CAIRO: With the Muslim Brotherhood beginning filming this fall on an ambitious project, the debate over the motivation for a movie about the life of their founder, Hassan Al Banna, is captivating activists and political analysts. The idea that the Brotherhood is making a film has made activists wince. On the flipside, Islamists are hoping that the movie will allow some of the lesser-known guiding principles for the organization to be made known. In much the same way that Al Banna himself was controversial in life and in death, the film will take Al Banna’s story beginning in his early days growing up in a Nile Delta village, through to the founding of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1928; his confrontation with the government and subsequent assassination in 1949. “We are ready to begin and some filming has taken place,†says Ahmed Seif Al Islam Hassan Al Banna, the leader’s son. “We currently have a committee concerning the film and have regular meetings about the film, which will portray Hassan Al Banna’s life accurately.†Brotherhood MP Mohsen Radi is financing the bulk of the project, supplying tens of millions of Egyptian pounds to see it become a reality. The Brotherhood hopes that the film will be shown across the globe, with the goal of helping equip the West with a better understanding of the group often criticized. “We want the U.S. and Europe to see the film so they can know the truth about Hassan Al Banna and the Muslim Brotherhood,†Al Islam hopes. Egyptians would seem to be eager to get the message out relating to the often-misunderstood organization that has moved into being the most viable opposition group in the country. This couldn’t be further from reality. Activists are concerned about the intentions of such a film. “I simply don’t trust their actions and a movie only continues to make me feel that they are doing something behind our backs,†said one pro-democracy activist. Much of the opposition feels that the idea of a movie, which they readily admit will be manifested, will make the Brotherhood even stronger and silence their voices. This activist believes that a movie based on the founder’s life will garner even more support for the Brotherhood among the lower classes. “It is an attempt to overtake the opposition and even if the movie should be shown to westerners, right now is just not a very good time to do so because the opposition is still weak,†he added in an interview with Bikya Masr's Editor late last year. The most critical aspect of the film might be where the film will be viewed. Seif Al Islam is not disturbed by the possibility of the film being banned in its home country. He says that they will go ahead and produce it no matter what the government says. The government banned “The Da Vinci Code†a few years back in an attempt to appease the Christian population in the country and the likelihood is that this movie will not be seen in Egyptian cinemas. The film will surely be debated in the coming months before its scheduled filming launch this fall. Many are questioning the Brotherhood’s real intention for the film, including some who say it is an attempt “to stranglehold the opposition and assume full control over the numerous factions vying for political clout.†Whether or not the film is shown in Egypt, one thing is certain: the film is going to be made. “It will be completed, I am certain of that,†says Mohamed Habib, deputy of the Brotherhood. “We will continue to show people our true selves so that they may see us for who we are and choose for themselves the best route for Egypt and the Muslim world as a whole.†BM
