New Muslim Brotherhood political leader in Egypt calls for Sharia law
Saad al-Katatny elected head of Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, says goal is to "institute Islamic Sharia law."
By JPOST.COM STAFFSaad Al-Katatny 370(photo credit: REUTERS/POOL New)
Saad al-Katatny was elected chairman of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood’s political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party, Egyptian media reported Friday. He beat out FJP’s acting leader Essam al- Erian in a vote that took place October 6.The FJP is Egypt’s largest political party, currently occupying 47 percent of all seats in the country’s lower house of parliament.Katatny hailed his election as “a first step” towards achieving the goals of the FJP, according to Egypt’s Al-Ahram newspaper.In this respect, Katatny was quoted as saying that “The Muslim Brotherhood established the [FJP] to represent the Brotherhood’s political project, which, in the end, will be a wise government that will institute Islamic Shari’a law.”Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi earlier this year ran for office on the FJP ticket. However, he resigned from the party immediately after being elected.Last week Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Muhammad Badie called on Muslims worldwide to liberate Jerusalem by means of jihad.According to AFP, in his weekly message to supporters, Badie asserted that “The jihad for the recovery of Jerusalem is a duty for all Muslims,” stressing that the city’s conquest “will not be done through negotiations or at the United Nations.”The Brotherhood’s Supreme Guide previously vowed that if the Muslim Brotherhood ever rose to power in Egypt, it would work to sever relations with Israel. “We are certainly not happy with the illegitimate marriage between Cairo and Tel Aviv,” he said.“Once we rise to power we will change many things in Egypt’s policy, starting with the country’s relations with Israel which have caused us great harm.”In response to Badie’s latest call for jihad against Israel, The Simon Wiesenthal Center urged US President Barack Obama to sever all contacts with the Muslim Brotherhood until the threat is withdrawn.
In a joint statement, Rabbis Marvin Hier and Abraham Cooper, founder and dean, and associate dean of the center – respectively – denounced Badie, saying his “rant confirms our long held view that Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood is the most dangerous anti- Semitic organization in the world today.”They called on “President Obama to condemn the rhetoric and cut off all official and unofficial US contacts with the Muslim Brotherhood until they desist from their hate and warmongering.”
