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The Islamist movement remains Egypt’s most powerful organised opposition but has taken a back seat in the demonstrations demanding the overthrow of Mubarak, which are led by Egypt’s youth largely disillusioned with traditional politics.
“The Muslim Brotherhood does not seek power. We do not want to participate at the moment,” senior leader Mohammed Mursi told reporters.
“We will not put forward a candidate for the presidency.”

Western and Israeli observers have expressed fear the officially banned but tolerated movement could seize power, replace a key US ally with an Iran-style Islamic republic and scrap Egypt’s 1979 peace treaty with Israel. But Essam al-Erian, another senior member who spoke at the same press conference, insisted the group only wanted free and fair democratic elections.
“Why is there this fear of the Muslim Brotherhood?  Nothing can justify this fear of Islam. We reject the idea of a religious state.”

As for the peace treaty with Israel, Mursi said its future would be decided at the polls, according to whoever Egyptians elect to represent them in a post-Mubarak parliament. He added that the group remained open to dialogue with the regime, but that Mubarak must step down immediately.
“The president must leave his position. A new era should start,” he said.

The group has participated in talks initiated by Vice President Omar Suleiman but expressed disappointment with their progress.
Talks between the Brotherhood, several smaller opposition groups and the regime have focused so far on setting up a committee to look into changes to the most controversial articles of Egypt’s constitution. But the Brotherhood, and demonstrators across Egypt — many of whom say they have not been represented in the talks — have taken to the streets by the tens of thousands on a daily basis since January 25.

They want a concrete pledge that Mubarak will step down immediately, not in September when a new presidential election is scheduled.
The Brotherhood has participated in demonstrations across Egypt, but did not initiate or organise the protests or the movement that has carried them forward.

They have been careful to keep a low profile and emphasise that they are simply participants in a popular movement, not leaders of the revolt.
“We are with the people’s will,” said Mursi.
“We are with the majority of the Egyptian people . . . We are not the majority.”
The group has been officially banned since the 1950s but it counts hundreds of thousands of members and operates a vast network of social and religious outreach programmes across the country. Founded by schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna in 1928 as a grassroots movement opposed to colonialism and Zionism, the group has largely succeeded in its main goal of encouraging Egyptians to embrace Islam in public life. The Brotherhood renounced violence decades ago, but Mubarak’s security forces have arrested hundreds of its members and curtailed its political activities. — AFP.