to change their ideology." The Brotherhood's El-Beltagui, however, told Al-Ahram Weekly that "in our meeting with the Tagammu we decided to focus on finding a common ground and set aside ideological differences." "We told them that the regime should not be allowed to widen the gap between the Brotherhood and secular forces, that all opposition forces must be united behind constitutional reform and that integrity should be the hallmark of the next parliamentary and presidential elections." On 4 April a Brotherhood delegation met with leaders of the leftist Nasserist Party. In contrast with Tagammu, the Nasserists welcomed Brotherhood leaders. Ahmed El-Gammal, deputy chairman of the Arab Nasserist Party, said "the meeting focussed on exchanging views on constitutional and political reform and preparations for the next parliamentary elections." The Nasserists and the Brothers agree that "the nation lives in a state of danger. What is important now is to rally behind a common agenda of political and constitutional reform rather than focus on narrowing the ideological gap." MB spokesman Mohamed Mursi told a press conference that "in spite of its Islamist ideology and background, the group believes in a modern civilian state. We share a common vision with the Nasserists, including the necessity of ending the state of emergency and military tribunals, amending the constitution, supporting the Palestinians, and holding free elections," said Mursi. Several members of the party opposed the dialogue. Mohamed Sayed Ahmed, the Nasserist Party's secretary for political affairs, argued that the talks were an attempt by the MB "to penetrate the opposition after it has been battered by isolation and the security campaigns of the past few weeks." On 11 April, a Brotherhood delegation held a meeting with leading members of the Free Social Constitutional Party, led by Mamdouh Qenawi. Qenawi is a harsh critic of government policies and a firm supporter of former nuclear watchdog boss Mohamed El-Baradei's campaign for political and constitutional reform. "In earlier appeals for dialogue with the secular opposition, Brotherhood leaders used to be arrogant, focussing on Islamic Sharia law only. This time," said Qenawi, "they came to the opposition speaking politely and repeating secular terms such as 'civilian state' and 'the constitution'." The MB also plans to meet with the liberal-oriented Ghad Party. El-Beltagui said the group is also seeking to open a dialogue with Wafd, the largest opposition party. Wafd's chairman, Mahmoud Abaza, is highly critical of the Brotherhood, accusing it of promoting extremist Islamist ideology. Wafdist leader Essam Shiha says the party has yet to be approached by the Brotherhood. Mustafa Elwi, a member of the NDP and Shura Council, argued that "the dialogue with opposition could help the Muslim Brotherhood on the short term, but not on the long term." "The Brothers were further isolated by the spotlight now focussed on El-Baradei and this is why their appeal for dialogue is just a tactic until they regain some of the light," said Elwi. Several Brotherhood leaders, notably the group's spokesman Essam El-Erian, have stressed that they support El-Baradei's campaign for reform. "Although it is not part of our plans to join El-Baradei's National Assembly for Change we fully support his reform agenda," said El-Erian, who also stressed that the security campaign would not deter the group from fielding candidates in the Shura Council elections, scheduled for June. Rumours are rampant that the MB's appeal for dialogue will extend to holding meetings with Coptic figures.
