For the third time in its history since its establishment in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood group has faced another ban of its activities.  This time was by virtue of a court ruling based on a lawsuit filed by Khaled Abdullah, member of the Freedoms Committee in the traditional leftist Tagamoa Party.

For the third time in its history since its establishment in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood group has faced another ban of its activities.  This time was by virtue of a court ruling based on a lawsuit filed by Khaled Abdullah, member of the Freedoms Committee in the traditional leftist Tagamoa Party.  In this case, the ban was not an authoritarian decision, like in 1948, when King Farouk banned the group on the background of their involvement in the assassination of Prime Minister Nakrashi Basha and in 1954 when Abdul Nasser banned them again after he accuse them of attempting to assassinate him in Mansheya Square.

Khaled Abdullah, why have you filed a lawsuit to ban the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood?

The violence and terrorist acts witnessed in the Egyptian streets following the success of June 30 Revolution that toppled Mohamed Morsi incited me to present the idea before the Tagamoa Party to file a lawsuit to dissolve the Muslim Brotherhood and ban their activities for being a threat to national security. We have all witnessed the armed assaults of the Muslim Brotherhood against citizens and public properties, in addition to their threats to conduct terrorist attacks in subways, main streets and squares. Thus, I believe that they have become a threat to citizens’ security and a lawsuit against them at the Court of Urgent Matters has become a necessity.

On what evidence and documents have you based your case?

I have provided the court with documents and electronic files including several video clips documenting the Muslim Brotherhood’s terrorist acts against peaceful citizens. I have also submitted other documents demonstrating the involvement of the Muslim Brotherhood in the terrorist attacks and explosions in Northern Sinai. Among these documents there was a statement made by Muhammad Baltaji, a leading figure of the group, saying: ‘Once Morsi is back to power, violent acts in Sinai will stop.’ Other evidence related to the exploitation of children and women at the sit-ins of Rabaa and Ennahda, as they were used as human shields during their marches and clashes with security forces.

Does the ruling cover all the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood?

The Cairo Court Urgent Matters has banned all the activities of the Brotherhood association and group along with any other institutions under the umbrella organization who are either affiliated with it, receive funding from it or were established with its money. The court has also ordered the formation of an independent committee affiliated with the prime ministry to manage the funds, real estate and mobile assets that were confiscated financially, administratively and legally, until rulings are issued in the cases against the group and its members in which they face charges of undermining national and public security.

Do you believe the verdict will accelerate the elimination of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt?

The coming days will bear answer for such question, but I personally believe that the Brotherhood has been already banned by the people who realized their failure to manage the state and revive the economy. Thus, the court order is merely a manifestation of this popular rejection and reality. Concerning the Muslim Brotherhood organization and its activities in the world, Cairo was itts headquarters and operational center and consequently the popular forfeit and legal ban would result in gradual elimination of the whole organization.

Do not you believe that the Muslim Brotherhood is a political group that has the right to be involved in the political life in Egypt?

The Brotherhood presented itself as an opponent political faction, but the fact is that it was a political cover for Mubarak and Sadat’s regimes to cover up their mistakes. Its true intentions have been unveiled by the Egyptians in one year, which led the people to take to the streets against the Brotherhood and demand their departure. Banning the Muslim Brotherhood does not contradict the principles of democracy since we are attempting to restore the democracy and freedom from which they have deprived us during the past period.

But some people believe the court order is in the interest of the Brotherhood as they now play the victim role, which could help them win back their popularity. What do you comment on this?

I completely disagree. This could have happened before the Brotherhood’s rise to power in Egypt for a year, during which time the Egyptian people unveiled the Brotherhood’s truth, whose only purpose was seizing the state’s powerful positions using violence and terrorism to intimidate the people. The Egyptians have witnessed the worst of times under Morsi, causing the Brotherhood to lose the popularity it had years ago.