(MintPress) — Dr. Abdul Mawgoud R. Dardery, a member of the Freedom and Justice Party in the Egyptian Parliament, had a welcoming demeanor that was something akin to a conversation with a colleague, rather than a hard-line ideologue. Yes, Dardery represents the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice party in Egyptian Parliament. This group has been vilified by members of my Congress, who, dare I say, have created a new McCarthy-era witch hunt for members of any movement with a remotely Islamic character. Regardless of your political persuasion, it is my hope to move the conversation beyond myopic, unproductive speech of name-calling to a more nuanced national discussion about the Muslim Brotherhood, what they represent and what challenges they face in post-revolutionary Egypt.
I am sure that there is a great deal Dardery and I would disagree on vis-a-vis U.S. foreign policy, the role of religion in government and the failed Israeli-Palestinian peace process. However, anyone who promotes “honoring human dignity and respecting cultural difference as indispensable conditions for world peace,” I think, has developed a mature political position; a position that the next U.S. administration would be wise to engage while working to create policies mutually beneficial to both nations. At the time of our interview in early July, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney had yet to visit Israel. His visit to the region was designed in all likelihood to use Israel as a wedge issue, pulling votes from the solidly Democratic Jewish-American voting constituency. A more productive visit would have placed regional stability ahead of electioneering by including more stops after Israel, including perhaps a stop in Egypt.
As I write this, there are politicians in Washington castigating their colleagues with Islamophobic hate speech. Such talk is unproductive and does nothing to advance dialogue and common understanding between Americans and Egyptians, something enthusiastically supported by Dardery. On numerous points throughout our interview, Dardery spoke to me about the need for dialogue on a diplomatic, political and person-to-person level. This, needless to say, is something we ought to develop with Egypt, which continues to be one of the most important countries in the Arab world.
The Brotherhood certainly has much to prove in this transitional period and will have to demonstrate its commitment to democracy and the rule of law while upholding the rights of religious minorities and women. This difficult challenge, not just the mere elimination of an authoritarian or military regime, will prove whether the revolution was a success. With this said, I implore readers to heed the words of Dardery and “judge the Brotherhood by actions” and not by “speculation and hearsay.” Perhaps Dardery is the equivalent of a Jon Huntsman or a Ron Paul in his own party: a moderate politician representing positions not widely held within his party. Regardless of how you view this, his position as an elected official can tell us a lot about the sentiment of the Egyptian people at this important transitional time.
Interview with Dr. Abdul Mawgoud R. Dardery
MintPress News (MPN): To begin, what is your position within the party?
Abdul Mawgoud R. Dardery (AMRD): I am a Member of Parliament representing Freedom and Justice party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood.
MPN: I am curious to know what Hassan Al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, would say about the party today. What do you think he would say of Muhammed Morsi’s election?
AMRD: He started this movement as an anti-colonial movement, to liberate Egypt from European influence. The movement is very different today, but still uses religion as a mobilizing force. You see, Islam is a religion that belongs to the people. Islam is a way of life. We never had this conflict between the spiritual and the political in the same way that Western countries have. What was religious and what was spiritual was one. We try to keep the balance between the spiritual and the secular.
MPN: What do you say to Western skeptics questioning whether the Brotherhood is truly committed to democracy and the rule of law?
AMRD: I would call them Islamophobes. Usually, it is wrong to question anyone’s intentions. We have to question and judge someone’s actions. I encourage them to look deep into their democratic experience and see the flaws of the American system. The two-party system has failed the American people. The Egyptian people will do what they like after the Egyptian revolution. The dichotomy between East and West needs to end.
MPN: When will the military (SCAF) relinquish power?
AMRD: You see, that is one of the challenges of the Egyptian revolution. Egyptians are determined to keep the military away from politics. We are suffering now from the military industrial complex. The military is heavily involved in business and it is going to take some time for this transition. I don’t expect it to happen immediately.
MPN: What is the most pressing need — be it social, economic or political — for the Egyptian people right now?
AMRD: We need to try to bring as many Egyptians together as possible. We need to rally people behind the new president, then we need to tackle economic problems. Because we are coming from a corrupt system that was almost completely dependent on IMF and international lending institutions. It will take time to free ourselves of this dependence. We don’t want to be hijacked by big corporations. We want to keep our democracy independent of big corporations. We want to keep it free and open to the interests of the Egyptian people.
MPN: What is the position of the Brotherhood regarding Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon?
AMRD: I don’t think we have developed any particular strategy. We would like to create a Middle East free of nuclear power. America is viewed as a double standard. Israel has its nuclear arsenal and receives support from support. At the same time, America condemns Iran.
MPN: Several years ago Obama addressed the Egyptian people in Cairo and promised a new relationship with the Arab world. Where do you think we (the U.S.) have succeeded? Where have we failed?
AMRD: I think the U.S. got a C minus in supporting dictatorship by supporting the Mubarak regime. In fact, the U.S. did not want to let go of this support until the people forced him out. I think this policy was not in the best interest of the U.S. The U.S. has supported Egyptian dictatorships for 60 years previously. However, President Obama mentioned a wonderful rhetoric in his speech calling for a relationship based upon “mutual understanding and mutual respect.” But this has not come to be. I think Americans need to build more bridges with the Egyptian people. It will be beneficial for the two countries. We have our differences, but we also have a lot in common. We have mutual interests and we need to develop the mutual understanding.
MPN: Mitt Romney visits Israel later this summer. Much of a candidate’s success is determined by their positions on Israel. What role will Egypt facilitate in brokering a peace deal with the Israelis and Palestinians? Is the Brotherhood committed to upholding the 1979 peace treaty with Israel?
AMRD: It has been described as peace but it has not been so. The Israelis need to work a lot because they are an occupying power. The American administration needs to change its policy in relationship to this part of the world as well because after the Arab Spring, things will not be business as usual. America needs to do a lot of talking to the people to try to create an understanding. Why is the U.S. supporting one side against another? You as a young writer need to help young Americans understand this issue. The question, “Why do they hate us?” was the wrong question. “Why do they hate our foreign policy?” is a more appropriate question.