Brotherhood ‘will destroy Assad’

Press, 26 July 1980, Page 16

Brotherhood ‘will destroy Assad’

“The terrorist war against the minority Alawite leadership of ‘ Syria will escalate until the regime of President Assad crumples or gives in to the demands of the Sunni MiKlim majority.” That is the resolve of Professor Issam Attar, the exiled leader of the extreme Muslim Brotherhood movement which has kept up a relentless campaign of assassinations of Alawites and their supporters: While President Assad recovers with remarkably light injuries from a grenade attack, the leadership has pledged an even tougher stand against Sunni revolutionaries in an already bitter war. Assad’s brother, Rifaat, head of the internal security forces, stated in the Damascus daily “Tishrin” that he was ready to declare .one hundred wars, destroy one million lives, and sacrifice one million martyrs to safeguard the country. “The, Government is. going up a blind alley,” claimed Attar, in the livingroom of his modest apartment in Aachen, West Germany. “If it does not agree to the rights of the people of Syria then it will be destroyed. What Rifaat says is nothing but proof that the resistance .of the people is stronger, so that the Government can only use these violent means to continue.” Before his exile began in 1964. Attar was leader of the Brotherhood in Syria, general scretary of the Islamic Conference in Damascus, and. an M.P. For six years he journeyed through Arab countries in the Middle East seeking refuge. Each time, as with King Hussein

of Jordan, for example, refuge was on condition he abandoned his Brotherhood work. Ten . years ago Attar came to rest at Aachen to become director of the Islamic • ’Centre. His followers claim him to re-

By

ROBERT COCKBURN,

“Observer,” London

present the pure Brotherhood spirit and to be 'its natural leader-.

Attar — his professor’s title is one given out of respect by .the, faithful of his Islamic Centre — claims desecent from the Prophet Muhammad. His followers in Syria make up the hard core of fighters of Brotherhood resistance — Attali’iah Al Moqatila or the Vanguard — which concentrates its power in Aleppo, Homs, and Hama, the sharpest thorns 1 in the side of Assad’s Government.

“Of course, the Syrian Government says the .Muslim Brotherhood is an extremist movement,” said Attar, “but there is a real revolutionary movement today in Syria.” “These are not only the aims of the Brotherhood but of all the groups that contact me. The fight of the opposition will increase every day. Most people are ready now to take to the streets to demonstrate this.” Even one year ago such talk would have sounded like wishful thinking in the face of what was known as the strongest regime in the Middle East. At that time, diplomats in Damascus were suggesting that a trimming of Alawite sails and an initiative to bring

more Sunnis into the de-cision-making process would keep the Brotherhood, the mainly poor “street Sunni,” in isolation. Attar says the Brotherhood has gained credibility because of .Government purges against .dissidents.

As a result, even professional and merchant classes have joined the revolution. That, for Attar — and the signs of dissent he reports ip.the ranks of the military — mark'the beginning of the end for Assad.

Robert Heaton Rhodes, whose virulent correspondence through letters to the editor with Lawrence Kennaway in the 1850 s was reported in an article on this page last Saturday. In error a photograph of his son, also Robert Heaton Rhodes, was published.