Fouad Allam: Islamist groups seek power

Security expert major general Fouad Allam, former deputy chief of the State Security Investigations Service, has said groups which embrace misinterpreted Islam adopt takfiiri concepts and has no specified logic to establish a state.

In an interview with THE REFERENCE, Allam, who is currently a member of the National Council to Confront Terrorism and Extremism, stressed that all groups which claim to be Islamist, led by the Muslim Brotherhood, seek power.

"Their principal political objective is to reach power. Fortunately, they have reached power in Egypt and were totally rejected by Egyptians. It wouldn't be easy for them to regain their potential and strength. They have enjoyed the support of the masses over many years, pretending to be oppressed. The people supported the Brotherhood as they detested the dissolved National Democratic Party prior to January 2011," Allam said.

"We have seen that the Islamists who supported the Brotherhood in Rabaa and Al-Nahda squares were not members of the Muslim Brotherhood organization." he noted.

Answering a question if the Brotherhood still seeks to assume power, the security expert has made it clear the international support gives them hope to regain the position they lost in countries like Egypt. "The financial potentials give them the hope for a comeback in Arab countries," he said.

"There are no disagreements among groups which embrace misinterpreted Islam. Prior to the assassination of late president Anwar el-Sadat, there were some disagreements. However, all of them agreed upon the killing of Sadat and to achieve their goal, which is to establish an Islamist state," he added.