Egyptian scholar calls for dialogue with the Muslim Brotherhood

Chairman of Trustees at the Ibn Khaldun Centre for Development Studies Saad Eddin Ibrahim called for dialogue to be opened with the Muslim Brotherhood.

“They are members of this nation and we all have a friend or relative who is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and thus there has to be a dialogue with them,” he said.

Ibrahim warned that the other alternative would be killing. “It does not make sense to kill 700,000 people who swore allegiance to the Supreme Guide, and each of these people has a family of at least five members, meaning a total of 3.5 million people.”

During an interview published by the newspaper Daily News Egypt yesterday, Ibrahim said: “The Egyptian government has done little to curb human rights violations from which Egypt has suffered for years.” He expressed surprise at those who claim that there are no violations of human rights in Egypt, describing them as “blind”.

“We have suffered from human rights abuses in Egypt for years now, and the government hasn’t taken any action to curb them. I am amazed at those who do not think human rights abuses are taking place in Egypt, and I say to them, you are blind. Abuses in prisons, places of detention and police stations are ongoing, as well as the confiscation of freedom of expression,” he said.