Carlos Latuff – Could you tell me what´s your opinion about Egypt after elections? I mean, How´s Egypt under Muslim brotherhood government?
Mohammad El Baradei: Well, Egypt is going through difficult transition. The revolution came for people asking for human dignity, equality and freedom, you know? And instead we are not there yet, Instead the country is very divided, very polarized, we don’t yet have a proper constitution that sets how the basic values that we all need to subscribe to. We don’t yet have a empowerment. So, the country is still going through difficult time, and I hope we are in position soon, to focus on the priorities of the revolution. The people need food on the table, need house care, need education, need housing. We still have 40 per cent of the Egyptian under the poverty level, we still have one serv Egyptian that cannot read or write. These are the priorities, and we should not continue to debate what are the differences of interpretation of religion, These are things for every human being to decide for himself or herself and let us just focus on the priorities right now. I think, any basic set of values are not different in a sense that they all focus on the human dignity and basically the right to every individual to live in freedom and to able to express himself or herself. We still after 60 years of repression, going through understanding what democracy is about, how it works, how we can protect the rights of the minorities, how we can protect the basic rights, like freedom of religion, of expression, of freedom of fear, fear from want.., we are on the learning process, still are going through the learning curve, but I’m optimistic that these young people who stage this uprising will soon take over and be able to lead Egypt to a more different future, as I call a new Egypt.
Latuff – So the revolution is not over in your opinion?
MEB: No, by any means. The revolution goals which as you know was brat, human dignity, freedom, social justice, we are not yet able to say that we are succeeded in any of these things. It might take time but we need to make sure that we are on the right track. That the revolution won´t be aborted, taking hostage by any faction, everybody need to work together, everybody need to understand that we have a shared humanity, we all need to work on that and forget about superficial differences: the color race, religion, these are not the issues that we need to focus on.
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Latuff – Do you think we are witnessing a kind of “déjà vu” when we are dealing with of nuclear power in Iran, because the United States used the argument of weapons of mass destruction to invade Iraq. Do you think we are witnessing something similar?
MEB: I don’t think so, I hope not. I think it would be totally crazy to invade or attack Iran by force. I don’t think there’s any concrete proof that Iran is working right now to develop nuclear weapon. They are developing nuclear capability which is not different from what you have in Germany, Brazil or Argentina, but this is technology. Yes, it makes you able to develop nuclear weapon in a short period of time, but it doesn’t mean that you are developing a nuclear weapon. This is very much motivated by competition of ideology, competition of power, and the only way to resolve that issue, the Iran issue, is through dialogue and trust building. Any use of force would be completely contra productive and will lead the Middle East into total Armageddon.
Latuff – Don’t you think it’s very strange this argument of the United States, because if Pakistan, India, Israel, may have nuclear weapons, why not Iran?
MEB: I don’t think anybody should have nuclear weapons, including the United States. I mean, I think continue to rely on nuclear weapons mean that sooner or later we would have nuclear weapons being used by extreme groups, accidently, intentionally, and we would end up in self destruction. We need to understand that we cannot continue in this 21 century on nuclear weapon. We need to find a better way to live together without relying on nuclear weapon, or relying on force in general. I think it’s crazy, we have to change this mind set. If we don’t do that we will destroy our entire planet sooner or later. I agree with you, you cannot continue to have nuclear items, so you have some countries that rely on nuclear weapons and tell everybody else that they cannot touch nuclear weapons. This is non sustainable, this will not lead us anywhere, this is common sense, common logic.
Latuff- What about Syria? Do you see any relation between the campaign against Syria in United States and the campaign against Iran? Do you see a relation?
MEB: Well there’s very much, unfortunately, a power game in their origin. And everybody is trying to see an outcome in Syria that satisfies or provide, or goes along with their political interests. So have Russia and Iran in one side, the other the US and the Golf countries and the Western in another side. What they don’t understand (is) that the victims are the human beings that are being slaughtered every day. We have to have a security system that is based not on your political interests, not on your Atlantic interests, but really on solidarity. We have to worry about the people that are dying in cities, died in Darfour, died on the Congo, and died in Ruanda. This are the human lives that we should care about, Carlos. It´s not the question what’s the outcome on the impact on my narrow. Everybody is going to lose, and I hope we find a way soon to stop the killing in cities, peace keeping operation and initiate a political dialogue to find out a settlement where everybody is secure of life and find a way for the majority, and minority, everybody in the city, to live together. That’s the only way, but to continue just to rely on sanction or continue to rely on the ultimate use of force is not going to resolve issues. We should have learn from Iraq, but we don´t seem to be learning any lessons, what we see happening in Iran, or what we see happening in Syria, in toxic community is totally inept powerless. And wait until this gets much worse and then rely on force which makes things even worst.
Latuff- And you think Brazil can play a role on helping to solve the Syria crisis?
MEB: Well I think Brazil is a big power right now, I mean the 6 largest economies in the world. I think and I´ve been saying that Brazil should be active not only in the Syria issue, or the Iran issue, but in the global sea. Brazil cannot afford and should not, in my view, to continue to sit on the bench. They should go to the field and start playing. We know the world is marked by double standard. If you want to choose the double standard, the inequity, the insecurity, you have to have a new place, like Brazil, like South Africa, like India, you cannot just have yourself completely rely on the Western approach. This is one approach, but it’s not the only approach, we need a global approach, a balanced approach.