An initiative floated by the Muslim Brotherhood leading figure Jamal Hishmat announcing that his group was ready to "take a step backward" and that the reinstatement of Morsi is no longer on the table has sparked a wave of controversy in Egypt. As some observers have welcomed the initiative, others, however, have criticized it and asked Hishmat to clarify what he meant by his remarks. In an interview with the Qatari Al-Jazeera TV on 21 March, Hishmat said: "Speaking on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood and its Freedom and Justice Party, I can announce for the first time that we are ready to take a step backward with regard to the political gains we have achieved in order to unify the revolutionary ranks and take revenge for all martyrs." Hishmat, a former secretary of the defence and national security committee at the now dissolved Shura Council (Upper House of parliament) in 2012, added that "the issue is not about the return of [deposed] president Mohammad Morsi, but it has to do with the Muslim Brotherhood's position in the political scene." Head of the Construction and Development Party (the political wing of the Islamic Group) Tariq al-Zumur welcomed Hishmat's initiative, saying "it is a responsible initiative that should be welcomed". In press statements on 22 March, Al-Zumur said: "The possibility that the Freedom and Justice Party can take steps backward to reunify the 25 January forces is welcomed, particularly as we are going through a historical stage that requires all of us to stand united." For his part, Imam Yusuf, a leading member of the pro-Morsi National Alliance for Supporting Legitimacy (NASL), denounced Hishmat's initiative and distanced the alliance from it. He noted that the Muslim Brotherhood is just one of NASL's factions and that the initiative does not necessarily reflect the alliance's position. Speaking to the private ONA news agency on 22 March, Yusuf asked Brotherhood leaders who are living abroad to "control" their remarks. Hishamt is reportedly residing in an Arab country, as he - among others - is wanted at home. The Egyptian authorities have intensified their crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood members since the ouster of president Morsi in July last year. In December, the authorities designated the Brotherhood as a "terrorist" organization. Former member of the Muslim Brotherhood Islam al-Katatni said Hishmat's initiative was "meaningless" and that it did not bring anything new. "The Muslim Brotherhood group is exercising procrastination, as it has become the weakest party in the political process. If they seek reconciliation, they should apologize for the Egyptian people, recognize the 30 June [2013] revolution, and stop exercising terrorism," said al-Katatni. Trying to clarify Hishmat's initiative, NASL leading figure Safwat Abdel-Ghani said the initiative talked about what political and revolutionary forces would agree on after ending the "coup". Writing on his Facebook page on 22 March, Abdel-Ghani said: "I think that Dr Jamal Hishmat did not explain what he exactly meant. Perhaps his hasty announcement of some proposals and his talk in general has caused misunderstanding. He simply talked about what political, revolutionary, and nationalist forces would agree on after ending the coup, and this is completely different from what some people believed to be a new political initiative or a request for reconciliation with the coup authorities." Since the military removed Morsi from power, the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters have been calling the move a "coup" though the move was instigated after mass protests nationwide against his single year in power. Although it was reported that Hishmat backtracked on his initiative later on, the controversy has continued. According to the private Al-Yawm al-Sabi on 23 March, Hishmat said he meant by his remarks that "collaborative democracy, not a competitive one, is required", and that the return of ousted president Morsi to power is "a public demand". Commenting on this, spokesman for Salafist Al-Asalah (Authenticity) Party Hatim Abu-Zayd wrote on his party's Facebook page on 23 March saying Hishmat's backtracking on his initiative was "a good step".
