Muslim Brotherhood Statement on Current Events

Muslim Brotherhood Statement on Current Events

The Muslim Brotherhood expresses deep pain and sorrow for the martyrs, the wounded and the grave dangers facing our Egypt, our beloved homeland, and its steadfast peaceful people. Those dangers and imminent threats are the result of the full-fledged military coup mounted by some members of the military council against constitutional legitimacy stemming from elections and referendums that repeatedly and clearly expressed popular will.

The Muslim Brotherhood reaffirms its position on the volatile events in all parts of the country…

– What some members of the military council have done is certainly a full military coup d’état masterminded in the dark to crush democratic legitimacy and to betray the oath they gave to respect the Constitution and the law, to protect the homeland, and to obey to the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces (the elected President), and to fulfill their desire to control the government and the country’s politics using civilian puppets, something we condemn, reject and will never recognize.

– We are fully confident that our great gallant army, which we deeply appreciate, could not have participated in this conspiracy, and that those who plotted and mounted the ruinous coup are a group of military council leaders who the President trusted, but they let him down.

We realize that our army believes in Article (194) of the Constitution, that the armed forces belong to the people and its mission is to protect the country and preserve its security and territorial integrity, which means that the army and the people are one body, and that the military’s mission is well defined, and does not include getting involved in politics.

– The millions demonstrating in sit-ins and mass rallies in all Egypt’s public squares peacefully protesting and rejecting the military coup and expressing support for their legitimate leader, their elected President, are from all segments of the Egyptian people, including the Muslim Brotherhood, who revolted on January 25, 2011 and gave precious blood and honorable martyrs to regain their freedom and their dignity and their rights. They are willing to make more sacrifices, yet again.

– We will not compromise on electoral and constitutional legitimacy and will not accept any alternatives for it, because it is the proper way to complete the democratic transformation and the march to a modern, constitutional, democratic State.

All coup actions and decrees must be reversed, starting with reinstatement of the President, the Constitution and the Shura Council. Everyone must commit to respecting democracy and the will of the people. Those who want to power, let them compete for seats in the new House of Representatives. This will be of the greatest significance, because this is the new legislature, and also represents more than half of the executive branch.

– Police repressive measures and terror perpetrated against the Muslim Brotherhood and the Freedom and Justice Party, burning headquarters, arresting leaders, fabricating charges, and killing people – from our group as well as other citizens – in the streets using hired thugs under police protection, will not dissuade us, and will not force us to change our fair and legitimate discourse.

– We assure the whole world, including the military coup leaders, that we will never abandon our basic principles and constants despite their power grab and their ferocious aggression against the people, against us and against democratic legitimacy.

The most important of these constants is commitment to peacefulness. We will not stretch our hands to harm any-one of those who attack us. We will not be a party to shedding of Egyptian blood, even if others shed our blood, we will only meet bullets and weapons with only bare chests and empty hands.

– We find it most regrettable that many political actors, who repeatedly and persistently talked about a civil democratic State, only to get involved in inciting the armed forces to mount a coup and then to support the coup without regard to those principles, values ​​and ethics they spoke of for so long.

It also is most regrettable that religious leaders are involved in supporting this great evil which is cannot be approved by any religion, law, tradition or Constitution. They should have never been involved in politics.

– Despite the pain and bitterness, we are willing to accept initiatives, from any sincere parties, which call for the return of full legitimacy – President, Constitution and Parliament, and then the President can hold a dialogue among all national forces where all controversial topics can be discussed and national reconciliation can be achieved in the interest of the homeland, so as to save the blood of the Egyptian people and to get out of the dark tunnel which the military coup has pushed us into as it dragged the country to the edge of the abyss on a sure path of destruction.

“Surely Allah will help him who helps His cause. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might. * Those who, if We give them power in the land, establish worship and pay the poor-due and enjoin kindness and forbid iniquity.
 
Certainly, the consequence of all things is in the hands of God.” (Quran 22:40, 41)

The Muslim Brotherhood

July 7, 2013