Egypt Brotherhood backs Syria jihad
Daily Star (Lebanon)
JUNE 15, 2013
Egypt’s ruling Muslim Brotherhood Friday blamed Shiites for creating religious strife throughout Islam’s history, as the movement joined a call by Sunni clerics for jihad against the Syrian government and its Shiite allies. In a striking display of the religious enmity sweeping the region since Iranian-backed Hezbollah committed its forces behind Syrian President Bashar Assad, a Brotherhood spokesman in Cairo told Reuters Friday: “Throughout history, Sunnis have never been involved in starting a sectarian war.”
Until recently, Egypt’s new Islamist president, the Brotherhood’s Mohammad Mursi, was promoting rapprochement with Iran, the bastion of Shiite political power. He even hosted the first visit by an Iranian president in over 30 years in February.
But spokesman Ahmad Aref said Hezbollah had launched a new “sectarian war” last month by joining Tehran’s other key ally Assad in a fight that pits mainly Sunni rebels against a Syrian elite drawn from Assad’s Alawite minority, a Shiite offshoot.
For that reason, Aref said, the Brotherhood, which emerged from oppression after the fall of military rule two years ago to run by far the most populous Arab state, had joined a call made Thursday by leading Sunni clerics for holy war in Syria.
That statement, made at a Cairo conference of more than 70 religious organizations from across the Arab world, urged “jihad with mind, money, weapons – all forms of jihad,” but stopped short of repeating an explicit call by high-profile Brotherhood-linked preacher Youssef al-Qaradawi for fighters to go to Syria.
Asked whether the Brotherhood would urge Egyptians to travel to the war, Aref said it was still considering its position and would coordinate with the other groups at the conference.
Mursi would address the assembly Saturday, he added, saying that speech may clarify the Egyptian position
“Up to now there’s merely been talk,” he said. “We need to coordinate well in terms of logistics.”
An aide to Mursi said Thursday that Egypt disapproved of external intervention in Syria, notably that by Hezbollah. It was not sending fighters but, he said, the government could not stop Egyptians from travelling and would not penalize any who went to Syria, where he said many were engaged in relief work.
Also Friday, a leading Sunni cleric from Saudi Arabia, Mohammad al-Arifi, preached at an ancient Cairo mosque, calling for jihad in Syria “in every way possible.” Some worshippers waved Syrian rebel flags and dozens of men gathered outside afterward to chant their support for bringing down Assad.
Saudi Arabia, where the monarchy espouses the strict Wahhabi school of Sunni Islam, is locked in a regional rivalry with Iran and has been arming the Syrian rebels. Egypt’s leaders, who rose to power in the same wave of Arab Spring protests that began the Syrian civil war, have so far held back.
Commenting on the news, ODFS Director, Ribal Al-Assad said:
“I strongly condemn the stance of the Egyptian government; calling for a “holy war” and inciting violence in this way is grossly irresponsible.
This obviously raises broader concerns over the Egyptian regime in general, by supporting radical clerics they are condoning the killing of Muslims who do not share their perverted ideology (including Sunnis, Shias, Alawites, Druze, Ismailis…) and other religions such as Christians and Jews – labelling them as “Infidels” is totally and utterly deplorable,
It serves a reminder that Egypt is not a democracy but an Islamist theocracy which seeks create division along sectarian lines.
We do not want to see Syria follow suit, it must remain as a secular state where all religions and sects can live in peace. This can only come about through engaging with Syrian parties who subscribe and affirm their commitment to peace, freedom and democracy.
The international community must firmly denounce this stance by the Egyptian government; it serves no purpose but to provoke further hostility between parties and could ultimately lead to a regional war.”
