Muslim Brotherhood Statement on April 6 Strike

Several Egyptian opposition groups in addition to thousands of workers in the textile indusrty in Mahla and Kafr el Dawar cities (heart of Egypt’s textile industry)  announced they will go on a major strike on Sunday April 6 in protest of the harsh living conditions, low salaires and the lack of the atmosphere of freedom created by the government of the ruling National Democratic Party.

In response to these events in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood issued the following statement concerning the national call for strike and civil disobedience on Sunday April 6.

” The Muslim Brotherhood would like to emphasize on the following points concerning the strike expected to take place on Sunday April 6, 2008.

First: We call on all sectors of the society to deal positively with the country’s problems, and refrain from the passivity and indifference, and press for their rights through legitimate and peaceful means, while giving due respect to  the state’s institutions.

Second: The strike is a constitutional right guaranteed by the Cassation Court and international covenants in which Egypt is a signatory. This right can never be denied under any circumstances .

Third: We support staging a strike as a peaceful means of expression and a way of protesting against practices of the authoritarian and despotic authority which contaminated Egypt’s political life and failed to solve day-to-day problems facing ordinary Egyptian citizens.

Fourth: All Egyptians should contribute to reform, change and fight corruption and tyranny. This requires that all national powers to close ranks and rally efforts and find a common ground that unite us all.

Defending public freedoms, achieving real democracy, ensuring transparency of elections and protecting the independence of the judiciary, are undoubtedly the common demands of the entire political and national powers in Egypt.

Fifth: Strikes and sit-ins as a social protest movement although still related to specific demands and revolve around  price hikes, low wages which are not adequate to the meet minimum living conditions for the vast majority of Egyptian families, however, this movement is strong and is gaining momentum and it may have an effective role in exercising pressures on the executive authority to change its economic, social and development policy in general. We want this movement to go on till it enables Egyptian people to attain their aspirations.

Sixth: All political and national powers agree that political reform is the real stimulus for all other kinds of reform. Moving in this direction will bear fruit only through a general political and societal action. This indeed requires that the people and civil society institutions exert more efforts in a way that improve moral values to achieve the development we hope for.

Seventh: We are confident that the Egyptian people have major capabilities which if utilized properly and effectively will creat the right enviroment for fruitful reform . We must encourage the people and help restore their confidence to be able to change and take more responsibilities for the country’s future”.

Muslim Brotherhood

Cairo, Egypt