Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website

Mohammed Riad al-Shaqfa, the Brotherhood's secretary general,in Syria denied that the Mb offshoot were aspiring to power.

In an exclusive statement to Ikhwanweb’s correspondent Saeed al-Abbadi, al-Shaqfa  ascertained that Assad's ruling regime  is not only cracking down on religion but also harassing the MB offshoot in Syria, referring to decisions made to convert veiled teachers to administrative functions. The Ministry of Education enacted also regulations holding  any school teaching the holy Quran accountable on accusations of adding banned subjects to the educational curricula.

The MB offshoot in Syria is keen not to raise new tensions with the Syrian regime and wishes to return according to four conditions including the abolition of emergency Law 49, to annul the death penalty for membership of the Brotherhood, to reveal the fate of the missing, to secure the return of political exiles and to free political detainees.

Shaqfa pointed out that Syria’s banned MB in exile has conducted many reviews most recently during the Israeli aggression on Gaza as they supported the regime’s positive stance on Palestinian armed resistance, as they  suspended activities, withdrew from the NRF and halted their alliances with the opposition. A lot of mediators intervened to end the crisis but they have reached a dead end.

“We are not after power,” added the Islamist leader. “We are asking for freedom, justice and equality. If [Syrian] President Bashar al-Assad does this, then we are with him.”

As for the group’s decision to halt its political activities and suspends the opposition to the Syrian regime, Shaqfa said the movement issued a statement indicating that the system is still insisting on its intransigence. The regime exercised further persecutions against Islamists, so the group's Shura Council must reconsider the matter and make a suitable decision.

“If we are allowed to go back to Syria, we will devote ourselves to preaching and religious activities only,” the Brotherhood’s secretary general, Mohammed Riad al-Shaqfa said.