A Contradiction of Values and an Exploitation of Interests Characterises the Muslim Brotherhood's Approach to Rights and Freedoms

By New Age Islam Staff Writer

9 June 2023

The Brotherhood's Position on Rights and Freedoms: Conflict of Values and Exploitation of Interests"

موقف جماعة الإخوان المسلمين من الحقوق والحريات: تعارض قيمي واستغلال مصلحي

Author: Trends Research and Advisory

Language: Arabic

Pages: 287

ISBN: 978-9948-789-68-0

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A substantial book titled "The Brotherhood's Position on Rights and Freedoms: Conflict of Values and Exploitation of Interests" has been published by the Trends Centre for Research and Advisory.  This is the tenth issue published by the Centre, which has its headquarters in the UAE, in its Brotherhood's Encyclopaedia series. The book contains five chapters:

Chapter 1 discusses the Muslim Brotherhood's stance on political involvement and the transfer of power, between Weakness and Empowerment.

Chapter 2 covers the Muslim Brotherhood and its position on freedom of expression, thinking and scientific research.

Chapter 3 deals with the Brotherhood's position on freedom of belief.

Chapter 4 discusses civil society and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Chapter 5 examines Women in the Muslim Brotherhood: Vision and Reality.

The issues that the book addresses demonstrate that the Brotherhood as an ideology still prevails and needs to be opposed. The study exposes the Muslim Brotherhood's use of deceit and opportunism in pursuit of its objectives and its adherence to the maxim "the end justifies the means."

The study demonstrates that the group does not hold to the ideals of democracy, rights, and freedoms, or the ideas associated with them, not only because these ideals run counter to its intellectual stance, but also because they are linked to the modern civil state, which the group views as hostile to, or at the very least incompatible with, Islam.

In accordance with its literature, the Muslim Brotherhood holds that society and the modern state are built on ideas that have been discarded. This is the stance taken by Sayyid Qutb, Abdülkadir Udeh, Said Awwa, Al Jirshah, and Fathi Yakan, based on the (complete separation between the Islamic system and other systems in law, legislation, and the social, economic, and political system).

The book highlights how the Muslim Brotherhood's understanding of political ideas differs significantly from the meaning and content that are acknowledged in political science. According to the book, one of the most obvious signs of the Muslim Brotherhood's lack of belief in these concepts is the organization's failure to incorporate the concepts of political involvement and power rotation into its organisational structure. It demonstrates how what is occurring between the fronts of London and Istanbul, where the idea of leadership dictatorship predominates, excludes the opposition and does not permit it to exist in addition to assuming leadership positions, is based on loyalty to the leadership and the organisational hierarchy and not on competence.

The book made it abundantly clear and obvious that there is a significant difference between what the Muslim Brotherhood claims to uphold in terms of public rights and freedoms and how it actually does so—up until it reduces these rights and respect to meaningless platitudes that are only used to further the group's objectives.

The Brotherhood, according to the book, also deals with political and religious piety-based pragmatism and opportunism, as well as the concepts of political engagement and peaceful power transfer.  According to the ideas of its founder, Hassan al-Banna, the Brotherhood was founded with the intention of gaining power and creating the Brotherhood state in order to embark on a global leadership campaign with the catchphrase "The Professorship of the World."

Although trials, imprisonments, and tribulations do not matter in the perceptions of righteousness because they happen to believers, non-believers, and unbelievers, the Muslim Brotherhood takes advantage of the stage of weakness or tribulations to strengthen its position on the scene and to challenge the current political systems. It is worthy to note that Hazrat Yusuf—peace be upon him—entered prison while on the right, and two polytheists joined him there while on the wrong. Both the prophet of truth and the people of falsehood are put to the test in prisons and suffering.

The book demonstrates that while the group is in power, it tries to prevent any peaceful transfer of power and exclude the opposition in all of its forms and manifestations. It does this by using the tactic of takfir, in which it accuses the opposition of opposing the application of Sharia and of being hostile to Islam, placing them in the crossfire of takfir and threat.

Experiences with political participation and the peaceful transfer of power by the Muslim Brotherhood and its numerous branches demonstrate that they never cherished these concepts. This is because, according to their intellectual framework, dealing with them necessitates imposing prohibitions because they are Western notions that are in opposition to the political structure and guiding principles of Islam.

By looking at some of the Muslim Brotherhood's founding papers, it is clear that the organisation does not support the right to free speech, thought, or scientific research. Because it acts as though it were the Muslim community or the redeemed sect (Al-Firqa al-Naajiya), earnestly believing that it is the only group that correctly represents real Islam and that it is the only source of truth.

It should be noted that the Muslim Brotherhood's announcement of its apparent temporary transformations by announcing its acceptance of some modern and democratic values, like elections, was not at the core of the group's ideology but rather a type of prevarication and deception to easily achieve its own goals and ambitions.

 

URL:   https://newageislam.com/books-documents/values-muslim-brotherhood-rights/d/129952

 

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