CAIRO: In a bid to avoid a regional conflict, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has called upon the Egyptian government as well as neighboring countries to develop a strategy to come up with solutions to resolve the internal crisis in Syria by supporting “the revolution against tyranny and corruption.” The Brotherhood has also demanded that Iran end their support of the current Syrian government in the wake of violent clashes that have left over 1,600 dead and 3,000 missing since the conflict started on March 15. The Brotherhood have also extended an invitation for an iftar – the meal that breaks the Muslim fast during the holy month of Ramadan – to all religious scholars, church leaders, political parties as well as movements and official forces, indicating that the Islamic group may be in support of rebuilding the nation through unity and harmony amongst all parties involved. According to the Brotherhood, “for the first time in 16 years the entire Shura Council [Guidance Bureau] managed to meet 7 times without any of its members being imprisoned. “This represents a major achievement of the January 25th revolution,” the group said. The recent public internal elections, which saw considerable media presence, is also being called a major achievement by the Brotherhood. Following the Prime Minister's appointment of new governors, the Brotherhood said that they will “continue to observe the government and the governors as they run state affairs in the transitional period, hopefully paving the way for a peaceful and proper transfer of power through elections.” This decision, they say, is disappointing, yet right of the prime minister to appoint “trusted governors.” The Sufi protest that was scheduled for Friday has also been postponed. The Brotherhood released a statement praising the move as a wise decision, “helping to restore some unity amongst all national forces in Egypt – political and religious.” “We support the decision of the Sufis to postpone the demonstration this Friday in Tahrir Square.” According to the group, the country must focus on its fiscal policy, which will be key in coping with the global financial crisis. They claim that the increasing reliance on local resources and the decreased dependency on imports are important components of the revolution. BM
