The Muslim Brotherhood’s Statement on the Fifth Anniversary of the Rabaa Massacre

The Muslim Brotherhood’s Statement on the Fifth Anniversary of the Rabaa Massacre

 Over the past few years, our beloved country, Egypt, had witnessed great events, which left its profound effects on the present and future of the country, combining great hopes with deep wounds; where hopes and pains as well as joys and sorrows were intertwined. At the beginning of this decade, Egypt lived a glorious revolution, the revolution of January 25 that revealed the human and civilized face of the Egyptian people, and their great love for the homeland, passion for freedom, aspiration for dignified life and their rejection of injustice, repression and marginalization.  The Revolution was followed by number of elections regarded to be the most free in the history of country, where Egyptians freely chose their representatives in the parliament and their president, and voted for a great civil constitution. The country started to breathe freedom, the ordinary citizen began to feel dignity, and the path for reform, development and the liberation of national will also began to take shape.


However, the enemies of the homeland were indeed taking notice; they sought to abolish the achievements of the January revolution; destroy the fledgling democratic experience; eliminate Egyptian people’s dream of freedom, decent living and social justice; and abort the national liberation project initiated by President Mohamed Morsi that seeks self-sufficiency of food, medicine, and defense. Then came the coup of July 3, 2013, which committed all heinous crimes that are classified in all laws and customs as crimes of high treason against the country as it subverted the will of the people, squandered national territories, resources, and wealth as well as national and water security. The coup sought to unravel the social fabric, and spread hatred, committed heinous massacres against its opposition, most notably the massacres of the century in the Rabaa and Nahdha squares,which claimed the lives of thousands of Egyptians within hours.

Since the beginning of the January revolution to this moment, Egyptians have not ceased to seek their freedom and dignity, and have not stopped making sacrifices. The goals of Rabaa and Nahdha peaceful sit-ins are still in place, and their freedom fighters are still steadfast. They’re still paying the price of freedom, and are not frightened by massacres, prisons, or intimidated by the politicization of the judiciary or double standards. One day, this struggle must yield what the Egyptian people aspire to: freedom, dignity and prosperity they deserve. No due right will be lost if demanded by its claimant; the flag that is surrounded by hands and hearts never falls. The people’s rights and will are stronger than the coup brutal oppression.

Therefore, and based on the Muslim Brotherhood’s doctrine that resistance to injustice is part and parcel of faith, and work for the interest of the homeland is a duty, and in order to salvage the homeland from the dark tunnel created by the coup perpetrators; the Muslim Brotherhood confirms the following:

(1) The glorious January Revolution is the entire Egyptian people’s revolution, and the struggle to achieve its goals and preserve its gains is the duty of every keen patriot, freedom lover towards the homeland and revolution.

(2) Patriotism is an integrated national, civilizational and political project, aimed at achieving the cohesion of society in all its diversity, realizing national consensus and political accord and introducing a new social contract. The Muslim Brotherhood is a faction of the national action groups and the national framework.

(3) Peacefulness and peaceful struggle is the choice of all Egyptians during their revolution, and it is the Muslim Brotherhood’s choice for change. This is an authentic constant that has deep roots in the Muslim Brotherhood’s approach and history. It conforms to their established principles, which are inspired by their understanding of Islam, its methodology and its laws that confirm the sanctity of life, property and character, and prohibit aggression against them in any way, or under any pretext.

(4) The Egyptian people are the only source of legitimacy, and shall grant it to whoever they choose. The people had given legitimacy to President Dr. Mohamed Morsi through free and fair elections as witnessed by the World. Therefore, the coup against him is a coup against the entire Egyptian people, a subversion of people’s will and people’s right to choose its government. Insisting on the return of President Mohamed Morsi is not for a personal interest or a partisan gain, but it is to uphold the people’s right to free choice. The best way out of this dark tunnel is the return of President Mohamed Morsi to power at the head of a coalition government agreed upon by national forces for a specific and sufficient period during which it will prepare the country for free and fair elections supervised by an independent judicial body approved by the national forces without any exclusion.

(5) The forces of the January Revolution and the patriotic opposition against the coup are national wealth and the social safety safeguard. Ending the polarization atmosphere created by the coup perpetrators requires immediate cessation of systematic torture, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, house raids, all practices that increase popular tension, immediate release of all detainees, the removal of all the fabricated charges and unjust sentences issued against them, and lifting of all the resulting confiscation of funds or arbitrary job dismissals or travel bans or otherwise. The same is also required for those pursued by security apparatus inside and outside the country, as a first step to set an atmosphere of freedoms.

(6) Sacrifices of martyrs and the injured are the greatest and most noble sacrifices. They have sacrificed their lives and blood for the redemption of the homeland, and in the interest of its dignity and freedom. The right of the martyrs in exacting just punishment against their murderers is unalienable right, and is not subject to statute of limitations. It is also an unalienable right that belongs to the martyr’s family. No party or a group may infringe on these rights in any way, and care must be provided for the wounded and the martyr’s families and honoring them is a duty of society and the state.

(7) Achieving a speedy justice, in cases of murder, injury, property, character assassination and political crimes requires the implementation of the transitional justice principles regarding the events that had taken place in the country since the January revolution to date, by an independent judiciary body approved by national forces.

(8) The Muslim Brotherhood’s members are an integral part of the Egyptian social fabric and an active force among the Egypt’s lively national forces. They seek the good of all the society. They do not see themselves as an alternative to the people or as a sole representative. They do not monopolize patriotism or national action. They believe that the homeland accommodates all its citizens, and it needs everyone for its development. And that marginalization and exclusion are psychological and intellectual illness and a social and national loss at the same time. Members of the Muslim Brotherhood do not discriminate amongst Egyptians under the skies of the homeland or outside its territories. They see citizenship as the solid foundation for building the modern civil state sought by the January revolution.

(9) The Muslim Brotherhood affirms its strong commitment to the Egyptian state and its institutions, which are the property of the Egyptian people alone, including the national military establishment, as one of the most important state institutions, that includes citizens from all sectors of Egyptian society. Muslim Brotherhood Is keen on the continuation of the military institution in fulfilling its functions stipulated by the Constitution and the law: protecting the borders of the homeland and its national security and preserving the country’s unity and territorial integrity. This, in turn, necessitates a halt to its incursion into political and economic life. However, it was burdened by the mission of ruling the country and running its government! This mission is not its original one. Its original mission necessitates its transformation into a professional institution away from politics, capital and economic interests.

(10) We believe that the self-revision is the duty of every group and faction, and it is the right of the homeland. It is the starting point for any correction. It is the force for desired reform, provided that it is conducted in a proper setting and appropriate atmosphere away from hatred and incitement. Hence, we call on all Egyptian society’s effective forces to review the march of the past phase with all impartiality and transparency, and with all neutrality and objectivity away from verbal or media interchange, rejoicing at each other’s calamity, settling of accounts, evasion of responsibility and arbitrary accusations.

In the interest of living all under the skies of a homeland that accommodates every citizen under the umbrella of the law and the Constitution, we appeal to everyone and invite everyone to a comprehensive national dialogue in a healthy environment that allows achieving all the above principles so as to restore national cohesion and go ahead towards one homeland for one nation.


Muslim Brotherhood

Monday, 2 Dhul Hijjah 1439 AH, August 13, 2018