Syria Brotherhood Seeks Broad Consensus

 Syrian Muslim Brotherhood held a press conference Monday in which it rejected as false information that alleges presence of extremist groups in liberated areas of Syria.

 

Mohamed Riad Al-Shaqfa, the Comptroller General of the Syria’s Muslim Brotherhood, said that there is an unrelenting campaign to vilify and discredit the Muslim Brotherhood and its actions, forcing the group to respond for fear that, over time, the frequent and persistent lies against the Brotherhood would negatively impact the morale of the people and the opposition, especially as certain parties have already started wondering whether the Brotherhood’s silence means there is some truth in the rumors.

 

"All this is nothing but a pack of lies and myths fabricated by individuals who have absolutely any weight on the ground in Syria.

 

"The Brotherhood supported the revolution right from the outset. We started with mobilizing and uniting the opposition. Thus the National Council was formed, and we ceded many Brotherhood seats in order to give the opposition a chance for more positive participation. There simply is no basis for charges of Brotherhood dominance over or control of the National Council and the National Coalition for the Revolutionary Forces and the Syrian Opposition. Brotherhood presence amounts to less than 10%."

 

Al-Shaqfa affirmed that the Brotherhood adopts a policy of consensus through dialogue, to share common positions with all opposition parties, modifying many of its views and visions for the sake of harmony and consensus.

He further said, "The information regarding the presence of extremist groups in the liberated areas is not accurate. The Brotherhood is following what is happening on the ground in those areas, and seeks cooperation with others to unite efforts in liberated areas for the establishment of local administrations.

"Poor material resources affect the Syrian people who need support for liberated areas in order to govern them effectively, especially after the recognition of the National Coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people."

Al-Shaqfa pointed that projects are being prepared now for Syria’s future after the fall of Assad’s regime, including communicating with opposition groups at home – to close ranks and agree to hand over weapons after Assad’s ouster, when there is no longer need to carry weapons, in order to start the transition to a civil state and to participate in the elections and state-building endeavors.

For his part, Omar Meshwah, head of the Media and Information Office of the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria, said: "No dialogue or meetings with anyone whose hands are stained with the blood of the Syrian people.

"Equating the killer with the victim is utter injustice against the Syrian people. The revolutionaries took up arms in defense of themselves and their families. It is totally wrong to compare the repressive regime, which has Scud missiles, planes and heavy artillery as well as all types of other armaments, even chemical weapons, with the people who carry light weapons to defend themselves."