Brotherhood seeks to capitalise on rift with US

Cairo: The influential Muslim Brotherhood's tacit support for Egypt's military-led government in its worst crisis with the US is an attempt to assert its political clout on an issue seen as pertaining to "national dignity", analysts say.

"Washington has touched a raw nerve among Egyptians by threatening to cut aid to the country in the latest twist to the dispute over non-governmental organisations [NGOs]," said Sharif Mansour, a political expert.

"The Muslim Brotherhood, which continues to maintain strong links with the military rulers despite occasional tiffs, is at pains to further enhance its popularity among ordinary Egyptians who view this issue as a matter of dignity," he added.

Long oppressed under former president Hosni Mubarak, the Muslim Brotherhood was allowed to operate openly by the military council which took over from Mubarak. The junta also licensed the 84-year-old group to set up its own party, the Freedom and Justice, which won nearly 50 per cent of parliamentary seats in recent elections.

Securing gains

"The Brotherhood is grateful to the [ruling] military council for all these once-undreamed-of gains," said Mansour. "The dispute between the military and the US provides a chance for the group to show gratitude to the army generals and ease pressure on them in the streets by portraying them as defending the nation's dignity," he added.

Earlier this month, Egyptian authorities ordered 43 activists, including 19 Americans, to appear before a criminal court to face charges of operating pro-democracy groups without licences and receiving illegal foreign funding. Magistrates also accused the defendants of meddling in politics and inciting sedition.

The US, a key donor of aid to Egypt, responded by threatening to withhold $1.3 billion (Dh4.77 billion) in annual military aid to its biggest Middle East ally.

Egypt has been receiving the assistance since it signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1978.

"US aid is an integral part of the Camp David treaty [with Israel] guaranteed by the US itself," said Mohammad Mursi, the head of the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party. "The US threat to suspend this aid is ill-placed; otherwise the treaty will be reconsidered," he added in a statement.

Rashad Al Bayoumi, another senior Brotherhood official, branded US aid to Egypt as a "sinful" curb on Egyptians' freedom.

"We hope that all categories of the [Egyptian] people will endeavour to reject this humiliating American gift," he added.

Around 70 per cent of Egyptians have said in a recent poll that they do not want US aid.

Mohammad Hassan, a well-known cleric, proposed this week collecting donations from Egyptians to do without US aid.

Shaikh Ahmad Al Tayeb, the state-appointed head of Al Azhar institution, blessed Hassan's bid, declaring the creation of the "Pride Fund" to replace US aid.