Spokesman: Muslim Brotherhood Guarding Egypt

A longtime Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Wednesday defended the radical group, saying its current agenda in Egypt is not Islamic revolution, but freedom for, and guarding the safety of, the Egyptian people. Kamal Helbaw also told NBC News the Muslim Brotherhood is “the only well-organized institution in Egypt.”

“I believe this is a public revolution. The role played by the Muslim Brotherhood this time was quite clear: They are asking for freedom, like every other one,” Helbaw said in an interview from London. “They did not use their Islamic slogans. And this is a good point on the part of the Muslim Brotherhood.”

But Helbaw did not deny that if the Muslim Brotherhood did take over Egyptian leadership, it could institute its radical and fundamentalist agenda and has the organization to do so.

“Any critic, whether they like or dislike the Muslim Brotherhood, they know that the Muslim Brotherhood is the only well-organized institution in Egypt,” he said. “If they come to power, they may think about their program.

“I wonder is the West will understand this message: They [the Muslim Brotherhood] are the people participating in guarding the safety of the people in Egypt.”