CAIRO: The Muslim Brotherhood's political party will be a danger to the country and the community if its policy is merged with the Brotherhood's policy, said Abd el-Muneim Abu el-Fetouh, a leader of the Brotherhood (MB). During a symposium at his office in the Cairo neighborhood of Heliopolis, Abu el-Fetouh added that religious values could be violated if they indulged into partisan rivalries, and that the Dawaa (Islamic call) is a patriotic duty for the nation. “Egypt needs a transition civil council of judges rather than the military council, which should go back to its barracks. The military has no experience running the country's affairs despite the Supreme Council of Armed Forces' (SCAF) service to the people,” Abu el-Fetouh said. He also called on the January 25 Revolution youth to not comply with foreign pressures and for independence of national and political decisions that concern public interest. He referred to the British legacy of pressuring Egypt, which was inherited by the Americans. In response to a question about reconciling Islam with politics, Abu el-Fetouh said is no problem with having several Islamic parties according to different political visions. For example, he said, MB members have different opinions on whether the coming regime should be presidential, semi-presidential, or parliamentary, and which could go under the umbrella of Islam. He added that political, liberal, and nationalist ideologies are not contrary to Islam. Abu el-Fetouh said Islamic movements have militarized their administrations, pointing out that MB founder Hassan al-Banna refused to militarize the Brotherhood during its participation in resisting Egypt's occupation by the British. So, at the time, al-Banna established an interim military section of the Brotherhood. Commenting on the Brotherhood's role during the January 25 Revolution, Abu el-Fetouh said the revolution began with all Egyptian parties and movements, including the Brotherhood, but that MB leaders did not participate in the beginning of the revolution as they did not expect its success. In response to a question of whether he will run for president, Abu el-Fetouh said he is considering it and asked those with an opinion to share it with him via e-mail. He added that should he be elected as Egypt's next president, his priorities will be freedom, justice, and education. He also said imposing the hejab, the traditional Islamic veil, by force, as happens in some Islamic countries, is wrong. Instead, calls for women to wear hejab should be respectful.
