The Global Muslim Brotherhood has begun responding to the victory of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood candidate in the recent presidential elections. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) calls the election a victory for the “sprit of the Arab Spring”:
The Muslim Council (MCB) congratulates the Egyptian people on the victory of their first democratically-elected civilian president and urges continued support for democracy. The revolution set in motion by the Arab Spring and Tahrir Square is not over, however, and it is vital for our government here in the UK to encourage the Egyptian military authorities to respect the democratic will of its people. The Muslim Council endorses the statement of Foreign Secretary William Hague who welcomed the election of President Mursi. Farooq Murad, Secretary General of the Muslim Council, said: ‘The spirit of the Arab Spring – longing for freedom, democracy and transparent governance – has won. We congratulate President Mursi and welcome his promise to work on behalf of all Egyptians, regardless of faith and gender. We hope that the newly-elected President ensures that Egypt strengthens its pluralism, ensuring that all Egyptians can contribute to the country’s success.’ The Muslim Council also encourages the President to establish strong ties with the United Kingdom and develop a genuine and meaningful partnership between the two countries. With many Egyptians residing in the UK and many people from here travelling to Egypt, it is important to retain good relations with both nations-at-large.
The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) calls the election a “great achievement in Egypt’s struggle for freedom”:
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/25/12) –- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today congratulated the people of Egypt on their first free and democratic presidential election. On Saturday, Mohamed Morsi was elected president of Egypt with a majority of the popular vote. He is the first civilian president in Egypt’s history. ‘We congratulate the Egyptian people and their new president on this great achievement in Egypt’s struggle for freedom,’ said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. ‘We continue to support the revolution for freedom, democracy and social justice in Egypt and throughout the region, and we hope for further steps toward political stability and respect for the will of the people, including a complete and peaceful transfer of power from the military to an elected civilian government.’ President Obama called Morsi to congratulate him on Sunday night. According to a White House statement, Obama ‘underscored that the United States will continue to support Egypt’s transition to democracy and stand by the Egyptian people as they fulfill the promise of their revolution.’
The MCB is a U.K. umbrella group that has been dominated by the Pakistani-based Islamist group known as the Jaamat-I-Islami that is closely tied to the Global Muslim Brotherhood and the MCB usually acts in concert with the Global Brotherhood. An earlier post discussed the 2010 election of Farooq Murad as the new Secretary-General of the organization. In addition to his role at the MCB, Mr. Murad is a current trustee and former chairman of Muslim Aid, a UK charity originally founded by Yusuf Islam (fka Cat Stevens) and identified in a NEFA Foundation report as a member of the Union of Good, a coalition of charities headed by Global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi that raises funds for Hamas.
Documents released in the Holy Land Trial have revealed that the founders and current leaders of CAIR were part of the Palestine Committee of the Muslim Brotherhood as well as identifying the organization itself as being part of the US. Brotherhood. A recent post discussed an interview with the Deputy leader of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in which he confirms a relationship between his organization and CAIR. Investigative research posted on GMBDW had determined that CAIR had it origins in the U.S. Hamas infrastructure and CAIR and its leaders have a long history of defending almost all individuals accused of terrorism by the US. government, frequently calling such prosecutions a “war on Islam.” In 2009, a US federal judge ruled “The Government has produced ample evidence to establish the associations of CAIR, ISNA and NAIT with HLF, the Islamic Association for Palestine (“IAP”), and with Hamas.”