- EGYPTMB News
- September 7, 2011
- 3 minutes read
MB Denies Secret Meetings With SCAF Chief
The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) described media speculations about secret meetings and coordination with the military junta as "pure lies and imagination" promoted by the group’s opponents who have previously accused the group it held similar deals with the deposed regime of President Hosni Mubarak.
Dr. Mahmoud Ghuzlan, a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, denounced the allegations, which are made without any proof or evidence for political gain ahead of heated parliamentary elections. He added that reality refutes such allegations because the Brotherhood was the first to take it to the streets, protesting and staging massive demonstrations all over Egypt to pressure the military junta and the government to fulfill the people’s legitimate demands; on top of which the abolition of the military trials for civilians, and handing over power to civilians after the end of the transitional period.
Ghuzlan added that after the outbreak of the revolution, the military junta summoned Dr. Mohammed Badie for a meeting with the rest of the political parties’ leaders. At this meeting, Dr. Badie said – speaking to the junta – that "if the SCAF management of the country is carried out well, the Brotherhood will be supportive like all other national forces, and if the SCAF abuses its power or stands short or acts slowly, the group will not tolerate this and will not hesitate to tell the truth.Dr. Ghuzlan clarified that members of the junta have been occasionally in touch with the leaders of the group to discuss some urgent matters; just the same way the SCAF does with the rest of the Egyptian political parties and movements. He also pointed out that most of the military communications with the Brotherhood were conducted with Dr. Mohamed Morsi and Engineer Khayrat al-Shater.
In statements to the Al-Ahram paper, Dr. Ghuzlan said that there are much attention and claims of concern regarding the positions of the Brotherhood, as if this group is the only political faction in Egypt. He also said: "It became clear that whatever the group does, it will not satisfy those critics or ease their urge to raise allegations against it", adding: "Still, this is the duty of the Muslim Brotherhood to stand and tolerate a lot of injustices and allegations, and it will continue to bear this burden and shoulder its responsibility."
The spokesman for the group confirmed that at dawn on Thursday, January 27, 2011 (the third day of the revolution), the security services arrested 34 leading Brotherhood figures, including 6 members of the Executive Office (which has a total of 16 members). The arrested ones were headed by Dr. Mohamed Morsi, the Chairman of Freedom and Justice Party; the one emanating from the group, as well as Dr. Essam El-Erian, the Deputy Chairman of FJP and Dr. Saad al-Katatni, the Secretary General of the Party.