DOUGLAS THOMPSON: INSIDE THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD: A DISCOURSE

by Douglas Thompson co-author of the book with Youssef Nada

According to Thompson, the book is in a sense, it is about all the stories we want to know and learn from. Spending 3-4 years with Youssef Nada, it is a joint work on humanity. It is about how humans are basically, Nada explaining his world, that everybody is human. As he says, everyone born is good. After that, it all goes wrong, due to the circumstances, the surroundings, the experiences, the influence.  These become prejudice and fear.

He is telling the story of the Muslim Brotherhood, its early start, its struggle and conflicts – telling it as human beings. Youssef Nada walked his own path, follows his own rules. He simply refused to be involved in corruption. He would rather lose out on contracts because of his principles. He became successful by being honest and trustworthy.

Nada recalls that the greatest moment of his life was joining the Muslim Brotherhood. Nada was only 17 years old when he witnessed conflicts on the streets. He saw a group that came along and managed to defuse the situation and resolve the conflicts. That group was the Ikhwan Muslimun and they reasoned with the belligerents to think of their families and their livelihood. Nada listened to a convincing rationale that in everything we do there shall be a result, a consequence to it.

He framed his thinking, his devotion to his religion, his love for the religion. Always inspiring to do something that he believes in. There has got to be an understanding. We may all have annoying habits, simple things in life but we must be overcoming them. We have got to accommodate each other, in sharing and in being considerate.

Since joining the Brotherhood in 1948, Nada has been imprisoned witnessing the vivid brutalities of torture, being exiled and he went on building a billion dollar business. After 9/11, Nada was branded by George Bush himself as a financial terrorist, becoming the enemy and was persecuted.

Lesser men would have crumbled under but not Youssef Nada. He lost 300 million USD in just one day. Nada fought the injustice for 12 years, winning in the courts but he is still blacklisted by the US.

I do not know where the character comes from unless the secret formula for it comes from faith and what he believes in. I can only endorse everything that he stands for. For aside from theological questions, Nada is such a good man.

The only regret Nada has is not achieving (against incredible odds) that engagement, dialogue, the exchanging of views at a calm level between East and West. Exchanging views on value systems. For in the future, it is economically leaning to the East.

It may sound cliché, but it is the effort to contain the parameters to the best you can, the opportunity to make the world a better place. There is a lot of good in most people. We have to validate faith and belief in good politics. Good men and good politics.

(A book discussion on the truth about the Muslim Brotherhood by presenters, Douglas Thompson and Anwar Ibrahim at Quality Hotel Shah Alam)