Egypt's MB opens dialog to avoid split

Tue Mar 8, 2011

Egypt's largest opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, has suggested negotiations with a faction of young members in an attempt to bridge an internal schism.

On Monday, senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood called on Mohamed Kamal Farag, the coordinator of a youth wing of the group, to meet and create a plan to resolve existing conflicts and restore unity, the official Arabic website of the Muslim Brotherhood, Islamonline reported.

The announcement was made after some 2,000 young members of the Muslim Brotherhood said they were planning to stage a “revolt” against its governing body, the Guidance Bureau and Shura Council, on March 17 to demand its dissolution.

Young members say there is no reason why the group refuses to make a strong showing after the January revolution, which led to the ouster of Egypt's longstanding ruler Hosni Mubarak.

They are calling for the formation of a transitional committee, headed by the group's former Secretary General, Mohamed Mahdi Akef, until a new board is elected.

The young members also expect organizational "change" to take place within the Muslim Brotherhood by April 2011, when they would begin taking steps to "modernize" the group and its scopes of activities.

Meanwhile, Farag has welcomed the recent move by the veterans of the Muslim Brotherhood.

“Opening dialogue with us is a good sign,” he pointed out.

He also underlined that the planned March 17 revolt could be postponed if the party leadership heeds their demands.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/168787.html.