CAIRO: The Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt submitted legal papers to the Party Affairs Committee at the Court of Cassation in Cairo on Thursday requesting approval of the group's new political party. The Court of Cassation is the exclusive body atop the judicial hierarchy in Egypt and is responsible for overseeing political party registrations. The new party called Hizb al-Horriya w Alaadala, Freedom and Justice Party, was founded on April 30 of this year and originally announced it would contest nearly half of the seats in the upcoming parliamentary election. The Muslim Brotherhood's legislative branch appointed Mohamed Morsy as president of the new political party and Dr. Saad El-Ketatni as director general. Director General, Dr. El-Ketatni, said that the party has almost 9,000 founding members, including around 1,000 women and 93 Christians. Dr. Rafil Habib, a Coptic Evangelical Protestant Christian, has been chosen as the party's vice president – a step that the group hopes will add legitimacy to their claims of inclusiveness and support of Egypt's Christians. The party still holds their stance that a Christian would be unable to preside over the party or Egypt. Speaking to reporters on Thursday evening after filing legal documents for recognition of the party, the Director General, Dr El-Ketatni said, “The presence of Copts among the party's founders shows that the Muslim Brotherhood does what it says it will do, and that our Coptic brothers are partners in the nation.” Political platforms that the group claims to run on in upcoming elections include supporting free-market capitalism, but without manipulation or monopoly. The party's political program would also include tourism as a main source of national income. A spokesperson for the Freedom and Justice Party said the organization will be based on Islamic law, but “will be acceptable to a wide segment of the population.” The party's membership would be open to all Egyptians who accept the terms of its platform and those who are working for tolerance and pluralism. The Director General also declared that the new party's structures in Egyptian governorates will be formed by mid-June and the names of the founders will be published in two Egyptian newspapers which have wide circulation and readership. The Director General confirms that the party does not object to the election of women and Copts in cabinet, but still follows historical Muslim Brotherhood guidelines barring both from the presidency. According to Dr. El-Ketatni, the party was born strong and is supported by the years of experience available from its backers in the Muslim Brotherhood. He has rejected the description of the party as a “religious party,” but he noted that it will be based upon Islamic Shari'a Law, which is in line with the controversial Article 2 of the Egyptian Constitution. Since the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak, Christians in Egypt have worried that the Muslim Brotherhood will seek to create an Islamic state. If that were to happen, Christians are concerned that discrimination they faced under Mubarak would only worsen. Coptic human rights activist, Wagih Yacoub, said recently, “There is no doubt that the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis are allied. The Brotherhood plays politics and the Salafis are causing chaos so they can empty Egypt of Christians and make it an Islamic state. Lots of Egyptian people, including moderate Muslims, are worried. If Egypt becomes an Islamic state, it may mean civil war,” he added. “We won't get protection from the military council or the police forces. Our homes will be attacked at any minute, any time. Fears of an Islamic takeover in Egypt have intensified after the burning of churches in Cairo earlier this month. The church-burnings led to violent clashes that left 12 people dead. Just yesterday while the Freedom and Justice Party were at the Court of Cassation filing the party's legal paperwork, new violence flared in Ain Shams after Salafis entered the Church of the Virgin Mary and began desecrating the interior. Christians remain on high alert as they continue to be the target of anti-Christian attacks despite recent comments from the Muslim Brotherhood that they are unequivocally accepted and supported in order to broaden the party's wider appeal.
