The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) has issued a press release supporting a role for the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in any new Egyptian government. According to an ICNA statement:
JAMAICA, New York (February 2, 2011) – In a press release issued today, the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) expressed its deepest concern for the people of Egypt. The announcement follows eight days of protests in numerous cities across the country and general unrest in the Middle East and Arab world. In mid-January, Egyptians called for an uprising to protest against poverty, government corruption, police brutality, inflation and unemployment under the 30-year rule of authoritarian President Hosni Mubarak. Events peaked on January 25, the “Day of Rage,” when thousands of Egyptians took to the streets in peaceful protest and were met with tear gas and water cannons fired by riot police. An estimated 200 deaths and over 1,030 injuries have been reported in the last eight days. ICNA wholeheartedly supports the people of Egypt and believes they should be ensured their basic right to freedom of expression, as well as unrestricted access to the Internet and mobile phones. While we appreciate the US administration’s continuous efforts to speak with President Mubarak, we urge President Obama and his administration to facilitate and support a representative government with full representation of key opposition groups. As Mohamed ElBaradei notes, this representation must extend to the Muslim Brotherhood, as “they are part of the Egyptian society.” ICNA is hopeful that the Obama administration will take a principled stance in regards to authoritarian governments throughout the region. We urge President Obama to demand that President Mubarak listen to the people of Egypt and restore Internet and mobile phone services. We appeal to the people of Egypt, young and old, rich and poor, Muslim and Christian to have patience and persevere. The thoughts and prayers of American Muslims are with you in this difficult time. The Islamic Circle of North America is a leading American Muslim organization dedicated to the betterment of society through the promotion of Islamic values. Since 1968, ICNA has worked to build relations between communities by devoting itself to education, outreach, social services and relief efforts.
The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) is a less well-known part of the Muslim Brotherhood network in the U.S., generally thought to be closely tied to the Jamaat-e-Islami organization of Southeast Asia, itself known to be allied with the Muslim Brotherhood. ICNA is particularly close to the Muslim American Society, a part of the US Muslim Brotherhood and tied to the Egyptian organization, and the two organizations have been holding joint annual conventions for many years. Previous posts have discussed ICNA ad campaigns intended to present Islam to the U.S. public. T