The Egyptian Muslim
Brotherhood: Basic Principles
and External Relations
Professor Hany Eldeeb
Chair of the Egyptian Forum in the UK
Defence and Security Forum - 18th March 2013
Historical Background
Imam ( Mr) Hassan Alanna
founded the Muslim
Brotherhood in March 1928.
Judge
scientist
Solicitor
Judge
Business man
Teacher / Prof
Main Principles
The MBH is aiming at Re-instilling
Islam in the daily Muslim’s life.
Islam is a way of life.
The movement opposes violent
means to achieve its goals
General Views
• Political Islam
• Sharia Law
• What is Sharia :
1-faiths
2- worship
3- morals
4- transactions
5- Provisions
Structure
Guidance Office
(General Guide)
Governorate
Governorate
Region
Region
Branch
Family
Governorate
Region
Branch
Family
Region
Branch
Family
Governorate
Branch
Family
Family
The Muslim Brotherhood is
financed by contributions
from its members, who are
required to allocate a
portion of their income to
the movement.
Strength of MBH
1- Simple ideology
2- Strong Structure
3- Self Funding
4- Continuous revive
International relations
International relations
General principles
1- Acknowledgment of differences.
2- Respect of religious beliefs and values.
3- Establishing real partnership and
cooperation
4- Respect and guard common human values
like justice, human rights, democracy, dignity
and freedom.
General principles II
5-Respect people’s choice
6- Support of armaments control efforts
and support of directing defence expenses
to humanitarian efforts.
7- Support of restructuring international
organisations.
General principles III
8- Maintaining continuous channels of
communication with all countries and
organisations.
9- Facing Islamophobia and promoting a
non-radical, mainstream understanding of
Islam
Dialogue of Civilizations
• MB supports the concept of Dialogue
Among Civilizations, particularly on issues
such as how to foster communication
between peoples and mitigate risks of
violence and confrontations.
• MB believes that dialogue among
civilisations highlight the true image of
Islam.
MB views about Middle East conflict
1) With regard to the Camp David peace treaty
• MB respects all treaties signed by previous
governments & endorsed by the Egyptians.
• MB insists that all treaties must be respected
by all parties.
• MB
seeks
comprehensive
peace
and
regional stability, which is also the demand
of the Egyptian people
2) With regard to the Palestinian Cause:
• MB supports Palestinians’ consensus and
backs their decision.
• MB seeks to ensuring the rights of
Palestinians
are
respected,
as
per
international treaties.
• MB will condemn human rights violations
against Palestinians.
3) With regard to the EgyptianIsraeli borders:
• Egyptians are very sensitive to those
killed on their borders. Egyptians will not
accept such aggressions on their borders.
• Security in Sinai Peninsula: MB believes
the way to improve security in Sinai is
through development.
Relations with the Gulf
2)
Relations with the Gulf:
• Gulf historically, was a host for MBH
members who escaped the oppression.
• MBH members has contributed very
positively in the development of Gulf
region
• The MBH supports stability in the Gulf
• We do not export revolutions
* Gulf countries are strategic partners of
Egypt
3)
Relations with Iran
3) Relations with Iran
* We support all countries right to the
peaceful use of nuclear power. .
* MB is for the elimination of nuclear
weapons and all weapons of mass
destruction from the whole region.
*The stance against nuclear weapons and
weapons of mass destruction derives
from Sharia and Islamic ethics.
* A war on Iran would destabilize the
region and threaten democratization
Relations with the West
4- Relations with the West
In each Western country, positions have
often changed not only with time, but also
from Arab country to country. It is not
uncommon, in fact, for a Western country to
have held negative attitudes toward an
Islamist movement in one country while
seeking to engage with a very similar
Islamist movement in another.
The West and the Muslim Brotherhood after the Arab Spring Lorenzo Vidino,2013
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Relations with the West
And all Western countries change positions
based on political forces, as well as
occasionally from individual to individual
within the same political party, generating
policies that can be described as
schizophrenic. , Moreover no Western
country possesses a well-developed, longestablished, and cogent policy concerning
participatory Islamist movements like the
Muslim Brotherhood.
The West and the Muslim Brotherhood after the Arab Spring Lorenzo Vidino,2013
Relations with the west
Why The west has never been comfortable
with Islamist groups coming to power, even
through democratic means.
A ) West antagonism towards Islamists is
based on Islamists’ opposition to WEST
strategic interests, not cultural enmity “clash
of interests” In essence, interests, such as
support for Israel or protection of Middle
Eastern energy resources, are fixed.
The West and the Muslim Brotherhood after the Arab Spring Lorenzo Vidino,2013
Relations with the west
* B ) Other analysts suggest that West
animosity toward Islamist groups is
cultural. The United States specifically
needed a new enemy after the Cold War,
the argument goes, and Islamism simply
became the “next ism” the country must
confront. “Islamic movements, and, at
times, the Islamic world and Islam, have
taken the place of communism as the
arch-enemy.”
The West and the Muslim Brotherhood after the Arab Spring Lorenzo Vidino,2013
Relations with the west
* C ) A third group of authors view suggest
that West policy largely is a consequence
of the policymaking process itself. In the
case of the Brotherhood, barriers to
information sharing among government
agencies, ignorance about Islam and
Islamists, and elected officials’ reliance on
Muslim constituencies largely explain the
varying policy responses to Islamist
groups.
The West and the Muslim Brotherhood after the Arab Spring Lorenzo Vidino,2013
Relations with the west
This suggests that if officials possessed
better information, either because they
were simply willing to learn more
about Islamist groups, or because
governments engineered better
information-sharing policies, then a
more unified Islamist policy would
emerge.
The West and the Muslim Brotherhood after the Arab Spring Lorenzo Vidino,2013
Relations with the west
D) Israel Theory, The Mubarak and other
Arab dictator regimes held great
importance for the way they preserved
Israel’s hegemony in the eastern
Mediterranean. If these regimes fell,
subsequent governments would be less
likely to continue this relationship.
The West and the Muslim Brotherhood after the Arab Spring Lorenzo Vidino,2013
Relations with the west
* While Israeli government officials
generally kept a low profile during the
Arab Spring, behind the scenes they
were pressuring the United States to
declare outright support for Mubarak’s
regime for fear of what might come
after.
The West and the Muslim Brotherhood after the Arab Spring Lorenzo Vidino,2013
Relations with the west
* The British Ambassador to Egypt, James
Watt, said the group was entitled to take
part in the country’s transition to
democracy and downplayed concerns
about the organization. The French
Foreign Minister, Alain Juppe, also
signalled that France would be “willing to
talk to everyone” in Egypt, including the
Brotherhood and even suggested that
France had previously been misled by
Arab governments about the true nature
of the group.
Relations with the west
* A spokesman for Baroness Ashton, the
European Union’s High Representative
for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
had said, when asked about the Muslim
Brotherhood, that the EU was “open to
dialogue with anyone who is interested
in democracy.”
The West and the Muslim Brotherhood after the Arab Spring Lorenzo Vidino,2013
Relations with the west
• Joshua Stacher 2008
(Representatives of western governments
should seek more opportunities for
dialogue with political opposition groups
in Egypt, including the Muslim Brotherhood
[they] must be more willing to engage with
the Brotherhood on the basis of what it
says and how it acts, rather than treating it
as an inflexible and dogmatic religious
organisation with which there can be no
common ground).
The West and the Muslim Brotherhood after the Arab Spring Lorenzo Vidino,2013
Relations with the west MB Vision
*We are seeking positive relations with
the west based on mutual benefit and
understanding
* The changes after the revolution are in
favour of a better relationship
* A democratic Egypt is a better partner
of the west
Relations with the west MB Vision
· MBH believes it is important to invest in
this relation and take it a step further, but
there are challenges
· We would like to help combat antiWesternaization, but this requires actions
from the West to help diminish that.
* West have a moral responsibility to Egypt
as they have been supporting an oppressive
regime for 30 years.
Relations with the west MB Vision
Hasan AlBanna ( Towards the light 1947)
*( Those who think that being islamist
will widen the Gap between us and the
west are living in illusion. Islam has
established the most honoured and
respected international relation)
Relations with the west MB Vision
Hasan AlBanna ( Towards the light
1947 )
(Do not stand in the way of our freedom
and you will see from our souls strong
barrier acting against destructive
principles, and we will bring to the whole
world the meaning of true tranquillity and
lasting peace.)
Aspiration of Egyptian MB
Aspiration of Egyptian MB
1- Long Term:
a) Establishing a free civil democratic
state that respect law and maintain
human rights and providing social justice
b) Restoring Egypt position as a key
player and modulator at the regional and
international levels.
2- Short term:
a) Secure the essential needs for the
Egyptian especially the most deprived
group.
b) Radical reform of the corrupted
political , social, security, and
organizational system in Egypt.
Revive within Muslim Brotherhood
* Apart from the well established religious
pillars, every thing else is debatable and
liable to change.
* There is no one opinion within MB
* We Do not claim that we are perfect but
we do our best to learn and move forward.
* The more interaction with the community
and the external actors, the more and the
quicker the change will occurs within MBH.
Conclusion
MB is the most popular Islamic group in the
world. We have been subjected to oppression
within Muslim countries and intended neglect
from the international community.
We are seeking positive relation with the
whole world based on mutual respect
regardless if MB is in power or not.
We understand that there are challenges in
improving our relation with the west and we
need continuous mutual efforts to tackle that.