22/02/2012
By Ahmed Imbabi & Mohammed Abu Shama
[Excerpts selected by IMRA]
http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=3&id=28573

Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat- You may differ or agree with him, but you must under
all circumstances respect his rich political experience as one of the
pillars of the Islamic movement in Egypt. He recently turned 60, yet he is
probably the youngest among the contenders in the presidential elections. He
stands out among them on the basis of entrenched popularity in Tahrir Square
that nominated him more than once to head a national salvation government
that did not materialize for unknown reasons.

Dr Abdul Munim Abu al-Futuh, the Secretary General of the General Arab
Federation of Physicians, rejects being described as an Islamic candidate.
He also rejects the position of his group, the Muslim Brotherhood [MB] which
revoked his membership and announced through its General Guide that it was
not supporting his candidacy because of its wish not to provoke the West. He
says that this argument is meaningless after the revolution, stressing that
the Egyptian people are the ones who will decide the President of Egypt.

...

[Asharq Al-Awsat] You visited Gaza some days ago to head the meetings of the
Arab Physicians Federation. Yesterday, the Israelis exaggerated in their
intentions to aggress on Al-Aqsa Mosque. In your opinion, what is the means
to liberate Jerusalem, which is the dream of every Muslim? As you are at the
threshold of running for the presidency, does it cross your mind that Egypt
might have the championship role in the Palestinian issue? What is the
future of our relationship with Israel?

[Abu al-Futuh] Egypt's role is not a championship role. For Egypt, Palestine
is a matter of national security because it is on Egypt's eastern borders.
Any nationalist regime that is faithful to Egypt cannot but have a
relationship with the issue of Palestine. Further, the international
community, with post-revolution democratic Egypt part of it, has to compel
Israel to respect international treaties.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] What is the means to liberate Jerusalem as the dream of
every Muslim?

[Abu al-Futuh] Israel's respect to the treaties and the international
resolutions on establishing a Palestinian State with its capital in Al-Quds
al-Sharif [East Jerusalem]. This must be respected.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] What is the role of the Arabs and Muslims in this?

[Abu al-Futuh] If there are real States for the Arabs and the Muslims then
they must exert pressure to implement international decisions.

...
[Asharq Al-Awsat] To what extent does concern about the extremities and the
marginalized areas represent a strategic importance for Egypt?

[Abu al-Futuh] The extremities are an issue of national security for Egypt.
The political leadership has not tried to strengthen the feelings of
affiliation and concern among the Egyptians who live on Egypt's borders. It
made them live in a state of persecution and injustice that made them lose
the feelings of belonging to the homeland. When I visited Sinai two weeks
ago, I found that they felt great bitterness toward the regime that ruled
for 30 years because of injustice and oppression. I told them that this did
not come out of a vacuum but was intentional because they wanted you to lose
your feelings of belonging to Egypt and turn you into agents for the
Zionists. You rejected this because of your nationalism, to the extent that
there are people from Sinai who live "bidun" [without], meaning that they
are not allowed to carry Egyptian identity cards. They are not allowed to
own property. All the security and police practices exercised against them
constitute a threat to them and to Egyptian national security.

...
[Abu al-Futuh] No doubt Sadat as a political ruler--specifically on the
issue of liberties in particular and his violations of human rights--was
less than [better than] those who preceded him and came after him. But
concerning the position on Israel, it was the worst position because by the
Camp David Agreement he exposed Egyptian national security to dangers we
still suffer from until now. On the economic level, he was the one who
started the disaster of al-infitah [economic openness policy]. His successor
followed this up and worsened the disaster, and his son came and made the
disaster ten disasters in the last 10 years.

...
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Finally, if you are to direct a message to Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad, what would you tell him? In your opinion, to what
extent has the Arab League succeeded in managing the Syrian crisis?

[Abu al-Futuh] The Arab League has not succeeded as usual because it is a
weak league that represents governments that are weak overall. Consequently
it was natural that it should not succeed. Bashar al-Assad will not stop
spilling the blood of the Syrians. He has to depart and leave the Syrian
people to elect the Syrian regime that represents them.