Habib Heads Committee to Revise Brotherhood Platform

The Muslim Brotherhood”s general guide, Issam el-Erian, revealed that the group has formed a committee headed by the guide”s first deputy Mohamed Habib to revise and make the necessary amendments to the Muslim Brotherhood Party”s political platform in response to comments made by intellectuals who received a copy of it.

In an exclusive interview with al-Masry al-Youm, Erian said the platform was sent to nearly 50 thinkers and intellectuals at the start of the holy month of Ramadan.

“The revised edition will be released in two to four weeks from the date the group completes receiving all replies and comments,” he said.

In response to comments on some clauses contained in the platform which generated opposition, Erian said MB decided to release the program as a preliminary reading and not as a final draft, adding that amendments are unavoidable and that criticism of some of the platform”s clauses will be considered.

Erian also  admitted that strong confusion over the wording of the platform exists, which he said led to the ensuing hype, particularly with regards to the article stipulating the formation of a “committee or a higher council of Islamic jurists”.

He said the problem does not lie in the presence of such body, but instead in people”s focus on this body at the expense of the rest of the platform, adding that the proposed body was aimed as a revamped version of the already existing Council of the State”s Fatwa and Legislation Committee.

In response to comments about platform clauses excluding non-Muslims from the post of President, Erian said objections were not against the person who would be appointed but whether there should be an explicit text regulating the delegation of power or if this would be left to national custom, which implicitly excludes non-Muslims from becoming presidents.

Erian added that a State whose constitution stipulates that the Islamic Shaira is the main source of the constitution and where 90% of the population is Muslim, Christians are not eyeing the presidency, adding that naming a Christian for the post of President would be an extremely rare event.

He also added that numerous doubts overshadow the possibility of naming a woman to the post due to the masculine culture of society, which he said becomes evident in the fact that despite being given the opportunity to become a candidate in parliamentary elections for quite sometime now, the representation of women in parliament remains low