Ban on Muslim Brotherhood Heightens Danger of Civil War
„The decision to ban the muslim brotherhood and its affiliated organisations by an Egypt court is democratically unjustifiable and politically wrong. It is to be feared that in consequence of such measures the violent conflicts in Egypt will further expand. A long lasting civil war – driving the country near the abyss – becomes more and more likely. The oppression of any opposition against the policy of the interim government by the Egypt military is inacceptable and has to be stopped immediately“, says Annette Groth, spokesperson for human rights policy of the faction DIE LINKE in Bundestag. Annette Groth continues:
„To ban a party which emerged from democratic and free elections as strongest power is inacceptable. Many things in Egypt call to mind the fatal developments in Algeria and Tunisia which lead to a strengthening of fundamentalist movements. The consequence being long and bloody conflicts between those in power and the forbidden movements and parties; carried out at the expense of the population of these countries.
The Egyptian interim government errs when assuming a ban on the muslim brotherhood could secure the secular orientation of the Egyptian state. Quite to the contrary: muslim brothers are pushed into the role of martyrs, from which they will most likely come out stronger than before.
The muslim brotherhood with its partly fundamentalistic religious notion can not be socially minimized by oppression but only by democratic convincement and debate. Military oppression measures are in this regard completely inappropriate and will only cause the exact opposite. Instead, we need systematic advocacy and continuation of the democratic developments in Egypt. It is just the democratically unjustifiable ban on the muslim brotherhood which prevents a strengthening of democracy.“