Thrusday 1 Rabi'ul Akhir 1433 AH - February 23, 2012 AD - (Last Update) 12:43 AM (Makkah)، 10:43 PM (GMT)

Why Egypt's MB did not participate in National Salvation demonstration?

Written by: Mustafa Ashoor 2011-11-22 16:43:23

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Thousands of protesters have filled Cairo's central Tahrir Square calling for the military to spell out and hand over power to a civilian government. At least 33 protesters have been killed in clashes with security forces over the past three days.
Meanwhile, Egyptian political forces behind the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's former president, called for a mass rally on Tuesday 22 Nov to demand the army cede power to a civilian government.The Coalition of Revolution Youth and the April 6 movement, among others, called for the protest at 4:00pm local time (14:00 GMT) on Tuesday in Tahrir Square.
"Muslim" Brothers, unlike Amnesty, blamed the interior ministry and instead linked the Tahrir clashes to "desperate attempts made for months to halt the process of handing power over to the people through the parliamentary elections".
However MB failed to mention who stands behind the claimed attempts, most likely they meant the most important activist movements, April 6 Movement, who "announced they will continue their sit-ins in Cairo's Tahrir Square and in other governorates, demanding the ruling military junta transfer power to a civilian presidential council."
The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party issued a statement on Monday announcing that it will not participate "in any sit-in or protest that may lead to more confrontations and congestion," the party wrote in a statement it issued to reporters. "In the meantime, we will be striving along with other parties to abort the sedition that the interior ministry has instigated in the country," the statement said.
The party demanded that the ones responsible for the killing of potesters be brought to justice. In the meantime, it linked the Tahrir clashes to "desperate attempts made for months to halt the process of handing power over to the people through the parliamentary elections.
The honeymoon
Since March of this year, the Muslim Brotherhood and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) appeared to have had a behind-the-scenes deal, agreement or accommodation, from which both sides would benefit. That, at least, has been the conclusion drawn by many in the democratic/secular camp in the country’s post-revolutionary political space.
Some argue that a SCAF/MB agreement is still in place, while others argue that whatever deal they might have had has been called off lately, due to sharp disagreements between the two. Leading Brotherhood figures, however, vehemently deny ever having had an agreement with SCAF.
Those who accuse the Brotherhood of having struck a deal with SCAF point to the group’s recurrent withdrawal, even condemnation of protest actions aimed at achieving the Egyptian revolution’s basic objectives in democracy and social justice. Concerned solely with winning the lion’s share of political power in the country after the popular uprising, Brotherhood critics charge the group is working towards a power-sharing deal with the military.
Towards this objective, the Brotherhood’s critics argue, the group has committed itself to help the military rulers control public opinion and deter recurring post-revolution nationwide demonstrations, strikes and sit-ins by neither endorsing nor taking part in any of them, and on occasion condemning such actions outright.
Some explanations
Despite the decision of the party not participate, many young members of MB are expected to join the mass rally on Tuesday evening in Tahrir Square in solidarity with their mates.  These groups is believed to have their vision and act according to what they think right.
Some analyst think that MB views what is going on in Tahrir Square as a conspiracy by some libral parties to make some kind of coalition with Military Council in order to secure a distinctive position in the political scene and stop the advance of MB to sweep the coming elections.
The MB according to some other analysts distance themselves from Tahrir Square so as not be blamed should there be any violence and bloodshed because they would be the main group in the Square. Others observers think MB do not want to see the historical polarization between them and the Military Council i.e. the State since they do not have  true allies within what is so called the democratic alliance. MB will not benefit of this situation and it will not be in the interest of the country now and hence not to participate was a painful decision to take.
Another reason of the decision of the MB not to participate is the possible confrontation with other forces occupying the Square. These forces considered themselves the real owners of the Square and may seek to initiate troubles with MB and this is notability what they want at this time.
Salafi Presence
Just after the statement of the MB not to participate in Tuesday mass rally the Salafi political party El Benaa wa Tanmeya(Construction & Development) announced that  it is going to participate in the mass rally .
Asim Abdul Majed the spokesperson of the salfi party pointed out that what happened in Tahrir Squre on Monday was a massacre against Egyptian people and he added that because of the absence of prompt justice the old regime’s party, National Party is coming back in politics but in disguised political slogan and parties.
According to many analysts and observers of the stance of the Salfi parties, they were  much more courageous and daring than the one of the MB. It is worth mentioning that this new stance of the Salafi towards what is going on in Tahrir Square came after the previous awkward position they took concerning demonstration against the Military Council.
This in turn shows that the Salafi parties are learning day by day how to respond to the political development in Egypt and take the right decisions. The decision of Salafis to participate in the Tuesday’s mass rally will give them a favorable position compared to the one of Muslims Brotherhoods and of course will add to their legitimacy and refute the common perceptions held by many analysts that they live on gains of the MB.
Decision making within MB
The Muslims Brotherhood" or "MB" is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940 had an estimated two million members. Its ideas had gained its supporters throughout the Arab world and influenced other Islamist groups with its "model of political activism combined with Islamic charity work". Its most famous slogan, used worldwide, is "Islam is the solution."
To understand how decisions are taken within MB one has to know the structure of the “Maktab al Ershad” i.e. Guidance Office. This office composed of very homogeneous group of people and this group had experienced the historical crisis with the Egyptian military apparatus and they do not want to repeat this unpleasant experience. According they avoid any confrontation with military. However this fear of confrontation crippled the party decision makers to articulate a new relation with the military apparatus.
The composition of the Guidance office of old generation with a classical thinking will explain the irresponsiveness of the party to the rapid political developments in Egypt. Things have changed dramatically and half solutions no longer fit the rebellious youth who demand massive changes in the political life in the country.
Finally, the methodological differences between the MB and the rebellious youth explain to a great degree why MB decide not participate in the mass rally. The youth demands radical changes while the MB adopts conservative manner to bring changes orderly.  Although sometimes it tends to act in a revolutionary style however it prefer to come back quickly to its well known conservative manner to realize its objectives.


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