Egypt’s ruling Muslim Brotherhood blamed Shiites for creating religious strife throughout Islam’s history, as the movement joined a call by Sunni clerics for jihad against the Syrian government and its Shi’ite allies.
In a striking display of the religious enmity sweeping the region since Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah committed its forces behind Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a Brotherhood spokesman in Cairo told Reuters on Friday: “Throughout history, Sunnis have never been involved in starting a sectarian war.”
Until recently, Egypt’s new Islamist president, the Brotherhood’s Mohamed Mursi, was promoting rapprochement with Iran, the bastion of Shi’ite political power and in February he hosted the first visit by an Iranian president in over 30 years.
But spokesman Ahmed Aref said Hezbollah had launched a new “sectarian war” last month by joining Tehran’s other key ally Assad in a fight that pits mainly Sunni rebels against a Syrian elite drawn from Assad’s Alawite minority, a Shi’ite offshoot.
For that reason, Aref said, the Brotherhood, which emerged from oppression after the fall of military rule two years ago to run by far the most populous Arab state, had joined a call made on Thursday by leading Sunni clerics for holy war in Syria.
That statement, made at a Cairo conference of more than 70 religious organizations from across the Arab world, urged “jihad with mind, money, weapons - all forms of jihad,” but stopped short of repeating an explicit call by high-profile Brotherhood-linked preacher Youssef al-Qaradawi for fighters to go to Syria.
Asked whether the Brotherhood would urge Egyptians to travel to the war, Aref said it was still considering its position and would coordinate with the other groups at the conference.
Mursi would address the assembly on Saturday, he added, saying that speech may clarify the Egyptian position: “Up to now there’s merely been talk,” he said.
“We need to coordinate well in terms of logistics.”
An aide to Mursi said on Thursday that Egypt disapproved of external intervention in Syria, notably that by Hezbollah. It was not sending fighters but, he said, the government could not stop Egyptians from travelling and would not penalize any who went to Syria, where he said many were engaged in relief work.

Egypt's Brotherhood declares support for Jihad in Syria

An Egyptian man holds the old Syrian flag, now used by the opposition, during a gathering in support of the Syrian Revolution outside the Amr ibn al-As Mosque on June 14, 2013 in Cairo. (AFP)
Reuters, Cairo
Friday 14 June 2013
Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:40 - GMT 06:40
DAY | WEEK |
-
8177 Views Full moon to align directly above Kaaba in Mecca on Jan. 28
-
7923 Views Coronavirus: Dubai restaurants offer discounts for vaccinated diners
-
4383 Views Loud explosion heard in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh
-
1886 Views Iran executes second wrestler months after executing champion wrestler Navid Afkari
-
1872 Views Saudi Arabia in talks to provide COVID-19 vaccines to low income countries: Minister
-
1855 Views Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia to get AstraZeneca shots in about a week from India
-
23712 Views Coronavirus: Dubai temporarily postpones Pfizer vaccine campaign amid global shortage
-
19193 Views Saudi Arabia’s PIF to invest 3 trillion riyals over next 10 years: Crown Prince
-
10999 Views Coronavirus: Dubai orders hospitals to cancel surgeries amid surge in COVID-19 cases
-
9665 Views The American University of Beirut’s battle for survival
-
8309 Views Coronavirus: Dubai suspends live entertainment permits as COVID-19 cases surge
-
8233 Views Coronavirus: Dubai's latest COVID-19 rules for weddings, restaurants, gyms, concerts
SHOW MORE