Rif'at Al-Sa'id, Head of the Egyptian Tagamu' Opposition Party, Attacks Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood

Following are excerpts from an interview with Rif'at Al-Sa'id, head of the Egyptian Tagammu' party, which aired on Al-Mihwar TV on March 16, 2008:

Rif'at Al-Sa'id: Our party strives for a civil, progressive, democratic, and liberal future, in which the rights of the citizens will be respected, a future in which the livelihood and liberties will be guaranteed, as well as better education, better housing, and better healthcare, a future in which the rights of women and of Copts will be respected. How can I possibly accept a movement that rejects the future and looks back towards the past?

Interviewer: You mean the Muslim Brotherhood?

Rif'at Al-Sa'id: Yes. They voted against the citizenship law. This is the greatest political mistake that the Muslim Brotherhood ever committed, because it brought eternal disgrace upon the movement. They reject women's rights and say that women cannot be rulers.

Interviewer: Do they mold Islam as they wish?

Rif'at Al-Sa'id: Let me tell you something: 80% of all Muslims live in Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, where women are allowed to rule. What, are they sinners? Are 80% of all Muslims wrong, and only Mahdi 'Akef and his movement right? They rejected the principle of rights for Copts. This is unacceptable. My battle is not in support of or against anyone. The battle I am waging is to protect Egypt – to protect its future, its art, its literature, its music, its poetry, its women, its Copts, its freedom, and its social justice. The Muslim Brotherhood are not interested in social justice. They are just like the government.

[...]

If they come to power – socially, economically, and in terms of civil liberties, they will act the same way as the government, if not worse. They came to power in Gaza. What did they do there? They spoke of democracy, but once they came to power, they took one of their opponents and threw him from the 18th floor. They stripped somebody else... What has this got to do with Islam?

Interviewer: You are referring to Hamas?

Rif'at Al-Sa'id: Yes. They stripped him, and dragged him on the ground. This is unacceptable. These crimes, which were perpetrated by Hamas, are a disgrace to their leaders in Egypt, because Hamas is merely a branch of...

Interviewer: Does Hamas have strong ties with the Muslims Brotherhood in Egypt?

Rif'at Al-Sa'id: Hamas is merely a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Allegiance to the Muslim Brotherhood is absolute – for better of for worse. Whoever violates this allegiance is "released" from the movement. Do you know what this means? They slaughter him. It's explicit in their writings.