Egypt's government decision to declare the Muslim Brotherhood "a terrorist organization" is mainly for local consumption, and a sign that the bloody confrontation will go on as experts warn that the move could push the young Brothers into more violence, writes Khaled Dawoud... Days after the Egyptian government decided on December 25 to label the 85-year-old Muslim Brotherhood group a "terrorist organization," officials in Prime Minister Hazem Biblawi's cabinet have been struggling to explain what the decision exactly meant, and how it would be carried out on the ground. A dramatic statement read out by Deputy Prime Minister, Hossam Eissa, provided no exact details, except holding the Brotherhood responsible for all acts of terrorism Egypt witnessed since the founding of the group in 1928, including incidents that were claimed by other extremist groups. However, the terrorist car bomb attack that killed 16 people, mainly policemen, in the Nile Delta city of Al-Mansurah was clearly the stroke that broke the camel's back. Premier Biblawi has already been under tremendous pressure to declare the Brotherhood a "terrorist" group in response to the ongoing daily demonstrations by its followers protesting the military-orchestrated removal of Brotherhood senior leader and former President Mohammed Morsi, six months ago (July 3, 2013). The group had officially condemned all acts of terrorism Egypt experienced since Morsi's ouster, but that was always coupled with statements implying that violence could stop if the current military-backed government responded to their key demand, and recognized Morsi again as President. The Brotherhood also repeatedly alleged without providing evidence, that terrorist acts, mainly targeting police and army, were inside operations plotted by intelligence services to justify the continuing crackdown against its members. Critics, led by supporters of former President Hosni Mubarak, who were toppled by the January 25 Revolution three years ago following 30 years in office, and hard line secular political parties, said Biblawi was leading a "government with shaken hands," and had no guts to confront the country's largest political Islamic group. Those believe only a harsh security crackdown can defeat the group once and for all, regardless of its influence and the fact that Morsi was the first democratically elected president in Egypt's modern history. Before the Al-Mansurah terrorist attack on December 24, Biblawi had maintained that he could not declare the Brotherhood a "terrorist group" without a clear legal context, such as a judicial ruling or compelling evidence condemning the group for its involvement in acts of terrorism. Yet, and to the surprise of many, the government's statement read out by Eissa blamed the Brotherhood for the latest terrorist bombing, even though another organization believed to be tied to Al-Qaeda, Ansar Bayt Al-Maqdis, had already issued two statements claiming responsibility. But those seem to be trivial details for the Egyptian government, run behind the scenes by Defence Minister Abdel-Fatah Al-Sisi who sided with millions of Egyptians who came out on June 30 in huge demonstrations to demand an end for Morsi's presidency after one year in office. On the ground, the government used its decision, which was not published as a decree in the state's official gazette so that lawyers could appeal against it in court, in order to crack down on more than 1,000 charity organizations affiliated to the Brotherhood, aiming to dry up the funds they provide to the rich group. Ministers also issued warnings that the decision, based on an article in the criminal law aimed at combating terrorism that dates back to Mubarak era, would mean that anyone who took part in the Brotherhood protests could face up to five years in prison. Other officials said that posting on Facebook pages the now famous "Rabaa" sign, four fingers up to remind of the bloody crackdown on August 14 by police on a 48-day sit-in by the Brotherhood supporters in Rabaa Square, could be also punished by imprisonment. Rabaa in Arabic means four. Shortly after Morsi's removal, police arrested many top Muslim Brotherhood leaders, including General Guide Mohamed Badie, his deputy, Khairat Shater, former Parliament Speaker, Saad El-Katatni, and thousands of young supporters who take part in demonstrations. All remaining leaders are either on the run inside Egypt, or had already fled illegally to bordering countries, namely Sudan and Libya. From there, they later head usually to either Qatar or Turkey. According to local human rights groups, at least 1000 people were killed during the same period. Thus, the government's decision to declare the group "terrorist organization, cannot be translated in escalating an already existing, wide-scale arrest campaign against its members. The Brotherhood, meanwhile, responded by adopting an equally hard-line stance, issuing a statement warning that the "leaders of the (July 3) military coup will end up on the gallows," and vowing to escalate "peaceful" protests. They also called upon soldiers and officers not to obey the orders of their senior officers to clamp down on protesters, and charged that the clampdown on charity organizations affiliated to the group would only serve "Christian missionaries to allure poor Muslims to change their religion out of their dire need." State universities, chiefly the Al-Azhar University, where Brotherhood students have a strong presence, turned into battlegrounds, and at least two students were killed in clashes with the police. While the two sides have also clashed regularly on Fridays following the noon prayers, the Friday clashes of December the 27th were reportedly the most violent. Furthermore, even so-called "moderate" Brotherhood leaders who were among the very few left outside prison have obviously felt it was no longer safe to stay in Egypt. Former International Cooperation Minister, Amr Darag, who served with Mohmaed Bishr, also a former Brotherhood minister, as the only channel of talks with outside mediators, including the US and EU, has fled to Sudan, together with former Information Minister, Salah Abdel-Maksoud and prominent Brotherhood Shura Council member, Gamal Heshmat. While the Brotherhood leaders have already been forced to work underground to avoid arrest, experts on the group expressed worry that the government's decision to declare them a "terrorist" organization would push the younger members more into violence, feeling that they have nothing to lose. By an estimate, the ongoing violent, bloody confrontations between the two sides, car bombs, arrests and human rights violations are likely to mark the beginning of the New Year, particularly as Egyptians were getting ready to vote in a public referendum on January 14 on a new constitution that was drafted after Morsi's removal.
