Global media is reporting is reporting that the Queen of Jordan has said in a TV interview that the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood should “be part of the dialogue and the governance-building process.”, saying that the group is wrongly viewed as dangerous and extreme. According to to a CNN report:
“So I would say that the first and most important thing for people in this country to do is to really look for thoughtful analysis of what is taking place and to look for the areas in the center, rather than listening to the extremes,” she told interviewer Piers Morgan. She was particularly struck by remarks made by those she feels lack an understanding of the role of religion in Egypt today, inflating its function as a political force compared to other societies. She was asked to comment on remarks made by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich Monday in which he condemned any outreach by the U.S. to the Muslim Brotherhood, one of Egypt’s leading opposition groups. (Gingrich said, “I think this is absolute, total misreading of history. The Muslim Brotherhood is a mortal enemy of our civilization. They say so openly. Their slogan says so openly. Their way is jihad, their method is death. For us to encourage in any way the inclusion of the Muslim Brotherhood is fundamentally wrong.”)”Well, I think that that is this very polarizing approach to what is taking place in the Middle East that has dominated for a very long time, that assumes that anyone, that any religious group is somehow dangerous and extreme,” said Queen Noor. “Religion is important to most Arabs, and most Arabs actually are moderate, peaceful centrists, and wanting what these people are wanting on the streets of Cairo. “So the Muslim Brotherhood are one of many groups throughout the region that have points of view that need to come to the table, need to be part of the dialogue and the governance-building process, if you will, but they’re only one of a multitude of other groups.” She said such polarizing comments by politicians are “unhelpful.” “The extremes on both sides are very unhelpful,” she told Morgan, “and I think that there are enough people actually – in this particular case, there seem to be people on both sides of the political spectrum in this country, on all sides, including independents, that are actually providing very nuanced and thoughtful analysis. I’m seeing it on most of the networks.
It should be noted that the Muslim Brotherhood today has become a global network and that the Egyptian mother branch is not necessarily the most important part of the movement. Sheikh Youssef Qaradawi, close to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, is often referred to by the GMBDW as the most important leader of the global Muslim Brotherhood, an acknowledgement of his role as the de facto spiritual leader of the movement. In 2004, Qaradawi turned down the offer to lead the Egyptian Brotherhood after the death of the Supreme Guide.
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For GMBDW coverage on the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, go here.