The Muslim Brotherhood’s English website has rejected claims that the Egyptian protests were aimed at creating an Islamic state.

The uprising in Egypt “is a revolution of the Egyptian people and is by no means linked to any Islamic tendencies, despite allegations, nor can it be described as Islamic,” said a statement on Ikhwanweb, which calls itself “The Muslim Brotherhood’s Official English website.”

“The revolution is peaceful and calls solely for reform and a democratic civil state initiated by the youth through the social networking service Facebook and is far removed from any Islamist groups.”

The statement also criticized Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Iranian supreme leader, for likening the protests to Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979.

In a separate statement, another Muslim Brotherhood leader said last week that a new government would end Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel.

Some Israeli and pro-Israel leaders have expressed misgivings about the Muslim Brotherhood’s role in the protests because of its rejection of Israel’s right to exist and its affiliation with Hamas. Other pro-Israel voices have suggested that the Muslim Brotherhood’s influence is limited and have welcomed the overall push for democracy. — jta