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Africa: North
BROTHERHOOD HAS TROUBLE FINDING LEADER
2004-01-15
The Muslim Brotherhood has encountered difficulties in appointing a prominent cleric to head the largest Sunni Muslim organization in the Middle East and could settle for an avowed Al Qaida supporter.
Oh, that's going to make them look even better...
Islamic sources said the Brotherhood's Guidance Council has been turned down in efforts to woo leading Sunni clerics outside of Egypt to head the Brotherhood. They said the 15-member council has approached Egyptian clerics both within and outside Egypt. "Inside Egypt, the prominent people are extremely old and outside Egypt many of the clerics are fugitives," an Islamic source who follows the organization said. "There are not many choices."
Wonder if Captain Hook is in the running?
The search was launched in wake of the death of Brotherhood spiritual leader, known as general guide, Mamoun El Hodeiby. El Hodeiby's deputy, Mohammed Hilal, has been appointed to serve as caretaker until a leader is chosen in March. The sources expect the Guidance Council to pick a successor and the 86-member Shura Council to confirm the choice.
Posted by:Fred Pruitt

#24  luke the Troll is going to be sooooo heartbroken! He had a shot at a real job for once!
Posted by: Old Patriot   2004-1-15 9:15:32 PM  

#23  More good news:
An Al Qaida supporter has been chosen to assume the leadership of Egypt's largest Muslim opposition group. Mohammed Mahdi Akef, who replaces the late Mamoun El Hodeiby, was chosen Wednesday in a 9-6 vote by the Guidance Council, which approves candidates for leadership positions. The 75-year-old Akef has been termed a Brotherhood hardliner who has rejected reconciliation with the regime of President Hosni Mubarak and religious rights for Egypt's Coptic Christian minority.
"I have not prepared any plan or agenda because I didn't expect to be selected," Akef said in a statement.
Akef's appointment must undergo confirmation by the 86-member Shura Council of the Brotherhood. Islamic sources said the council made its selection within a week of El Hodeiby's death in an effort to quash rumors that the Brotherhood was divided over the appointment of a new leader. They said the selection of Akef and his deputy, Mohammed Habib, indicates that the movement will maintain its cautious policies over the next few years.

Picking a hardline al-Qaida supporter is cautious?
Posted by: Steve   2004-1-15 3:02:57 PM  

#22  We have a winner!
CAIRO, January 14 – Mohammad Mahdi Akef has been elected Wednesday, January 14, as the new guide-general for the Muslim Brotherhood following a secret vote, IslamOnline.net can confirm. Nine of the group's guidance bureau 15 members voted in favor of Akef. Abudl Monem Abol Fotouh, a leading Muslim Brotherhood member, told IOL on Monday, January 12, the group would hold a secret vote for choosing the new guide-general in an unprecedented move against earlier decisions to fill the post through referendums.
The new guide-general is a specialist in physical education. He jointed the Muslim Brotherhood in 1948 before the assassination of the group's first guide-general. Akef was sentenced to death, then commuted to hard labor, on charges of involvement in a failed assassination attempt on the life of late Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Naser in Alexandria, in 1954. In 1974, he was released from jail. He left for Germany in 1980, where he ran the group's Islamic center. In 1986, Akef returned home to head the youths department in the group. One year later, he was elected to the Egyptian parliament and served till 1990.
Akef ran for parliamentary elections in 1995 and 2000 as independent but failed to make it again.
He is currently the Muslim Brotherhood liaison official with the Muslim world.

He's 75, they went with the young guy this time.
Posted by: Steve   2004-1-15 2:53:30 PM  

#21  have they considered retaining an Executive Search firm?
Posted by: liberalhawk   2004-1-15 9:18:30 AM  

#20  the fact that "many of the clerics are fugitives" is a positive note
Posted by: Frank G   2004-1-15 9:10:34 AM  

#19  They need someone completely amoral, totally ruthless, able to lie out of both sides of his mouth, and with proven ranting abilty. I nominate James Carville, Prince of Darkness.
Posted by: Steve   2004-1-15 8:22:42 AM  

#18  Shelob.
Posted by: raptor   2004-1-15 6:25:37 AM  

#17  No, 'Baghdad Bob' has a job reporting the situation in Iraq for a news channel already. Maybe Micheal Moore will volunteer.
Posted by: Charles   2004-1-15 2:25:55 AM  

#16  How about Comical Ali....y'know, that Iraqi Information Minister? He's got plenty of experience spouting off total bullsh*t, and I think he's still looking for a steady gig. I'm sure he can put together a pretty good audition tape if they want it.
Posted by: Desert Blondie   2004-1-15 1:51:17 AM  

#15  They need to recruit Michael Jackson.
Posted by: homer jay   2004-1-15 1:09:37 AM  

#14  I heard Houston Nutt turned them down, too.
Posted by: 4thInfVet   2004-1-15 12:45:53 AM  

#13  Jimma Carter?
Posted by: Mr. Davis   2004-1-15 12:07:19 AM  

#12  luke the Troll is going to be sooooo heartbroken! He had a shot at a real job for once!
Posted by: Old Patriot   2004-1-15 9:15:32 PM  

#11  More good news:
An Al Qaida supporter has been chosen to assume the leadership of Egypt's largest Muslim opposition group. Mohammed Mahdi Akef, who replaces the late Mamoun El Hodeiby, was chosen Wednesday in a 9-6 vote by the Guidance Council, which approves candidates for leadership positions. The 75-year-old Akef has been termed a Brotherhood hardliner who has rejected reconciliation with the regime of President Hosni Mubarak and religious rights for Egypt's Coptic Christian minority.
"I have not prepared any plan or agenda because I didn't expect to be selected," Akef said in a statement.
Akef's appointment must undergo confirmation by the 86-member Shura Council of the Brotherhood. Islamic sources said the council made its selection within a week of El Hodeiby's death in an effort to quash rumors that the Brotherhood was divided over the appointment of a new leader. They said the selection of Akef and his deputy, Mohammed Habib, indicates that the movement will maintain its cautious policies over the next few years.

Picking a hardline al-Qaida supporter is cautious?
Posted by: Steve   2004-1-15 3:02:57 PM  

#10  We have a winner!
CAIRO, January 14 – Mohammad Mahdi Akef has been elected Wednesday, January 14, as the new guide-general for the Muslim Brotherhood following a secret vote, IslamOnline.net can confirm. Nine of the group's guidance bureau 15 members voted in favor of Akef. Abudl Monem Abol Fotouh, a leading Muslim Brotherhood member, told IOL on Monday, January 12, the group would hold a secret vote for choosing the new guide-general in an unprecedented move against earlier decisions to fill the post through referendums.
The new guide-general is a specialist in physical education. He jointed the Muslim Brotherhood in 1948 before the assassination of the group's first guide-general. Akef was sentenced to death, then commuted to hard labor, on charges of involvement in a failed assassination attempt on the life of late Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Naser in Alexandria, in 1954. In 1974, he was released from jail. He left for Germany in 1980, where he ran the group's Islamic center. In 1986, Akef returned home to head the youths department in the group. One year later, he was elected to the Egyptian parliament and served till 1990.
Akef ran for parliamentary elections in 1995 and 2000 as independent but failed to make it again.
He is currently the Muslim Brotherhood liaison official with the Muslim world.

He's 75, they went with the young guy this time.
Posted by: Steve   2004-1-15 2:53:30 PM  

#9  have they considered retaining an Executive Search firm?
Posted by: liberalhawk   2004-1-15 9:18:30 AM  

#8  the fact that "many of the clerics are fugitives" is a positive note
Posted by: Frank G   2004-1-15 9:10:34 AM  

#7  They need someone completely amoral, totally ruthless, able to lie out of both sides of his mouth, and with proven ranting abilty. I nominate James Carville, Prince of Darkness.
Posted by: Steve   2004-1-15 8:22:42 AM  

#6  Shelob.
Posted by: raptor   2004-1-15 6:25:37 AM  

#5  No, 'Baghdad Bob' has a job reporting the situation in Iraq for a news channel already. Maybe Micheal Moore will volunteer.
Posted by: Charles   2004-1-15 2:25:55 AM  

#4  How about Comical Ali....y'know, that Iraqi Information Minister? He's got plenty of experience spouting off total bullsh*t, and I think he's still looking for a steady gig. I'm sure he can put together a pretty good audition tape if they want it.
Posted by: Desert Blondie   2004-1-15 1:51:17 AM  

#3  They need to recruit Michael Jackson.
Posted by: homer jay   2004-1-15 1:09:37 AM  

#2  I heard Houston Nutt turned them down, too.
Posted by: 4thInfVet   2004-1-15 12:45:53 AM  

#1  Jimma Carter?
Posted by: Mr. Davis   2004-1-15 12:07:19 AM  

00:01