OnIslam.net

CAIRO – Dubbed as Egypt’s version of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the candidacy of Muslim Brotherhood leader Abdel-Moneim Abul-Futuh is causing a rift inside the group.

Abul-Futuh “believes in democracy, and he believes in Islam,” Islam Lotfy, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood Youth, told The New York Times on Monday,  June 20.

“He accepts liberal values, and he will apply social justice.”

Dr. Abul-Futuh has unveiled a bid to run in Egypt’s presidential elections as an independent.

But his presidential bid has been opposed by the Muslim Brotherhood, which has said that it will not field a candidate in the presidential elections.

The Muslim Brotherhood has sacked Abul-Futuh over his decision to seek presidency.

“He has nothing to do with us now,” said Essam el-Erian, a Brotherhood leader and spokesman for its new party.

“We cannot support anyone violating our decisions.”

A doctor by profession, Abul-Futuh, 60, is currently secretary-general of the Arab Doctors Union.

He holds an MA in hospital management and an LLM from Cairo University's Faculty of Law.

Abul-Futuh is a member of the Brotherhood’s Shura Council, but not the 16-member governing body.

A poll published on April 22 in the state-run Ahram newspaper showed Abul-Futuh and outgoing Arab League chief Amr Moussa, with the highest voter support at 20 percent, while former leader of the UN nuclear watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei had 12 percent support.

Wide Support

Seen as the Egyptian version of Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Abul-Futuh enjoys a strong support among younger generations in Egypt.

“You will find this new trend largely among the youth…and as you go up the pyramid to people in their 50s and 60s, you will find fewer and fewer,” said Lotfy.

“Some in the Brotherhood say he is too liberal.”

Abul-Futuh, who has been critical of Muslim Brotherhood’s new party, adopts more liberal positions on women and Christians.

“Islam accepts multiplicity,” he said, “in religious or political or economic beliefs.”

“The foundation of rights and duties is citizenship, not religion or sex.

“To the Brotherhood, I am more liberal,” said the 59-year-old.

Abul-Futuh also enjoys support among liberal Egyptians.

“Abul-Futuh is genuine,” said Shady el-Ghazeli Harb, a young liberal who worked with young Egyptians to start the Jan.25 revolution, which ousted president Hosni Mubarak.

Yet, Harb has not made up his mind to embrace him.

“He has always been known as a reformist within the Brotherhood. But he is a Brotherhood guy.”

Political analyst Diaa Rashwan of Al Ahram Center describes Abul-Futuh as “the missing link” between Islamists and secular voters.

Abul-Futuh says he supports rights of all Egyptians of different faiths.

“Allah told our Prophet, ‘You cannot control or strongly influence people, you can only advise them,’ ” he said.

“‘If I obligate you to take some religion — to take some behavior — I shall charge you as a hypocrite.’ ”