The group said it was awaiting response to its call to meet with Mubarak

By Abdul Raheem Ali, IOL Correspondent

CAIRO , September 5 (IslamOnline.net) – The banned but largely tolerated Muslim Brotherhood group revealed it was seeking to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, seeking a dialogue with the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) to explain its vision on the ongoing political developments, according to the group's guide-general.

"We have recently requested to meet with President Mubarak," Mahdi Akef told IslamOnline.net during an exclusive interview Friday, September 4.

He further added that the group had also held talks with a senior Egyptian official on reform and other national issues.

"We had also held talks with a senior official concerning our vision on reform and other national issues, and I believe the political leadership is now in touch with our vision in this respect."

Akef urged the government to hold talks with all political powers in the country including the Muslim Brotherhood.

Mohammad Mahdi Akef has been elected on January 14, as the new guide-general for the Muslim Brotherhood following the death of its leader Mamoun El-Hodaiby.

Not Seeking Power

"Muslim Brotherhood is not seeking power," said Akef

The guide-general further stressed that the Muslim Brotherhood is not seeking exclusive power in the biggest Arab country.

"We are not power seekers as our main mission is to spread principles of virtue and faith in the society."

Akef said the Muslim Brotherhood is also seeking to meet with leaders of the National Democratic Party to view its viewpoints on reform.

"Muslim Brotherhood is also studying to meet with senior NDP leaders to view its vision on all national issues, as part of the group's efforts to meet with leaders of all Egyptian parties," after talks with the opposition Al-Wafd party, the Arab Nasserite Democratic Party, and the leftist Al-Tagammou Party.

The NDP is due to hold its annual congress late this month during which President Mubarak is expected to relay a new vision on political reform in Egypt .

The Muslim Brotherhood leader stressed the group will continue efforts to explain vision on all national issues, even though it did not attend the meetings of the opposition parties on political and social reform in Egypt.

"We will go to the syndicates, universities and popular congregations to view our standpoint."

He urged all the Egyptian parties to stand together in the face of malicious schemes against Egypt and the Arab and Islamic nations.

US Malicious Role

Akef accused the United States of straining relations between the group and the Egyptian government as it repeatedly warned the government of the rising influence of the group.

He said it was in the US interests to keep things hot in Egypt for distracting attention away from developments in Iraq and Palestine .

Akef stressed the Muslim Brotherhood has always refused to hold talks with the US administration, noting the group had refused to meet with Saad Al-Din Ibrahim, chairman of Ibn Khaldon center for social studies as well as the delegation of the US Religious Freedom Commission during its recent visit to Cairo.

The outlawed but tolerated movement, which advocates establishing an Islamic state using peaceful means, supports 16 deputies in Egypt ’s 454-member parliament, making it the main opposition force in Egypt .

Muslim Brotherhood is represented in other Arab countries, including Jordan and Syria where it was severely repressed.