CAIRO: Mohamed Habib, the Muslim Brotherhood's (MB) deputy leader, dismissed rumors of disputes between the young and old generations of the group. Habib s comments were a response to an article published in the daily Al-Masry Al-Youm which featured bloggers belonging to the MB group saying that they are rebelling against the group's old system which is based on the idea of blind obedience. The article quoted an extract from Magdy Saad's blog, who identifies himself as a member of the MB. In it, he wrote that there is no harm for youngsters affiliated with the MB to rebel against that concept. He also called for rebellion against all other controlling systems that the older generation of the MB imposes on them. The paper reported that Saad even rejected the MB's election campaign slogan Islam is the Solution and that he believes that it portrays the MB as a religious group. He believes that a more flexible and inclusive motto improve the public image of the group as an organization that accepts different mentalities and beliefs. However, Saad, a 29-year-old marketing executive, told The Daily Star Egypt that Al-Masry Al-Youm quoted him out of context to make it appear as if Saad was attacking the whole MB system, which he was not. "I just do not agree with some issues and that is a normal and healthy thing that exists in all organizations, Saad said. Saad also indicated that the MB like any other organization has internal differences, but that did not mean there are disputes. "I do believe that obedience should exist in any system. I believe in rebelling against people or opinions that we disagree with, Saad said. "The right to disagree is allowed within the Brotherhood, which makes it a healthy and free environment, Saad added. All this talk about disputes and struggles between the group s different members is completely incorrect, MB lawyer Abdel Moniem Abdel Maqsoud told The Daily Star Egypt. However, Ibrahim El-Houdaiby, a young board member of the banned organization stressed that while "disagreements do exist within the Brotherhood, they are strictly view-oriented and not generational issues. In particular, El-Houdaiby argued that there is an ongoing ruckus regarding the Brotherhood's slogan. "There are some members of all ages, including myself, who believe that the organization's slogan 'Islam is the Solution' does not reflect the priorities of the Brotherhood. I'd like to see it changed because I don't think that we want to continue to publicize ourselves as an 'Islamist Party.' We need to show the public that we do not discriminate against anyone and that what we want is justice and equality, El-Houdaiby said. "We need a better message, El-Houdaiby added. Habib, who denied such disputes, indicated that the group is big and includes many members, so many people can intrude and claim that they belong to it to introduce these fake claims. The MB, being an illegal group, was does not have an official membership procedure. According to Abdel Maqsoud, this made it easy for anyone to claim they belonged to the group. There are two ways through which individuals become members, explained Abdel Maqsoud: through an existing MB member or through the Brotherhood's guidance office headquarters or any other branches in Egypt. This way, the person will be a legal member of the group, and hence will be required to follow its rules and blind obedience to maintain order, said Abdel Maqsoud. But anyone can belong to the group by sharing the same thoughts or visions of those inside, Abdel Maqsoud added. However Abdel Maqsoud indicated that all opinions are considered. Habib concurs. "We are very keen to listen to all the different opinions and projects and do not suspend any form of expression. Abdel Maqsoud also denied that these generational disputes exist. Most MB members at the People s Assembly belong to the middle generation while the MB leaders belong to the old one, said Abdel Maqsoud to prove that the different generations coexist harmoniously.
