US Gvmnt. Waging War Against Muslims

The United States and its allies are waging war against all Muslims even if they claim to be fighting Al Qaeda and Taleban only, a ranking leader of Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt has said.

Sheikh Syed Maqsood, a member of parliament in Egypt who also sits on the ‘Shura’ of Muslim Brotherhood and is editor of Islamic research unit in the Al Azhar University, said President George W Bush had publicly declared that the so-called war on terror was in fact crusade, making it clear that Muslims were the real target.

The Egyptian parliamentarian pointed out that the US had occupied Afghanistan and Iraq as part of this war. However, he said, Islamic movements were adopting different strategies with those fighting in occupied places such as Palestine, Iraq and Kashmir taking up arms.

The scholar said in countries like Egypt that were not under foreign occupation it would be wrong to fight one’s own army and police. Such a strategy, he stressed, would weaken Islamic countries and help the enemy.

The Muslim Brotherhood leader was talking to reporters in this Pakistani provincial metropolis along with Abdur Rahim Ali, chairman of the central council of National Conference party of Sudan, and Sheikh Siam, a leader of the Palestinian Islamic Movement, Hamas, living in exile in Yemen and formerly imam of the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.

These leaders are visiting Pakistan on an invitation from Jamaat-e-Islami to attend the party’s three-day gathering near Peshawar. Asif Luqman Qazi, an aide to his father and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Qazi Hussain Ahmad, introduced the three guests on the occasion. Abdul Ghaffar Aziz, director, foreign affairs department of the Jamaat and special assistant to the party chief, acted as interpreter.

Sheikh Syed Maqsood explained the origin of the Muslim Brotherhood and its policies. He said the party has been waging peaceful political struggle and creating awareness among Muslims not only in Egypt but also in other Islamic countries through its branches and sister organisations.

The Egyptian leader recalled that Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan Al Bana had preached jihad in Palestine against the Israeli occupiers and their Western sponsors. He said the recent spectacular electoral success of Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Hamas in Palestine would herald more successes in future.