MB snubs Azhar’s reconciliation efforts

The Union of Political Parties and Civil Forces announced its complete support for the national reconciliation initiative launched by Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb, reported state news agency MENA on Monday.

The union represents 12 political parties and 25 syndicates and movements.

However, the Brotherhood has rejected Azhar’s efforts to resolve the current political crisis through a national reconciliation initiative that would involve all parties.

The group said it would only consider participating if Tayyeb retracted his support for what the Brotherhood calls the military coup that deposed former President Mohamed Morsi.

Morsi was forced out of office by an army ultimatum spurred by unprecedented mass protests on June 30 calling for the president’s resignation. Since then, the Brotherhood and its political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, along with other Islamist groups and Morsi supporters have staged sit-ins and marches demanding his reinstatement.

The polarization has reached a stalemate as Morsi supporters maintain that any political negotiations would be conditional on his return to office. Diplomatic efforts by local and international mediators have all but failed completely.

Talk of dispersing the pro-Morsi sit-ins, which have been ongoing for more than a month, reached a climax in the past few days with the looming threat of an intervention by the security forces at any given moment.

Several political parties have criticized the Brotherhood’s rejection of Tayyeb’s proposal as destroying one of the last possible chances for national reconciliation.

Instead, Morsi supporters have dug in their heels and fortified their sit-ins, announcing marches around Cairo and in other governorates. Their opponents see this response as not only dismissive of any positive efforts to resolve the crisis, but a show of defiance and escalation that highlights the group’s unwillingness to negotiate.

Mohamed Mehanna, advisor to the Grand Sheikh, said Saturday that the Brotherhood would be responsible for its rejection of the initiative in front of God, the people and history, adding that the spirit of Islam itself calls for reconciliation, MENA reported.

Speaking to the state-owned Channel 1, Mehanna said that the Grand Sheikh's invitation is open to all sides in order to work for the good of Egypt and its people.

Essam al-Erian, deputy president of the Freedom and Justice Party, said Sunday that Al-Azhar should highlight Islam’s stance on revolting against a legitimately elected president, unjust killings and besieging peaceful protesters.

“Al-Azhar must exonerate itself from the crime of participating in the coup against legitimacy before searching for initiatives and ways out of the current crisis,” Erian said in statements carried by the FJP website.

Using Al-Azhar as a cover for heinous crimes destroys its legacy as the main seat of Sunni learning, Erian argued. He wrote on his Facebook page that the institution should not side with one political force over the other.

Ahmed Darrag, a leading member of the liberal Dostour Party, said that responding to Azhar’s call by organizing 28 marches represents a clear threat against the state and the people’s will, reported the state-owned Al-Ahram news site.

Hossam al-Khouly, secretary general of the leftist Wafd Party, blamed the MB for wasting time and opportunities when its leaders know full well that Morsi could never return to power, Al-Ahram reported.

He accused the group’s leaders of “peddling the blood of the youth,” claiming that the senior members would be the first to flee at the first signs of danger.

Ahmed al-Araby, former foreign minister and president of the Conference Party, said that the group’s rejection of negotiations would make it harder for the Brotherhood to be included in the political arena going forward. No matter how long the sit-ins carry on, this would not impact the roadmap set forth on July 3 by Armed Forces chief commander Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, he added.

Other activists, parties and civil movements have also spoken out against the Brotherhood’s position, including Sameh Ashour and the Democratic Front Party.

Meanwhile, the Salafi Nour Party called on all sides to take part in Azhar’s initiative.