• December 25, 2006
  • 3 minutes read

Muslim Brotherhood statement over the security crackdown

Muslim Brotherhood statement over the security crackdown

Muslim Brotherhood statement over the security crackdown on Sunday 24/12/2006 at dawn against MB members and businesses

During these blessed days and while people are preparing for holidays and hajjis go to the Holy House of Allah to perform pilgrimage, we- the Muslim Brotherhood group- are surprised with a new aggravating Egyptian regime crackdown launched by the security services against the Islamic Publishing House- an Egyptian joint stock company owned by MB and other shareholders, and against its printing office and book stores affiliated to it yesterday at midnight, along with breaking doors, confiscating money allocated for paying workers salaries and due cheques, seizing all papers and documents related to work and dealings, and seizing a large number of books, and arresting the Islamic Publishing house manager, Mr. Ahmed Ashraf, and then sealing off the company’s headquarters, branches, stores and printing office. Businessman Hassan Malek, was also arrested and his companies and exhibitions were sealed off. Engineer Ahmed Shousha was also arrested and his office and private company were sealed off after confiscating money from his house, including the house expenditures.

Political disagreement shouldn’t have crossed the limit of an honest competition; depriving people from their sources of income, confiscating money and add more people to lines of the unemployed.

The Islamic Publishing house was founded- thirty years ago-by Mr. Omar Al-Tilmisani- Allah had mercy on him – to spread the Islamic moderate thought; this had a considerable effect on protecting thousands of young men from joining Takfiri and violence groups.

While condemning these terrorist and unjust attacks that cross limits of all principles, values and laws and destroy all human rights, we hold the regime and government accountable for everything that happened, and we ask them:” Is it for the sake and benefit of Egypt that moderate thought gets silenced? Is it for the sake and benefit of Egypt that investors get scared away? and economic businesses that constitute sources of living for many, be shut down? Is it for the sake and benefit of Egypt that people live in such terrorizing atmospheres?

We demand all honorable national powers and civil society institutions to define their attitude and declare their views over these irresponsible actions. Does the Egyptian president know what is happening? and what is his opinion and attitude towards this?

We know for sure that these unjustified escalations and crackdowns are only a cover for the desired behind-closed-doors constitutional amendments which will lead us to worse and may be a cover for something more serious. These crackdowns came to silence and restrict the opposition movement for these measures.

Despite everything that happened and is happening, we will- God willing- insist on maintaining the gradual peaceful reform method which we adopt, and we will say the truth, preach with wisdom and call for doing virtues.

(And Allah hath full power and control over His affairs) and (Allah suffices us and He is the Best Helper)
 
Mohamed Mahdi Akef
The Muslim Muslim Brotherhood Chairman