The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood has reported a statement by its first deputy chairman denying that the Brotherhood has any “emnity” toward the American People. According to the statement:
The MB’s latest statement on Bush’s visit has been misinterpreted by some western media as a declaration of enmity toward the American nation as a whole, which stimulated instant response by the MB to elaborate the nature of the movement’s vision, which makes clear-cut distinction between the current U.S. administration and the American people. In this regard, the Muslim Brotherhood’s first deputy chairman, Dr. Muhammad Habib, insisted that the statement should be understood solely as an attack on the U.S. foreign policy under the current administration, not the USA in general. Dr. Habib on his part strenuously condemned the U.S. post 9-11th policy which violated almost all international conventions and agreements, invading Afganistan, occupying Iraq, and backing Israel’s barbaric actions such as expansion of settlements and ethnic cleansing—all at the expense of the Palestinian population. “The Democrats themselves explicitly acknowledged the fact that the foreign as well as domestic policies adopted by the Bush administration have led to the loss of international respect to America, which necessitates a lot of subsequent efforts to retain it,” Habib added. “But I repeat, there is a huge difference between our vision of the U.S. administration, and the American people. A significant number of Americans oppose George Bush’s policies, and Millions of them took part in anti Iraq war demonstrations.” At the end of his statement, Habib said he dreams of the day when sincere efforts of people and NGOs from both sides, the USA and the Arab world, can get together and cooperate for the sake of everybody’s stability and justice.
However, as a recent post discussed, only in December 2007 the Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohammed Akef made virulently anti-American and anti-Semitic comments accusing “American Zionist tricks” of being responsible for Islamic sectarian violence and claiming that Al Qaeda was “an American invention.” The Brotherhood statement of warmth for the “American “people” is reminiscent of the alleged distinction the movement makes between “Zionists” and authentic Jews.