Dr Kamal Helbawy was a prominent member of the Muslim Brotherhood for decades and served as their representative to the UK. He returned to live in Egypt following the 2011 revolution and in this interview with Roshan Muhammed Salih he explains why he now supports the army’s ousting of the Morsi government.
RMS: What is your reaction to the recent miltary coup?
KH: It wasn’t a military coup, it was the greatest democratic event in our history. There were millions of people on the streets and the military simply responded to their desire to do away with the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) government which had failed the country.
RMS: But aren’t you concerned about the military intervening in the political process? It happened to the Muslim Brotherhood today, it could happen to another government tomorrow.
KH: Of course it isn’t ideal but the army had to step in to prevent chaos. The Muslim Brotherhood had their chance and they failed the country and alienated almost everyone apart from their own supporters. The people simply wouldn’t accept them so the army has in fact just prevented a civil war.
Also, the army is not going to rule the country. After Mubarak was ousted they did rule for something like a year and a half but this time they will hand power back quickly to a civilian administration. The army is a nationalistic institution and they are not out to destroy the country.
RMS: What mistakes do you think the MB made while they were in power?
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KH: Too many to mention. I think they started to go on the wrong path the day the anti-Mubarak revolution succeeded. They abandoned Tahrir Square and the people and concentrated on parliament and trying to grab power. Morsi tried to amass too much power, he failed to work with others, he appointed non-qualified people to important positions, he did nothing about the economy, he made alliances with takfiris, he interfered in an unacceptable way with the Syria file. I could go on and on.
RMS: But surely the opposition were blocking him every step of the way? He had no chance to succeed.
KH: He made too many mistakes on his own to blame the opposition. In a way I think this administration has discredited political Islam in the eyes of the Egyptian people, which is a shame.
RMS: What do you think the MB should do now?
KH: They should re-group and rebuild their reputation with the people. They should withdraw from politics and concentrate on helping poor people and doing da’wah. This is where they excel, not politics.
RMS: But the Egyptian media is incredibly anti-Brotherhood and biased against them. Surely their propaganda has influenced the people?
KH: Yes but the Islamist stations lie too, they are biased. I think all media needs to be more mature and more impartial and accurate.
RMS: Has anything at all been achieved since the 2011 revolution. Is Egypt a better place?
KH: People feel freer but they also feel more insecure and in a worse economic state. So it’s a mixed picture.
RMS: What way is Egypt headed?
KH: Well it’s a divided country at the moment. It’s true that the new administration will be less Islamic but they are still Muslims. The people in Tahrir this time were also less Islamic than last time but they are also still Muslims and we shouldn’t forget that. Egyptians need to find a way of living together with their differences.
