RFE/RL writer at large James Kirchick sat down with Brotherhood leader Essam el-Erian in Cairo to discuss many topics, including post-Mubarak Egypt, Shari'a law, and why he wants to see fundamental reforms spread across the Arab world.
RFE/RL: What’s the biggest problem facing the country right now?
Essam el-Erian: I think there is no problem. The problem now is over because the biggest problem was to get rid of Mubarak and his men. Now the burden is to bring the country to have a new Egypt…All Egyptians are invited now in building the country.
RFE/RL: You said you had to get rid of Mubarak and his men but you still have the military running the country. You have his allies in charge.
El-Erian: Yes, because the Mubarak regime was infiltrating all aspects of life and all sectors in society. So you cannot get rid of the whole regime. You get rid of Mubarak and his men and they are in cages now. Of course, to get rid of the whole regime you [require] some time.
RFE/RL: And what’s needed to do that?
El-Erian: You can imagine you can have alternatives. Some other people they want to hang Mubarak directly without any ordinary cause and some want to implement the state of law and have justice, a very good message for the future that this is a new Egypt [which is being born] now. It is a state of justice not revenge...
Some are in the mode of revolution [and] until now want to destroy everything and then build anew. I think the mode and attitude of Egyptians is not so revolutionary.
It wants to have reconciliation...and to get rid of the old activities or things of the past regime and to build the country gradually. [It] will take three to five years to build a new country.
RFE/RL: Do you think the trial is fair?
El-Erian: Till now, we have only one session; the second is today [August 15]. I hope it will be fair. It is good for the future to be fair.
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