Written evidence from Nezar Ghorab, lawyer and member of the Egyptian Parliament of 2012 (ISL0025)
Political Islam
Introduction
Islam is the religion that includes rules to regulate the relationship between God and man. And between man and man "society". And between man and the state "governance". The rules that are governing international relations and the state of peace and war. Applications for these regulations have been introduced over the hundreds of years until the fall of the Ottoman Empire. These applications included the pros and cons, mistakes and successes. The term political Islam has emerged after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, which was the last political representation of Islam after it was replaced by regimes of Islamic rule based on the rules of political status of ideologies belonged to each of socialism and belong to each other's capital and in the end did not achieve any of their independence and provide political, economic or military systems or culture, but established repressive military dictatorships practiced discrimination and hatred, repression and torture. Some leaders of prestigious institutions like Al-Azhar or Cairo University adopted the importance that provision is based on sources from the Islamic religion to achieve progress, independence and success in the governance. and management of the state as has been termed the phenomenon of political Islam.
1) Definition of political Islam Political Islam
Political Islam is a response to the identity of the peoples of the Middle East, which most of them or the majority are Muslims, that rules regulating government based on their own country for sources of the Qur'an and Sunnah so that they have the capacity mandatory, such as laws and take into account aspects of political rights, freedoms, and economic and social rights of those international relations rules.
(2) Political Islam properties
A- The movement has a history
The movement of political Islam has a history probably is not what after the demise of the Ottoman Empire but is the history associated with the emergence of Islam 1,400 years ago. This movement is worth analysis and evaluation because it had not been interrupted at a moment of history but an ongoing, sophisticated and renewed movement and fixed on not to give up for mission and are resistant to attempts to wipe out of existence.
B- The movement is comprehensive
It is a comprehensive movement in its spiritual, ethical, legislative, economic, political and cultural perceptions and so on. It deserves to be well placed to lead the region in a democratic and legitimate political system.
3) Political Islam and democracy
The West has known systems of governance in the country's multiple images that have evolved democratic theory and application through the experiences associated with the components of the western reality conditions. And democracy in the sense method of selecting who would assume the authority of government and watching him and dismissed by the participation of the people, and as a system is the exercise of freedom of opinion and expression in the public sphere. It is a system defined by Islam as a way of exercising political rights and freedoms, and it's a different picture of what has been known in the history as synagogue that approaches the concept of contracts between two parties: party pay allegiance to a people or a group entrusted him and the other party receives a pledge to be the ruler. This was based on the corner satisfaction, selection and on the basis of the conditions, which are known to the modern era of integrity.
4) Political Islam and the rules of law
Law is a general and abstract base sourced from a competent authority to issue legislation, aimed at achieving the common good subordination of power and the state and individuals to the law on the basis of equality before the law.
The law in this sense is a part within the building to the rules of governance in Islam, which is placed in the context of the provisions of the Quran and the Sunna. History has witnessed a wealth of provisions in the doctrine of Muslims took its global codes of legislation as a source of legislation, and of the grounds upon which the rules of governance in Islam Equality and non-discrimination before the law, whether ruler or convicted. Integration between law and statutory law of the Islamic corner is the origin and the public interest. The only restriction is the prohibition of violation of laws and regulations of the Quran and the Sunnah.
5) Political Islam and human rights
Human rights in their concept of moral principles that formulate a model of human behavior as fundamental rights cannot be harmed. They are "due and authentic to everyone to just their being, or his being a human being, regardless of his identity or whereabouts, language, religion, ethnic origin or any other status. They are protected as legal rights under domestic and international laws.
The Quran has established those rights from more than 1,400 years
About the dignity of Man, the Quran said "We have honored the sons of Adam."
About Justice, the Quran said "Allah commands justice and charity."
About the equality, the Prophet Muhammad said, "all of you to Adam and Adam from the dust."
About the differences and relations between human beings, the Quran said "and made you into nations and tribes so."
About the protection of the right of life, the Quran said "and kills a person as if he killed all people."
About freedom of thought and belief, the Quran said "no compulsion in religion."
About political freedom, the Prophet Muhammad said, "Religion is sincerity”
We said: for whom? He said: Allah and His Book, His Prophet and the Imams of the Muslims and their common folk.
About social justice and economic rights, the Quran said "but handouts to the poor and needy."
(6) The relationship between the Islamists and democracy, and current practices and the successful political representation of political Islam, and how it protects and supports the democratic system and human rights and the rule of law in these countries, or marginized them. The ruling political regimes of Islamic nations are authoritarian regimes that do not know democracy and the rule of law, but they only know a limited employment of democracy to serve authoritarian purposes. The way up to power is for persons representing military institutions through elections played by voters and not supervised by an independent judiciary and are rigged under the supervision of repressive security authorities, or through ownership of the systems that inherits rule in such countries.
In terms of political participation and control of the rulers and governments, there are neither free nor fair elections under the supervision of an independent and impartial court, and there are legislative restrictions imposed on the security and the freedom to form parties until it was completely razed political life.
Although the Islamists have stuck to a margin of democracy disposable participated in the elections since 1976 in Egypt until 2012 and proved their participation on the experience of two conclusions, one belonging to the Islamists and the other concerning the authoritarian ruling authority. As it regards the Islamists have confirmed on their abilities and competence, and the fact of their presence in the political arena and their desire for democratic change and reform political participation As regards to the tyrannical ruling power has demonstrated the dictatorship and its attempts to abort the political life of democratic transformation and to devote the military rule and prisons, emergency and torture to death were also with Italian Regina And thus succeeded in political Islam, democracy and protection and the protection of law and human rights process sidelines while authoritarian regimes succeeded in marginalizing democracy and rejected the devolution of power and monopoly of military rule and the killing of a real contender to rule through democratic means.
(7) Coexistence between Islamist Democrats and secularists
The success of relations in the political life depends on several components, including Islamist Democrats and it also needs to be an incubator for the success of the political and cultural environment:
1- Free democratic rule of sound political life that allows real competition aims to benefit homeland because work in a dictatorial atmosphere harvested pitting some of the political forces on each other.
2 - Secular forces which accept the existence of Islamists as partners in the political scene.
Without these two factors we will not achieve any success which Egypt witnessed in the wake of the move in January 2011, when Islamist and secular political forces formed parties under the rule of the military junta that manipulate political forces pitted against each other thus the parties could not achieve a significant gain.
8) The relationship between Islamist and extremists
The cause of moderation and extremism is one of the most serious issues facing the international community who should reconsider addressing it in order to ensure treatment in the light of past experience and expertise in dealing with and that have not been successful, but extends to the heart of European capitals and threatens peace and security.
The failed political choices rely on the repressive dictator security options.
While the talk about the fruits of democracy and the expansion of freedoms and its positive impact on the eradication of militancy newly apparently is closer to cover up the repression plans.
Aborting the Arab Spring revolutions and supporting military dictatorships are clear in the closure of all channels of expression and peaceful change, and prove its failure in favor of supporting the militancy, and the trend to open up channels of expression and change through force and carrying weapons. It is important to review these policies and enable the democratic freedoms and political independence, which would be an essential first step in tightening the siege and investing in the ability of the moderates to make the militants take part in a peaceful, democratic path. We have an experience in Sinai where we could solve the problems resulted from the abuses suffered by the people of Sinai after the killing of sixteen soldiers during the presidency of Dr. Mohamed Morsi.
(9)The relationship of the United Kingdom and countries with political Islam movements and the vision of the United Kingdom of bilateral relations with them
The relationship between the United Kingdom and the states where there were movements of political Islam is not governed by the ancient British values. It is a relationship of investment and financial interests. The majority of countries is ruled by military dictatorship systems and is signed by the military coups against democratic and electoral benefits, such as Algeria, Egypt. At a time when Britain's values rejects coups against democracy and human rights abuses, where as in the same time the Euro-Mediterranean countries hold agreements with Egypt pledged to respect human rights. However, the Government of England turned blind eyes on the massacres that took place in Egypt, and received the coup commander on red carpet which expressed strategic mistake because it records hatred with peoples and double standards and the loss of credibility. What was raised recently from the British report accuses the Brotherhood of terrorism and lack of compatibility with Britain's values is in fact the most dangerous in British political bilateral relationship with the countries with the Islamic movements.
It does not make sense that the group, which won all the elections in Egypt after the25 of January 2011 movement is a terrorist group, and that Egyptians elected terrorists in the absence of the Egyptian Interior Ministry !! Whereas the United Kingdom deals with all the governments of all kinds, which represents the rule of Israeli occupation and which kill Palestinians and demolishing homes and expanding the settlements and go out for decades in stalling the peace process without any description with terrorism from the British government, which added to the record of double standards and a disservice to the face of Britain and its relations with the peoples of the region.
(10) Relationship of Political Islam with other countries in the short, medium and long-term and how it affects regional trends
The region is riddled with dangerous regional conflicts:
-The conflict of Sunni and Shiite
-The war in Syria
-The war between Saudi Arabia and Yemen
-The conflict in Lebanon
-The conflict in Iraq
-ISIS conflict with the governments of Syria and Iraq
-ISIS conflict with the government of Libya
-Kurds clash with Turkey
-Polisario conflict
-Iran's role in past conflicts
-Sudanese interior conflict
-Egyptian interior conflict and Sinai impasse
All of these conflicts in the regional trends portend the elimination of the stability of the region, which will impact on Europe and its interests in particular. Europe should disassociate their policies away from these conflicts. Political Islam has an effective role in the region to avoid and contain the conflicts. All countries should adopt policies based on the grounds of accepting political Islam movements as a part of the national fabric and one of the most secretions made by the people of the region, or they will turn the region into more crises and conflicts.
We believe that the near-term needs to redraw policies based on quitting immoral double standards in international relations and respect for democracy and the refusal to recognize coups and protection of human rights.
In the medium term, test of credibility in the relations between the two parties in the light of the agreement on the programs to be implemented during this term.
In the long term, the establishment of full relations respects independence and privacy of all parties
like the experience of negotiations with Iran, which lasted for many years until the agreement on natural relations.
(11) How the Commonwealth responds politically for the future development of political Islam principles and how it is consistent with the values of the United Kingdom
The Arab Spring is the political development of the peoples of the region and that spawned the rise of Islamists to power through democratic elections. It was the right political situation that was consistent with the values of the Commonwealth which should be a response to political relations based on respecting the choice of the people, and the rejection of the military coup. The Commonwealth has to take strategic planning measures to counter the risks of the region that threaten Europe. This could be done through entering into a full partnership based on cooperation and transparency to block the state of tension and extremism caused by ignoring the will of the people and the recognition of military coups. The Commonwealth has to gave up double standards and giving priority to the interests of policy economic investments instead of values uphold the protection of human rights and democracy was enough to correct the situation that will harm the region. The political thinking should be based on respect for the privacy of each party. The idea of consistency that was meant to seek political Islam movements into compliance with European values is just like those who demand consistency Europe with ISIS.
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April 2016