Statement by the Muslim Brotherhood

Below is a  statement by the Muslim Brotherhood regarding the claims of militarising the revolution and the adoption of violence.

The Muslim Brotherhood would like to stress that what has been published by some sites and newspapers alleging that “the group has announced the militarisation of its movement against the military coup and that it has decided to resort to violence” is not true and that it contravenes the group’s conduct and its proclamations. The mass media should seek the group’s stances from its official outlets, via its own website, its Facebook page and the Facebook page of its official spokesperson and not from any other unofficial sites or pages that are run by individuals. 

The General Office of the Muslim Brotherhood, and all the departments affiliated with it, would like to stress that the group’s position as announced in February 2014, and which has been endorsed by the new Shura Council that was elected in the Middle of this past December, of adhering to the revolutionary path in order to break the coup does not mean “militarising the revolution” or heading toward violence. It just means endeavouring to possess the tools necessary for achieving victory, in their all-encompassing definitions, based on civil resistance that peoples around the world legitimately resort to and that is supported by all the resolutions of international legitimacy in order to get rid of military dictatorship and win their freedom and dignity. This is a path that free nations cannot afford to do without in their endeavour to protect their gains and inflict defeat on the real terrorism that is being nurtured by the despotism of repressive regimes.  

The group endeavours, on the basis of its new vision – whose outlines were made public by the group’s elected General Office in its first communique, to build up a revolutionary action that is capable of real change along the aforementioned lines. This also includes building a new map of political alliances forged on a common ground shared with revolutionary and youth political forces and with society’s active forces as well as liberation movements and groups that defend liberties and human rights around the world. 

The Muslim Brotherhood – The General Office

Cairo, 11 January 2017