In a recent interview posted on the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood website, the deputy chairman of the Egyptian Brotherhood denied any “organizational links” between his organization and Hamas:
Ikhwanweb: Dr. Habib, how would you respond to western media portrayal of the relationship between Hamas and MB? Some even went so far as to suggest military links with Hamas, and that Hamas is an MB armed wing in Palestine.
Mohamed Habib: there are no organizational links whatsoever between the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. The only link is an ideological one. We share the same ideology, an Islamist one which includes a strong belief in democracy, plurality, freedom, and most importantly the right of any nation to resist foreign occupation of its lands. Hamas has its own challenges to face, and the politicians of Hamas are the only ones who can decide how to handle their problems. We emphasize that resisting occupation is a religious obligation acknowledged by international laws and conventions. To describe this legitimate right as an act of terrorism is a huge mistake exacerbated by Zionist propaganda and US media.
Dr. Habib’s statement would appear to be disingenuous at the least. A number of prior posts have provided evidence of the “links” between the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas including:
– An early media report indicated that shortly after Hamas took over the Gaza strip, Muslim Brotherhood representatives were present to review Hamas military formations.
– In January, Muslim Brotherhood “representatives” traveled to Gaza from Egypt through the open border to meet with Hamas.
-In June, a Hamas journalist acknowledged the role that the “international Muslim Brotherhood” has played in providing funds for the purchase of weapons.
It should also be noted that the global Muslim Brotherhood also actively supports Hamas. As a recent post has discussed, Global Muslim Brotherhood groups from around the world have been organizing protests against Israeli actions in Gaza which the Israelis say are a response to repeated rocket fire from the territory into Israel. Previous posts have also discussed the Union of Good, a worldwide network of charities believed to be raising funds for Hamas and headed by global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi.