Hamzawi: Egyptian Regime Adopts Escalation Strategy Against MB

Amr Hamzawi, Senior Researcher at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington DC, stressed his concern of the court decisions passed against 25 MB leading figures. The Egyptian regime’s plan of excluding the MB, especially after recent constitutional amendments, is their attempt to end the group’s political life.

    “Such decisions passed against the MB are unprecedented since 1996 tribunals; the regime has not frozen their moneys for seven years; this indicates the escalatory nature against the group” he said. However, Hamzawi set aside any probable violent response from the MB and indicated that the group lives under grave restrictions, however they cannot escalate their responses.

    He added that such oppressive policy is no longer accepted because the Arab world is now entering a changing phase. He asserted that in order for there to be a democratic change, it must first come from within the Arab world.

   “Egypt went through two different phases during the last six years: firstly during 2002- 2005: the parliamentary elections came out with 88 seats for the MB; during such a phase, there were political dynamics and protest movements against the inheritance of power. However, all this changed in 2005: the Egyptian regime turned against such political dynamics and movements through constitutional amendments. They changed 34 constitutional articles mostly in favor of inheritance scenario and against any political opposition groups. I think that the political opposition movements are not united; consequently, the regime exploits this through attraction, oppression, exclusion, and conditioned inclusion.”