We would share power, says exiled leader of Syrian Islamist group
http://www.guardian.co.uk/syria/story/0,13031,1694985,00.html?gusrc=rss
Rory McCarthy
Thursday January 26, 2006
Guardian
The exiled leader of Syria's large, outlawed Islamist movement, the Muslim
Brotherhood, has said his group is ready to share power in a future government
with other opposition figures.
Ali Bayanouni, who has political asylum in Britain and lives in north London,
said the Muslim Brotherhood wants a peaceful change of government in Damascus
and the establishment of a "civil, democratic state", not an Islamic republic.
"We believe that after 40 years of this corrupt dictatorship it would be
difficult for any one party to take responsibility for the country," he said in
an interview with the Guardian at his home in Colinwood. "We definitely don't
see ourselves as the alternative. We see ourselves as partners with others in
the coming stage."
His comments mark a shift in the party's thinking since the 1980s when it
challenged the Ba'athist regime. The Brotherhood was involved in an armed
uprising against the state in which more than 10,000 people were killed. Since
then the movement, which is still thought to have large support in Syria, has
been repressed. Membership of the party is punishable by death.
The Brotherhood plays a leading role among opposition groups at a time when the
Syrian regime faces a crisis. Several intelligence officials are suspects in
aUN inquiry into the assassination last year of the former Lebanese prime
minister Rafiq Hariri.
Damascus faces the potential threat of UN sanctions in the future, and last
week the US froze the American assets of Assef Shawkat, head of Syria's
military intelligence and brother-in-law of President Bashar al-Assad.
Washington said he was involved in "Syrian terrorism" including interference in
Lebanon and Israel.
Opposition figures have begun to speak openly about Syria's future if the
regime falls.
Mr Bayanouni, 68, said he anticipated a broad national government if the Syrian
regime falls. "We should have an interim authority where everyone can help each
other to try to reform and repair what was corrupted," he said.
The regime has warned that if it is forced out radical Islamic movements will
seize power in Damascus and sow chaos. There has been a growth of religious
extremism in Syria, fuelled in part by the war in Iraq. The Damascus regime
frequently reports violent clashes between its security forces and unnamed
militants.
Despite its new rhetoric, the Muslim Brotherhood still has some way to go to
convince the several other religious minorities in Syria that it does not
harbour conservative Islamic political ambitions.
Mr Bayanouni, who trained as a lawyer and spent several years in jail, left
Syria in 1979 after several of his family were arrested. He lived in Jordan for
20 years and moved to Britain in 2000. He has led the movement for the past
decade and has presided over a pragmatic rethink of its policies.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/syria/story/0,13031,1694985,00.html?gusrc=rss
Rory McCarthy
Thursday January 26, 2006
Guardian
The exiled leader of Syria's large, outlawed Islamist movement, the Muslim
Brotherhood, has said his group is ready to share power in a future government
with other opposition figures.
Ali Bayanouni, who has political asylum in Britain and lives in north London,
said the Muslim Brotherhood wants a peaceful change of government in Damascus
and the establishment of a "civil, democratic state", not an Islamic republic.
"We believe that after 40 years of this corrupt dictatorship it would be
difficult for any one party to take responsibility for the country," he said in
an interview with the Guardian at his home in Colinwood. "We definitely don't
see ourselves as the alternative. We see ourselves as partners with others in
the coming stage."
His comments mark a shift in the party's thinking since the 1980s when it
challenged the Ba'athist regime. The Brotherhood was involved in an armed
uprising against the state in which more than 10,000 people were killed. Since
then the movement, which is still thought to have large support in Syria, has
been repressed. Membership of the party is punishable by death.
The Brotherhood plays a leading role among opposition groups at a time when the
Syrian regime faces a crisis. Several intelligence officials are suspects in
aUN inquiry into the assassination last year of the former Lebanese prime
minister Rafiq Hariri.
Damascus faces the potential threat of UN sanctions in the future, and last
week the US froze the American assets of Assef Shawkat, head of Syria's
military intelligence and brother-in-law of President Bashar al-Assad.
Washington said he was involved in "Syrian terrorism" including interference in
Lebanon and Israel.
Opposition figures have begun to speak openly about Syria's future if the
regime falls.
Mr Bayanouni, 68, said he anticipated a broad national government if the Syrian
regime falls. "We should have an interim authority where everyone can help each
other to try to reform and repair what was corrupted," he said.
The regime has warned that if it is forced out radical Islamic movements will
seize power in Damascus and sow chaos. There has been a growth of religious
extremism in Syria, fuelled in part by the war in Iraq. The Damascus regime
frequently reports violent clashes between its security forces and unnamed
militants.
Despite its new rhetoric, the Muslim Brotherhood still has some way to go to
convince the several other religious minorities in Syria that it does not
harbour conservative Islamic political ambitions.
Mr Bayanouni, who trained as a lawyer and spent several years in jail, left
Syria in 1979 after several of his family were arrested. He lived in Jordan for
20 years and moved to Britain in 2000. He has led the movement for the past
decade and has presided over a pragmatic rethink of its policies.
Comment;
If this is true and he wants a non-Islamic state then why bother to call your party an Islamic one? And also why continue to oppose the existing non-Islamic government?
Change in Islam has to be from the Islamic basis and not what pleases the west .
Win a BlackBerry device from O2 with Yahoo!. Enter now.
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{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all."
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
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