A London-based Saudi newspaper has reported on the role of the Muslim Brotherhood in Lebanon with respect to an agreement signed in August between Lebanese “salafists” and Hizbollah, confirming the role of Faysal Al-Mawlawi (aka Faisal Mawlawi) as head of the Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood. According to the report (see source below):
Dr. Abd-al-Sattar al-Miliji, a leading figure in the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood(MB) Group, asserted: “The MB Group as an organization is completely removed from the Lebanese arena. It cannot make an achievement of the magnitude of the agreement between Hizballah and the salafists in Lebanon on the document of understanding that was signed on Tuesday. However, the MB Group can play a role in such issues through its representatives in Lebanon.” He added: “The MB Group in Egypt regards this document as a sheer Lebanese domestic affair. The brothers in Lebanon should decide their stand on it domestically by approving or rejecting it. If the MB Group is to play a role, it will do so through its representatives in Lebanon. The MB Group did not play a direct role, as media reports indicted.” In exclusive statements to Al-Sharq al-Awsat, Dr Al-Miliji said the MB Group is represented in Lebanon by Shaykh Faysal al-Mawlawi who is based in Tripoli (northern Lebanon) and represented in south Lebanon by Shaykh Fathi Yakan. Al-Miliji added: “Nevertheless, I believe that Al-Mawlawi has no role in such an agreement because he is not associated with Hizballah and neither supports, nor opposes it, unlike Shaykh Fathi Yakan who calls for supporting the resistance and Hizballah against Israel. In the past, Yakan led a prayer in the Grand Square in south Lebanon.”
A previous post reported that the Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood, known as al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya (the Islamic Association), was founded and led by Faisal Mawlawi, an important leader of the global Muslim Brotherhood and a close associate of global Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi. As that posted noted, in August 2005 Mideast news sources reported that “combatants” from the Islamic Group were fighting alongside Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon and that the group’s support of Hezbollah dated back to the 1980’s., contradicting Al-Miliji’s assertion that Mawlawi is not “associated with Hizbollah.” Recent posts have also detailed plans by the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), a part of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood with an office in Lebanon, to construct a new university in Lebanon.
The Saudi newspaper report goes on to discuss comments by Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leaders on the Salafist/Hizbollah agreement:
Earlier, the Egyptian MB Group officially denied any connection with this agreement, that is to say, the document of understanding between the salafists and Hizballah. However, General Guide of the MB Group Muhammad Mahdi Akif and his first deputy, Dr Muhammad Habib, blessed the agreement. Speaking toAl-Sharq al-Awsat, Akif said: “This is an honor that I do not claim. We are completely removed from this issue.” However, Habib decisively told Al-Sharq al-Awsat: “This talk is untrue at all.” Nevertheless, both Akif and Habib asserted that they support any agreement between the various Islamic groups and any move that reinforces Lebanon’s Arab characterand identity in the face of Zionism. It is recalled that Hizballah and the salafi group in Lebanon signed yesterday a document of understanding to prevent sedition between Muslim Shiites and Sunnis in Lebanon .However, the document was frozen and the salafi group suspended its application because the Sunnis are opposed to it.The document” prohibits the shedding of Muslims’ blood, forbids and denounces any aggression by any Islamic group against another Islamic group, and calls for refraining from incitement.” The document calls for standing against the American-Zionist project that causes sedition and for eliminating the takfiri thought among both the Sunnis and Shiites. Also, it calls on both parties to support each other, should any of them be exposed to any injustice, and to resolutely stand by each other. The document provides for the formation of a committee made up of senior shaykhs to discuss points of disagreement between the Shiites and Sunnis. Also, it provides for guaranteeing the freedom of belief for each party, not imposing any party ‘sideas on the other, and asserting understanding to prevent sedition among the Muslims.
Interestingly, A Lebanese newspaper reported:(see sources below):
…Egypt has intercepted contacts between Salafist forces in northern Lebanon and Muslim Brotherhood movements in Egypt, which prompted Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad abu-al-Gayth to sound the alarm bells in Beirut concerning the incidents in Tripoli.”
Further detail on the agreement can be found here.
(Sources: London Al-Sharq al-Awsat (Internet Version-WWW) in Arabic – URL: http://www.asharqalawsat.com/) Al-Sharq al-Awsat (Internet Version-WWW) Thursday, August 21, 2008)
(Sada Al Balad Newspaper http://www.albaladonline.com/home.php)