A Book Review by Anwar Ibrahim
We are here to review the book
concerning Youssef Nada and the movement. We express our profound pleasure to
be with the co author Douglas Thompson. It is also pleasing to see so much interest
in the numbers of audience present, such rare support for a book launch.
More so the fate of the Ikhwan al
Muslimin due to the turmoil in Egypt. The book is an insightful perspective of
the Ikhwan and Youssef Nada’s personality. In a way it presents what the Ikhwan
stands for, despite being grossly misunderstood, the deep prejudice, the
Islamophobia, the natural like rejection of Islamists, of political Islam or
its role in democracy.
Inadvertently, the book presents
Ikhwan not purely on its inherent political struggle but the regional role and
statesmanship that they play through the personality of Youssef Nada.
Nada is not the Ikhwan’s supreme
guide nor is he in the leadership of the movement but he is consulted and he
has his influence over the Islamic movement.
I have known Nada for four
decades. I was introduced to him by Dr Totonji ever since Dr Totonji invited me
to WAMY - a real international exposure,
after my first release from prison in 1976. Some may not be aware that I have
been imprisoned before.
Nada brought the original proof
read copy of “Milestones”. Nada cautioned on reading the book as it was written
from a prison cell and the anger contained within. He advised that it be read
in the light of its own history and culture, in its inspiration.
On a personal level, Nada took
great personal initiatives to resolve my incarceration at Sungai Buluh prison.
Nada travelled personally from Switzerland to meet Mahathir but to no avail.
On the initial tension between
the Sunni and the sudden emergence of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the 70’s,
Youssef Nada took the initiative on behalf of the Ikhwan to engage Imam
Khomeini. He invited 5 or 6 Muslim leaders including Mustafa Masyhur, Mian
Tufail Muhammad and others, and Anwar Ibrahim was “dragged” along. It was the
first foreign delegation to visit Tehran after the revolution then. We met and
stayed with Ibrahim Yazdi, Iran’s foreign
minister then. We met the ill fated Mehdi Barzargan, the then prime minister.
We spent lengthy hours conferencing with Ayatollah Khomeini. We did try to
press the supreme leader of Iran to engage with Sunni brothers. We tried to
keep a constructive engagement of the Sunni and the Syiah. Unfortunately, it
did not materialise. That initiative was Nada’s although there were others who
tried as well.
When I was a professor at
Georgetown University, I had stopped over to visit Nada in Switzerland. It was
post 9/11 and Nada had been branded by Bush as the financier of Al Qaeda. I was
stopped and questioned for hours at Dallas Airport by US officials. I explained
that I was a university professor and I have to be free to keep abreast of
things and meet people.
Due to Islamophobia, IIIT
(International Institute of Islamic Thought) leaders and other organizations
became targets of propaganda attacks and harassment.
Prior to Operation Desert Storm,
Nada’s role on behalf of the Ikhwan was to appeal to Saddam Hussein to retract
his actions in invading Kuwait. As it is widely known, Saddam, like Assad,
similarly Al Sisi are all rogues and are extremely brutal towards the Muslim
Brotherhood. But Nada’s and Ikhwan’s foresight was that they would never
condone US interference in Iraq.
Knowing fully well Saddam’s
inglorious disposition and reputation to make someone disappear if they were to
argue with him, Nada went ahead meeting him. Nada spent hours pleading and
trying to convince Saddam to consolidate his position, make amends and not to
allow himself to be the pretext for US intervention and subsequent invasion.
But Saddam was adamant.
To the credit of the Ikhwan,
these are examples of their role as peacemakers in the region, and not as
radical stereotypes.
As a side to this, concerning
Syria, the Turkish prime minister Tayyeb Erdogan related to me that he spent
hours as well pleading to Bashar Assad to stop the killing, that world is
changing, that democracy must be given space, that leaders should not be
violent towards its own people, and Assad would be treated honourably in the
transition. Bashar Assad acknowledged this, being an educated person, he seemed
reasonable enough. Erdogan sent his foreign minister Ahmet Davutoğlu who then
spent seven hours with Assad going through in detail even to the determination
of where demonstrations could be allowed to be held and the conditions. But two
weeks later, snipers started killing again.
That is the problem with the
Muslim world – where leaders have no legitimacy, are brutal, having no respect
for human life. It is a catch 22 predicament. People are strongly opposed to US
initiatives and intentions to attack Syria but how can people condone the
killing of 100,000 lives in Syria. Here people are silent.
We are opposed to US intervention
but we are also utterly disgusted with the contempt and the decimation of whole
cities by Bashar Assad.
Back to Nada and the Ikhwan, they
presented a benign face in a difficult period. There are various ittijahad – contemporary reasoning
within the Ikhwan despite the mushrooming of fanaticism and extremism.
The mainstream and dominant
movement is still reflected by the vision and views of Hasan al Banna. Hasan al
Hudaybi’s du'a, la quda’ is the
message of dissemination of truth and counseling, rejecting violence and
extremism. Hudaybi took over Ikhwan’s leadership soothing over the high
emotions generated by the execution of Sayyid Qutb and other Ikhwan brothers,
the harsh ordeals undergone by Ikhwan members. Hudaybi’s call soothed the
outrage expressed by the Ikhwan.
This book is not like Mitchell’s
book which was historical and academic in perspective with accounts referenced
and footnoted. Thompson goes to overview personal accounts and Nada’s view of
political Islam and its adjustments.
Consistently, there is a strong
message of tolerance, understanding and inclusiveness – not seen as a trait in
some forms of political Islam.
Q & A:
Alluding to the issue of the intransigence
of the Egyptian army:
Turkey had such an experience, an
army entrenched in all of its institutions, had its share of coups but in time
allowed change and democracy to take place. Indonesia’s army was reputedly dwi fungsi – had dual functions in the
defense of the nation and in the governing of the state. But eventually it
allowed the transformation to a viable democracy.
Why then is this not happening in
the Arab world? US and Europe are practicing double standards and are being
unprincipled. The US is the real protector of the army and the coup. After
Israel, the biggest military aid is given to Egypt. They even refuse to
acknowledge what had taken place was a coup. It was sickening the utter display
of Tony Blair, for instance, in trying to twist and turn in order to avoid admitting
the coup and downplaying it.
There is rejection, sheer
reluctance, Islamophobia and strong anti Ikhwan sentiments. For 60 years, the
army has never shared power with anyone, even non- Islamists. Experience with
coups are fatal, result in the loss of lives, ruins the economy and stunts
national development.
Concerning the Ikhwan in Malaysia:
In our experience in the Islamic
youth movement, we remained friends and learn
a lot from the Ikhwan and the Jamaat Islami, but we were never under
their tutelage. We recognized the local and regional milieu of inclusivity and its
uniqueness.
In response to what a world
leader ought to do in Syria:
The least we could do is to
express ourselves, to be seen, to be associated with the cause, to pray for
them. We make it known to the world whether Muslims or non Muslims that we can
never condone killing and murder.
Since Muslim world leaders are
silent, the US Congress is deciding the fate of Syria. Erdogan said that he can
no longer appeal to Muslim leaders but he will appeal to the masses, the people
to have the conscience. We need to provide whatever assistance but we cannot
ignore or remain pathetic to what is happening.
We do protest against US
intervention but what about the 100,000 people already killed.
I remember President Obama’s groundbreaking
speech addressing Muslims all over the world in Cairo. It was a wonderful
speech and brilliantly articulated. But I remarked then that at the same time,
he was increasing military forces and continued to attack and bomb Afghanistan.
In Turkey, I am informed that
every single major town is expressing outrage at what is happening in Syria and
Egypt, and supporting its people. We ought to do it here.
(A book discussion on the truth
about the Muslim Brotherhood by presenters, Douglas Thompson and Anwar Ibrahim
at Quality Hotel Shah Alam)
No comments:
Post a Comment