The Muslim Brotherhood and its party respect personal freedoms, Mohamed Morsy, head of the party, said Tuesday.
Personal freedoms will remain untouched as long as they do not harm society, he said at a meeting with Egyptian diplomats at the Foreign Ministry — the first of its kind for a Freedom and Justice Party official.
"I am a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, and I am acting in a way that does not harm society. … We need to protect society from moral degeneration," Morsy said.
Morsy said the Brotherhood's concept of obedience is confusing for many, and that the Brotherhood, as a long-standing institution, has internal regulations.
"Obedience is to the rules, not to the people," he said of the organization.
Morsy said Egypt's resources have been wasted, leading to the budget deficit, and that the Brotherhood will reconsider ways to invest resources. This will require reviewing legislation and working closely with countries to which former officials smuggled Egyptian funds, he said.
Morsy also discussed plans to build a nuclear power station, saying a lot of time was wasted determining the location and project design. He said Egypt should harness nuclear energy for peaceful ends.
With Islamists winning more than two-thirds of seats in the People's Assembly, some human rights activists express concern that their rise to power could threaten the rights of women and religious minorities. The Brotherhood and the FJP have often made statements to reassure the public they will protect civil rights and favor moderate policies.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
