And make no mistake — that jihad is coming. But even then the learned analysts who assured us in January 2011 that the “Arab Spring” was a flowering of democracy and pluralism will neither admit their mistake nor be called to account.
“Mursi: Recognition Of Peace Agreement With Israel — Conditional; MB Calls For Jihad To Liberate Palestine,” from MEMRI, July 23 (thanks to Lachlan):
Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Muhammad Badi’
Throughout his campaign and also since his election, Egyptian President Muhammad Mursi has stated that he accepts the peace agreement with Israel. For example, in a meeting with newspaper editors following his election, he said that Egypt would honor the agreement,[1] and in his inauguration speech at Cairo University, he said that he carried a message of peace to the world, that he would uphold Egypt’s commitments as part of international treaties and conventions it has signed, and that “Egypt [would] never turn to a policy of aggression.”[2]
At the same time, Mursi is careful to qualify his statements and say that Egypt’s acceptance of the peace agreement depends on Israel’s honoring of this agreement — an assertion that is open to various interpretations. For example, in a televised interview before the elections, he said that Israel’s honoring the agreement meant making peace with all the peoples of the region, implementing the Palestinians’ right of return, and establishing a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.[3] On another occasion, he said that Israel’s attack on Gaza constituted a violation of the peace agreement.[4]
These qualifications to the acceptance of the peace agreement with Israel might serve Mursi and the MB as a means of exerting pressure on Israel and the U.S., by demanding concessions in return for a continued honoring of the agreement on Egypt’s part.
Moreover, the MB apparently intends to maintain a division of labor between the president and the MB party and movement. Mursi adheres to protocol and international requirements in his policies and statements; moreover, he emphasizes that he does not represent the MB party or movement in his role as president, while the MB movement, on the other hand, is much blunter in its statements on Israel and adheres to its longstanding ideology. Thus, in his sermons in the recent weeks, MB General Guide Muhammad Badi’ has been taking a violent, hard-line stance and calling for jihad to rescue Palestine and Jerusalem.
The following are excerpts from some of his sermons:
Badi’: Every Muslim Must Wage Jihad To Rescue Palestine And Jerusalem
In his July 5, 2012 weekly sermon, Badi’ stated: “Every Muslim must act to save Jerusalem from the usurpers and to [liberate] Palestine from the claws of occupation. This is a personal duty for all Muslims. They must participate in jihad by [donating] money or [sacrificing] their life, in order to save [Palestine] and the men and women imprisoned [in Israeli jails], as well as [Jerusalem], the destination of the Prophet’s Night Journey and the first Qibla [direction of prayer] in [Islam], and in order to enable all those who were expelled to return to their homeland, their homes and their property…” Addressing all Muslims, Badi’ said: “Do not be ashamed to declare jihad for the sake of Allah, because your life and glory [depend on it], as well as the departure of the occupier from your country, the restoration of your holy sites, and the safety of your home…”[5]…