Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - AMMON Exclusive: A copy of Thursday's(May 8th) Meeting Minutes.
* Thneibat: Reform efforts hindered by closed minded leadership.
* Calls for current leaders to resign for their role in fostering division within the Brotherhood's ranks.
* Demands to withdraw all rulings against expelled Brothers.
Ammon- The Muslim Brothers Leadership was warned against internal devisions caused by MB's court decision to expel the three members of the Zamzam initiative.
Background:
Dissatisfied MB members, representing (8) area met in Irbid the previous day ( May 7th) in an atmosphere that felt more like a " coup " than "reform." MB's leaders were accused of creating the current crisis that affected both the organization and the community. Wednesday's Islamic Action Front meeting, in Irbid, included Brotherhood members from Irbid , Jerash , Ajloun , Ramtha , Mafraq , Koura and AlAghwar. The main cause of dissatisfaction was the decision to expel Dr Arahil Gharayba, Dr. Nabil Koufahi and Dr. Jamil Dhissat. According to Dr. Abdul Hamid Thunaibat, member of MB's international Guidance Office, the meeting focused on recounting the many attempts to reform that ended in failure due to the "closed-minded" approach of the current leadership.
The next day, the discontented faction met again and Dr. Mahmoud Heshan, leader of the Islamic Movement in Irbid, presented a paper titled (the future of the group - Analytical view of the present realities and the future. The paper included action points suggested by Dr. Nabil Koufahi, head of the Political Committee of the Islamic Action Front and other MB reformers.
The paper proposed the following:
- The Muslim Brotherhood stands at a critical juncture in its history, both internally and nationally. A number of factors, including the failure of Egypt's MB government, the banning of MB by some countries and the lack of victory in Syria, has affected MB negatively. The decline in al-Qaeda threat to the West decreased their interest in supporting a peaceful alternative for political-Islam, represented by the Brotherhood. In addition, Turkey's government internal troubles contributed to sidelining of the "Turkish project" as a major backer of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Other indicators that demonstrates the serious dangers surrounding MB :
1) The Organization :
- The decline in MB's membership compared to Jordan's population growth and the increase in members' average age to 40 years old is proof to MB's failure to attract the younger generation to join the organization.
- The in attendance of MB's public and private events by members due to low morale.
- The old MB leadership that remains in position offer no innovative solutions.
- Members of People 's Assembly and Shura are not adequately represented at the Executive level.
- The use of evasive tactics, by some of MB's leaders, that resorted to fabricating excuses and misrepresenting facts.
- The decline in membership among the children of current Brothers to less that 10%.
2) Locally:
- Muslim Brotherhood's declining influence in various labor unions.
- No MB members in Jordan's Parliament and Municipalities councils has negatively impacted MB's influence.
- Inability to mobilize the street and the collapse of alliances with MB"s traditional partners and reformers.
- Inability to launch new community projects similar to the Islamic Center Association.
- The Brotherhood can no longer "shift the balance" by joining forces with other political parties. This new reality was reflected by the regime's brushing-off MB's boycott of the last elections.
- The emergence of other religious figures that attracted more presence and influence among the public.
3) Vulnerabilities :
Reasons behind the Brotherhood's retreat were attributed to structural, ideological and educational factors include:
- The blind adherence to the organization's edicts that demands absolute loyalty and rejects flexibility and reform.
- The common practice of the upper leadership of holding closed meetings and their refusal to open these meetings to the rest of the members.
- Education practices that puts forward individuals, who stress the concept of organizational loyalty before advocacy for the faith (Dawa).
- The unclear position concerning reform priorities and the prerequisite for State reform before the liberating of Palestine.
- Falling short in fostering the principal of national loyalty as a strategic plan for national unity.
- A traditional leadership that suspects any call for renewal and internal reform efforts.
- Decreasing public influence, the failure to cultivate media allies and the under utilizing of social media.
- The lack of productive public projects gave rise to internal disagreements among middle and higher level leaders.
- The impulsive nature of decision-making, decisions not based on factual information or studies that addresses public needs.
- The latest development in Egypt and the growing anti-MB campaigns fueled MB's leaders' feelings of isolation and widened the gap between them and MB members.
4) Solutions :
a) Education :
- Encourage the concept of cooperation between the Brothers and other strategic partners with common interest.
- Strengthen values like creativity and freedom of expression instead of absolute obedience.
- Advance the principles of Dawa over organizational rules.
- Stop using the notion of "Godly trials" as a way to justify the leadership's failures.
- Foster a culture of acceptance of Brothers who offer differing views.
- Forward values that protects our legislative and educational foundations and promotes a culture of tolerance.
b) Administration :
- Revise MB's educational system to promote cooperative and fact-based decision making process.
- Improve ways of communication with/among members on the ground level.
- Update the statutes governing the organization to address present challenges like encouraging internal dialogue and reform initiatives.
c) Politics :
- Participate in the local and national political process with serious programs to reach the public and decision-making centers.
- Expand the circle of political allies and not limit it to the old traditional opposition.
- Coordinate with other groups and build alliances for strategic advances vs temporary tactical reasons.
- Rebrand MB's public image as a national organization that speaks out for all citizens.
d) The Public :
- Emphasize the role of Mosques as centers of enlightenment and worship, not political activities.
- Introduce Brotherhood members to local public committees or councils and encourage regular communications with their communities.
- Promote businesses that employs local skills to the benefit of the whole community.
- Develop means for better interaction with the media and help acquaint them with MB's ideology and goals.
5) Urgent Demand :
- The immediate resignation of the current leadership that fueled the current crisis and created divisions both within the organization and among the larger community.
- Prevent individuals who reject our demands from occupying any leadership position.
- Select a new Secretary General who would bring about reconciliation with other political and social entities.
- Select a new Executive Committee to represent MB"s moderate block.
- Nullify the ruling to expel the three Zamzam Initiative leaders and halt the campaign of defame them.
- Stop all forms of mobilization and incitement in the classroom.
- The new officers will engage in dialogue with MB's veteran members to find proper solutions and to set the course for the organization's future.
6) Dismiss the Executive Committee :
- Disassociate "argumentative" individuals who contributed to the crisis, and provoked the Jordanian street to the detriment of the Brotherhood.
- Form a new organization called the Muslim Brotherhood. "The present Muslim Brotherhood has betrayed MB's original principals, " according to one objector.
- Demand the current leadership to dissolve the "secret group" managed by Humam Saeed.
- Hold a national conference in Amman or Irbid within a week from today (Thursday, May 8 ,2014).
- The meeting was a step toward escalating the confrontation with MB's current Comptroller General.
Thursday's meeting was attended by about (50 ) prominent members of the Brotherhood, A petition critical of the current leaders was circulated for signatures. It demanded that MB leaders adhere only to the line of the National Islamic Movement and not follow foreign agendas. Hundreds have already signed it.
Present at the meeting:
Abdul Majid Dhunaibat / member, Office of World Guidance and Former Comptroller General
Arahil Gharaibeh / Former Deputy Comptroller General, leader of Zamzam initiative
Ahmed Koufahi / MP , former House of Representatives
Jamil Dhdissat / Head of Board Islamic Center Association,leader of Zamzam initiative
Ibrahim Finjan / member of the Shura Council of the Muslim Brotherhood in Ramtha
Sharaf AlKudah/ leader
Mahmoud Heshan / Irbid leader
Zaki AlBashaireh / Islamic Action Front Party in Irbid
Fathi Taamenh / Head of The Farouk Brotherhood Division
Yousef Abu Rub / Irbid leader
Ahmed Abu Nasir / Yarmouk Division
Mahmoud AlMughrabi / Yarmouk Division
Bilal AlMitanni / secretary, Yarmouk Division
Alaa Idris / secretary, Salah al-Din Division
Muhammad AlQadi / delegate, Ajloun Division
Samir Bataineh / Irbid leader
Mahmoud BaniHani / Irbid
Mohammed Said Athamny / MB secretary of the North province
Ahmed Athamny / member, the Islamic Action Front in Irbid
Essam Trad / secretary, the Islamic Action Front in Irbid
Ahmed Shehadeh Abu Hija / leader in the Mafraq division
Salah Kazan / administrative staff member in the Mafraq Division
Mufeed Hafez / Director General of the Islamic Center Society in Mafraq
Jabr Abu Hija / member of the administrative body in Irbid
Ali Hassan / leader in the Koura Division
Walid al-Khatib / leader in Irbid
Mahmoud Abdel Hamid AlKudah / son of leading Brotherhood member Abdul Hamid AlKudah
Esq. Mahmoud Aldkor / Zamzam Intiative supporter
Mohammed Khatib/ Irbid leader
Dr. . Abdullah Sharman / Irbid leader
Dr.Hisham Sharman / Irbid
Mohammed AlKudah / Ajloun
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