• MB News
  • October 4, 2012
  • 5 minutes read

Brotherhood Never Even Contemplated Deal with Former Regime Officials, Especially General Shafiq

Brotherhood Never Even Contemplated Deal with Former Regime Officials, Especially General Shafiq

 Dr. Mahmoud Ghozlan, member of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Guidance Bureau, rejected as totally untrue rumors published by a certain newspaper Wednesday about a secret deal between the Brotherhood and ousted-regime holdover General Ahmed Shafiq. The newspaper claimed that the Brotherhood was supposed to support Shafiq in the last presidential elections.



Ghozlan further stressed that members of the Guidance Bureau named in the baseless report never saw General Shafiq in their lives, except in pictures and on television. Evidently, the so-called report’s contents and details are all confused and incoherent, a clear sign that the whole story is a totally concocted utter lie.


“The group had its own candidate for the presidency. It would never make sense for it to go to an opponent in the elections for him to ask the group to support him against its own candidate.


“In fact, the Brotherhood had absolutely no intention or inclination to cooperate with symbols of the former regime, especially General Shafiq. We believed the General was responsible for the notorious and brutal ‘Camel’ battle in the early days of the revolution, at the political level – at least. We also knew that he was involved in financial irregularities, which persistently besiege him these days.”


Meanwhile, Muslim Brotherhood leader Hassan Malik, revealed that he had one single meeting with General Shafiq, after numerous calls in which losing presidential candidate Shafiq insisted on meeting Malik, before the Brotherhood put up its own candidate for the presidential elections. Shafiq asked for the Muslim Brotherhood’s opinion regarding his candidacy.


In a press statement, Malik said: “In July 2011, Shafiq called me and asked to see me. We met at a friend’s house. Shafiq asked me to arrange for him to meet with Dr. Mohamed Morsi, Dr. Mohamed Saad Katatni or Dr. Essam El-Erian.


“I asked him about the purpose of such a meeting. He said, "I want their views on my candidacy – for the presidency.


Because if they do not agree, I will not nominate myself". I told him: "If you want my personal opinion, do not run this race – ousted president Mubarak has burnt you out". Then I told him I would inform the Brotherhood of his request. However, Dr. Mohamed Morsi later told me that the group had no wish or intention to meet Shafiq.”


Malik added that, “Still, General Shafiq called me several times, after that. I apologized to him, in a diplomatic manner. But he asked me to arrange a ‘surprise’ meet for him with Brotherhood leaders in my house. I told him that was not such a good idea.


“Shortly after that, I relayed to General Shafiq the Brotherhood’s refusal. In any event, all of these contacts with Shafiq were stopped completely after he announced his candidacy.”


Initially, the Muslim Brotherhood had taken a decision not to field a candidate for Egyptian presidency.
 
However, the group changed course after the emergence of several challenges that represented serious threats to the revolution, including a number of ex-regime loyalists applying as presidential candidates in an obvious and bold attempt to replicate the old regime.