Egypt declares Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group
Announcement criminalises all activities, financing for and membership of group from which ousted President Morsi hailed
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Mansoura, Egypt, where
an explosion ripped through police headquarters on Tuesday, killing 16
people. Photograph: Ahmed Ashraf/AP
Egypt's military-backed interim government has declared the Muslim Brotherhood
a terrorist group, criminalising all its activities, its financing and
even membership to the group from which the country's ousted president
hails.
The announcement on Wednesday is a dramatic escalation of the fight between the government and the Brotherhood, which has waged near-daily protests since the 3 July popularly backed military coup that toppled President Mohamed Morsi. An Egyptian court had banned the group in September.
Hossam Eissa, the minister of higher education, read out the cabinet statement after a long meeting, saying: "The cabinet has declared the Muslim Brotherhood group and its organisation as a terrorist organisation."
He said the decision was in response to Tuesday's deadly suicide bombing targeting a police headquarters in a Nile Delta city which killed 16 people and wounded more than 100. The Brotherhood has denied being responsible for the Mansoura attack, for which an al-Qaida inspired group has claimed responsibility.
"Egypt was horrified from north to south by the hideous crime committed by the Muslim Brotherhood group," Eissa said. "This was in context of dangerous escalation to violence against Egypt and Egyptians [and] a clear declaration by the Muslim Brotherhood group that it still knows nothing but violence."
"It's not possible for Egypt the state nor Egypt the people to submit to the Muslim Brotherhood terrorism," he added.
Eissa offered no evidence in his speech linking the Brotherhood to Tuesday's attack.
The Brotherhood, founded in 1928, renounced violence in the late 1970s. Ibrahim Elsayed, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood's political group, the Freedom and Justice party, said the government announcement would have no impact on the work or beliefs of the group, because it had seen repeated government repression and continued to exist with a moderate view of Islam.
"This decision is as if it never happened. It has no value for us and is only worth the paper it is written on," he said. "It won't impact us from near and far. Ideas won't be affected by false accusations. We uphold this call only for the sake of God."
Ahmed el-Borai, the minister of social solidarity, told reporters in a news conference that the decision means "all activities of the Muslim Brotherhood group are banned, including the demonstrations".
The declaration gives the armed forces and the police the right to enter universities and prevent protests, as "protection to the students", el-Borai said.
The announcement on Wednesday is a dramatic escalation of the fight between the government and the Brotherhood, which has waged near-daily protests since the 3 July popularly backed military coup that toppled President Mohamed Morsi. An Egyptian court had banned the group in September.
Hossam Eissa, the minister of higher education, read out the cabinet statement after a long meeting, saying: "The cabinet has declared the Muslim Brotherhood group and its organisation as a terrorist organisation."
He said the decision was in response to Tuesday's deadly suicide bombing targeting a police headquarters in a Nile Delta city which killed 16 people and wounded more than 100. The Brotherhood has denied being responsible for the Mansoura attack, for which an al-Qaida inspired group has claimed responsibility.
"Egypt was horrified from north to south by the hideous crime committed by the Muslim Brotherhood group," Eissa said. "This was in context of dangerous escalation to violence against Egypt and Egyptians [and] a clear declaration by the Muslim Brotherhood group that it still knows nothing but violence."
"It's not possible for Egypt the state nor Egypt the people to submit to the Muslim Brotherhood terrorism," he added.
Eissa offered no evidence in his speech linking the Brotherhood to Tuesday's attack.
The Brotherhood, founded in 1928, renounced violence in the late 1970s. Ibrahim Elsayed, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood's political group, the Freedom and Justice party, said the government announcement would have no impact on the work or beliefs of the group, because it had seen repeated government repression and continued to exist with a moderate view of Islam.
"This decision is as if it never happened. It has no value for us and is only worth the paper it is written on," he said. "It won't impact us from near and far. Ideas won't be affected by false accusations. We uphold this call only for the sake of God."
Ahmed el-Borai, the minister of social solidarity, told reporters in a news conference that the decision means "all activities of the Muslim Brotherhood group are banned, including the demonstrations".
The declaration gives the armed forces and the police the right to enter universities and prevent protests, as "protection to the students", el-Borai said.
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