Egypt’s Brotherhood gets new leader

Muhammad Badie becomes the eighth leader of the Muslim Brotherhood since the party’s establishment.

Egypt’s main opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, has named Dr Muhammad Badie as its new leader following the resignation of Chairman Mohamed Mahdi Akef.

 Badie was “chosen by consensus by members of the consultative council,” Akef told a press conference in Cairo on Saturday. Badie is the group’s eighth Chairman since it was founded in 1928.

Akef addressed a word to the press conference, which had convened for the historical announcement of the eighth Chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood Movement. He asserted that the movement was bound by a set of regulations however were and still are open to reform and progress suitable to specific incidents and specific times stressing that flexibility is a must for the success of any trend.

He called on the members of the movement to holdfast to its cause and not to waver or flinch in the face of possible oppression and tyranny. “Continue in your cause with head held high and follow through with integrity and reciprocated respect so that the banner of Islam may be raised. Support your leaders who are as one within your ranks”.

The new Chairman Dr Badie offered a tribute to the resigned chairman stating “I would like to address our teacher, older brother, and distinguished leader Mr. Mohamed Mahdy Akef, the seventh leader of the MB group. Dr Akef has been a strong, dedicated and enthusiastic person who led the group’s journey amid storms surpassing all its obstacles, thus providing this unique and outstanding model to all leaders and senior officials in the government, associations and other parties. He has   fulfilled his promise by  handing over the reigns after only  one term, words are not enough to express our feelings to  this great leader and guide and we can only say “May Allah reward you all the best”.  

He concluded by telling reporters that the movement was open to new ideas hence their promoting of reform. The Brotherhood rejects violence and aims to achieve gradual reforms in a peaceful and constitutional way.

 We totally reject violence and denounce it in all its forms,” the new leader concluded.

 .