Innocent of Charges

"Don't be fooled by these lies and deception that aim to label us with terrorism, violence, (and) killing ... at a time when the hands of the coup regime are drowned in blood."
Fugitive Muslim Brotherhood figure Mohammed el-Beltagy

A looter stands near a broken window at the Muslim Brotherhood's headquarters after it was burned down by protesters opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi in Cairo's Moqattam district - July 1, 2013 (Photo: reuters)

Even as Mohammed el-Beltagy, seeking refuge from capture by the Egyptian military denies accusations the Muslim Brotherhood is committing "terrorism" in the wake of the coup that removed Mohammed Morsi from the presidency, there are new demonstrations in the planning stages. The last demonstration that had been planned and labelled "the Day of Martyrdom" hadn't been successful in persuading large numbers of Brotherhood supporters out on the streets.

It was a lame, limpid, phlegmatic affair, soon dispersed after having accomplished nothing much. The new demonstrations are meant to present defiance of the security crackdown that has emasculated the effectiveness of the Brotherhood movement by imprisoning most of its senior and mid-level leadership. Among whom now is 25-year-old Mohamed Soltan, son of Brotherhood figure Salah Soltan. His arrest certain to bring the attention of the U.S. through his American citizenship.

There remains polarized opinion within the U.S. government over the situation in Egypt. The U.S. had seen fit to surrender their long-time ally, former president Hosni Mubarak to his fate, to limply endorse the Muslim Brotherhood and Mohammed Morsi who had lived and studied in the U.S. Perhaps the current interim government in Egypt and the military are giving the U.S. a little pay-back in their resistance to armed intervention in Syria, now.

El-Beltagy is wanted on accusations of inciting violence. The former lawmaker has evaded capture for three weeks. In a videotaped message aired on Al-Jazeera Mr. el-Beltagy insists Egyptian authorities were busy turning a "political crisis" into a security problem with their accusations of terrorism on the part of the Brotherhood.

Amir Nabil/The Associated Press

There certainly seemed an illusion of terrorism after the military break-up of the two Brotherhood sit-ins at opposite ends of Cairo, with its unfortunate death rate, when Morsi supporters went on a violent rampage, attacking police stations, government buildings and Christian churches. Charges of inciting to violence were levelled against Brotherhood leaders and they were taken into custody to face those charges in a court of law.

Egypt's interior ministry released figures claiming that 106 security personnel were killed since August 14. Over 900 were wounded in violence. That number including soldiers and police. Police claim the Brotherhood remained committed to spreading chaos and violence in the country through inciting splits among army ranks and police. Along with acts of civil disobedience.

While some Egyptian authorities are in favour of outlawing the Muslim Brotherhood, others aren't quite so willing to do so. The Brotherhood is well known to have made alliances with al-Qaeda, Hamas and Islamic Jihad (both knock-offs) in the Sinai, conducting an onslaught there against Egyptian security with the help of local Bedouin Islamists. Past attempts at mediation with the Brotherhood had failed.

"Let's face it, there were some serious attempts [at mediation] before the 30 June demonstrations and before the 3 July [removal of Morsi] but they did not work", one political source involved in discussions with state bodies and Brotherhood leaders said. "From what I know, the army, [especially Defence Minister and Army Chief Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi] was hoping the mediation [before Morsi's removal] would work", he said. In fact, El-Sisi had given Morsi more than adequate advance warning.


That mediation at that time was for a mutually-agreed upon pact to suspend demonstrations in return for the president's agreement on holding a referendum to determine popular opinion whether he should complete his four-year term. Those mediation efforts had been supported by some European foreign ministers and Cairo-based ambassadors, but they failed. "Because the Brotherhood leaders and president Morsi himself did not believe there would be big demonstrations."

New negotiations are being considered between government and the Brotherhood which would address an end to both anti-state and anti-Islamist incitement, along with the release of all Brotherhood members under arrest proven innocent of inciting or committing acts of violence and inclusive of the suspension of anti-military attacks in Sinai.

The government would then be prepared to reconsider its previous stance on the dissolution of the Brotherhood. Fair enough...?