Editor's note: Nader Hashemi is director of the Center for Middle East Studies and an assistant professor of Middle East and Islamic politics at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver. He is the author of "Islam, Secularism and Liberal Democracy: Toward a Democratic Theory for Muslim Societies." The views expressed in this article are solely those of Nader Hashemi.
By Nader Hashemi, Special to CNN
Egypt suffered a political earthquake Thursday when the country’s Supreme Constitutional Court effectively dissolved the democratically elected parliament and ruled that Hosni Mubarak’s last prime minister can remain a presidential candidate.
These events have been widely interpreted as a “judicial coup,” the start of a “counter-revolution” and “the end of Egypt’s Arab Spring.”
While the situation is still in flux and the future is unknown, there is one claim can be made with certainty: this is a naked power grab by the country’s ruling military.
The situation confirms Ellis Goldberg’s prescient observation last year, when the political scientist said what we are witnessing in Egypt is “Mubarakism without Mubarak.” In other words, the “deep military state” remains in firm control despite its feigned commitment to civilian rule; the only real difference is that Mubarak and his family are no longer in power.
The timing of these events is noteworthy. On the eve of a national election that would likely give the Muslim Brotherhood control of both the presidency and the parliament, remnants of the old order, fearing an irreversible loss of power, have made a bold calculation that the time to halt Egypt’s democratic transition is now. Martial law has been announced, and Mubarak’s generals have now assumed full legislative authority. A new constitutional assembly will be hand-picked by General Mohammed Hussein Tantawi and his colleagues.
The ball is now in the court of the opposition, principally the Muslim Brotherhood. How will they respond to this dramatic turn of events? The answer to this question will determine the political trajectory of Egypt for the foreseeable future.
The initial reaction of the Muslim Brotherhood has been one of cautious acceptance. Presidential candidate Mohammed Morsi told Egyptian TV that "I respect the decision of the Supreme Constitutional Court in that I respect the institutions of the state and the principle of separation of powers.” In a later speech at a campaign rally, however, he sounded more defiant: “A minority is trying to corrupt the nation and take us back. We will go to the ballot box to say no to those failures, [to] those criminals.”
In a nutshell, this seems to be the strategy of the Muslim Brotherhood: to encourage people to vote in large numbers and to peacefully work within the framework of the military-controlled legal system to advance political change.
The likelihood of success for this approach is minimal. All struggles for democracy boil down to a struggle for power. Political battles have to be waged and won based on a careful plan that maximizes resources and capabilities. Timing is important, and opportunities can be lost that will not emerge again.
Q&A: What is the Muslim Brotherhood?
In the context of Egypt, the power is now with an older order that has considerable financial resources and the instruments of state repression on its side. There is also a vast network of millions of people in various ministries employed by the Mubarak regime for security and intelligence work.
On the other side is the opposition, primarily the Muslim Brotherhood but also new organized groups of liberal Islamists, secular nationalists, socialists and liberals. Their power lies mainly in their ideas, their vision for a post-Mubarak democratic society, and, critically, in the power of the street. The moral force of global public opinion augments this power, aided by the Internet, social media and satellite technology.
Alone, the Muslim Brotherhood and its cautious strategy of winning electoral contests cannot win the battle against the military. There is too much at stake in terms of preserving political power, economic investments and the careers and livelihoods of millions of people who are deeply invested in preventing a structural transformation of power. A new strategy is needed.
Learning from the playbook of Tunisia’s mainstream Islamist Ennahda party would be instructive. A broad coalition of opposition groups — religious, secular and those in-between — came together to guide Tunisia to a democratic transition. They stood firm against remnants of the old order who similarly tried to block or slow down the pace of political change.
This strategy — of coalition building, developing a set of common principles for the transition period and abiding by them — has proved successful not only for Tunisia, but also in many other transitions from authoritarian rule.
If the Muslim Brotherhood wants to effectively respond to recent events in Egypt, its leaders have to adopt a new political strategy that breaks from the insularity and ideological rigidity of its past and embraces the more inclusive approach of coalition building with other opposition groups. The future of Egypt hangs in the balance.
The views expressed in this article are solely those of Nader Hashemi.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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The Egyptian military is simply attempting to avoid the imposition of Shia law and potential conflict with Israel. The military is smart enough to kinow that letting religious fanatics rule the country is the worst thin that can happen.
Actually the worst than can happen in Egypt is a counterrevolution to get another Mubarak style dictatorship and let the people stew in poverty much like before. The best that can happen would be the imposition of Socialism and get the people out to the countryside on state farms much like those currently in Israel which are called Kibutzes. It is highly unlikely that Muslim extremists will take over Egypt any time soon.
Yeah that Cultural revolution worked out real well didn't it? I'm pretty sure agricultural collectivizing will not change things for the better, sending the city dwellers into the countryside. Didn't the Khmer Rouge do that also? Yes they did. Socialism FAILS bigtime. Also Israeli kibbutzes are not necessarily owned by the state, and most of them are involved in manufacturing or IT services in addition to agriculture.
Egypt's military has been watching the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood with uneasiness. The timing of the two rulings of the supreme court couldn't have been more appropriate – days ahead of the runoff beween the Brotherhood candidate and the remnant of the old regime and two weeks after the military declared the end of the 30-year long emergency law. It expired on 31 May! Now the military can renew thel emergency law and have an iron grip on the country again. The military has been using a wrong tactic: the invalidation of the parliamentary elections to keep the Islamists at bay. They could have come up with the ingenious idea to declare that the presidential elections in May were rigged and need to be re-run. This would allow the liberals and the secular activists put their act together and support an independent candidate like Amr Moussa or Abdel Fotouh. It would make the military look more respectable.
Islamic theocracies are the worst places in the world unless they are sitting on tons of oil. Maybe Saudi Arabia can pay out to Egypts infrastructure, housing, and food needs instead of being such venal pigs. They also need to feed Pakistan and Somalia. Those are their responsibilities seeing that they brought their cancer to those places.
"Shia" law: much better than Sunni law (not quite as good as Sufi law, though!).
His spelling error aside, he is right on the money. If anything will kill Egypt within the next year, it will be islam. That cult is going to bury those people.
They are not religious fanatics they are doctors, engineers, and lawyers the believe in Islam. Shut up f'in atheist
Sorry, it doesn't really matter how much college you got in you, if you can fit that religion into your way of life you are not educated and do not have a true appreciation for the dignity a human being deserves. Subjugation of the individual to the religion establishment is an abomination to us and right out of the Middle Ages. In fact, that is where the West was 700 years ago. You guys have a lot of catching up to do but your "religion"will never allow you to see the light.
Just step back and read your answer. Someone who disagrees with you is an f`in something. Congrats. you have just confirmed why soccer fans in Egypt kill some 70 people because they lost a soccer game. Those who disagree with anything you say are always f`in something or other. I strongly urge you to grow up.
oh please...the brotherhood has assasinations to itsname...sounds like doctors n lawyers to me what about you? how bout their attempt to ban bikini's also a respectful lawerly thing to do wouldnt you say, they're as bad as al-queida just showing moderation until in power smarten up my dude
This islam bashing has to stop. Shut up hitlerites.
What are you gonna do about it? Rather than try to disprove possible "misconceptions" about your cult, you predictably choose to throw an irrational hissy-fit. Typical fundamentalist.
Your inability to control your self is quite vast. If you want people not to bash Islam, it would help if you took your Lithium pills on a daily basis.
Whenever and wherever you mix religion with politic you destroy the faith, God and the people. Look at the dark ages
of Europe under control of the Church. I, myself, did not know this and voted for the so called Islamic Republic of Iran, headed by a powerful clergy and his company. they not only destroyed Islam and faith among 90% of the people, they
returned to the laws of centuries ago and pushed back the country at least 100 years. Millions of educated, open minded and wealthy people left the country and the clergy is unable to give basic services to the rest of the nation despite huge amount of oil revenue.
I agree, these islamist already killed Anwar Sadat.
Next they want to kill Egypt.
It`s Sharia Law. Shia is one of Islam`s groups, just like the Sunnis or the Alawites.
Worst things happen with democracy.West likes democracy only if it produces rulers of their choice, otherwise they welcome dictators, who obey them day and night.
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Spam is not welcome here, please.
The Muslim Brotherhood needs a new strategy, maybe... thestarofkaduri.com
The Muslim Brotherhood forgot the Golden Rule of power-politics:
Those with the guns, make the rules.
Muslim brotherhood castrated. Funny stuff.
anything is better than the two faced brotherhood.....
The following are the beliefs of the muslim brotherhood:
1.Muslims are “masters of the world”
2.Islamic nation’s “rightful position… the teachers of humanity”
3.“There is no other option but Jihad for Allah”
4.Fighting Israel is “Jihad against the criminal, thieving gangs of Zion”
5.Has the [Muslim] Brotherhood grown weary of the challenges, thrown down their guns and abandoned Jihad?!! No!”
Hitler would be proud of them-the civilized world not at all.
yes you will talk all that nonsense about Islam but still its here to stay.
Too bad. The world would be much better off without it or any other religion poisoning people's minds with bigotry and hate.
hinduism, absurdity of a hundu, denier of truth absolute, way of hindu Jew's, criminal self centered, secular s to hind, lie about Muslim's and Islam. nothing better can be expected from hindu's, criminals about civility, but their hinduism, absurdities from their hindu filthy soul. desire.
Sir Adolf Hitler and George Bush killed millions, this does not mean Jesus told them to do that.Read the life of Muhammad and then you will see the beauties of Islam.
Typical muzzie crap.
Whenever your islamic butt is against the wall, pull anything out of it and see what happens.
The movement officially rejects the use of violent means to secure its goals. However, offshoots of the group have been linked to attacks in the past, and critics blame the Brotherhood for sparking troubles elsewhere in the Middle East. Many consider it the forerunner of modern militant Islamism.
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/28/what-is-the-muslim-brotherhood/
Muslim Brotherhood Ideology
Al-Banna developed the ideology and the methods of organization and recruitment that were to characterize most radical Islamist groups which may or may not have been inspired by the Brotherhood. The ideology includes the following points:
Islam most dominate and not be dominated.
Restoration of the lost caliphate – i'adat al Khalifa al Mafqudah – is the chief immediate political goal of the Islamist movement.
Islam is currently inferior to the West because it deserted its roots. It will triumph by returning to its pristine form.
Social revolution and anti-colonial struggle are an integral and major part of the mission of the Islamic revival.
Violent Jihad is a central tenet of Islam and martyrdom in the cause of Allah is highly valued. Violent Jihad is the greater Jihad, while inner struggle for moral purity is the lesser Jihad.
Islam must aim to take over the entire world and assert its superiority through violent Jihad,
Western civilization is doomed by its decadence and Jewish influence.
Ideas such as democracy and human rights are products of Jewish influence and Western decadence. Society must be ruled by God and not men.
The Jews are particularly vile enemies of Islam. Israel is to be opposed because it is a foreign western implant.
Muslim Brotherhood ideology is virulently anti-Semitic anti-Western and anti-democratic in principle. It is important to emphasize this last point, in view of the optimistic theories of certain academics which insist that the Muslim Brotherhood and similar groups would evolve toward democracy because of democratic traditions in Islam. The original Muslim Brotherhood ideology views all such democratic traditions as heresy, though it might use democratic means to gain power. Al-Banna was succeeded by Sayyid Qutb. The reasoning behind this opposition is explained in Chapter 6 of Sayyid Qutb's book, Milestones: just government is government by God, and not by men. Qutb believed that the best sort of government was a dictatorship based on Sha'aria Muslim law.
Muslim Brotherhood Method of Organization and Recruitment
Hassan al-Banna was a gifted and instinctive grass roots organizer, and the Muslim Brotherhood the pattern for other Muslim organizations in many respects:
Use of existing religious organizations – Under Al-Banna, the Muslim Brotherhood used mosques, charities and other Muslim groups as the basis of its organization and a means to spread its ideology.
Soviet style subversion – The Muslim Brotherhood, like the Soviet Comintern, set up special sections for working with different social groups such as peasants, workers and professionals.
Eclectic Facade – Al-Banna and the brotherhood tried to minimize religious and ideological disputes with the religious elites and with local traditions that deviated from Islam, in order to attract the largest number of followers and ensure their welcome in mosques, shrines and Muslim gatherings of all types.
Multi-level structure – The Muslim brotherhood created "respectable" networks for charity and Islamic studies at one level. At the same time, it created a paramilitary clandestine wing with a cellular structure like that of the pre-Soviet Bolshevik party. The legitimate activities of the open outer circle, such as charity, could be used to fund the paramilitary activities, and at the same time, the outer circle served as a basis for recruitment into the clandestine group.
Muslim Brotherhood under Hassan Banna
Hassan Al-Banna was a teacher and agitator, who used the above methods to grow the popularity of his group. Initially, he had only modest success. By 1936, after 8 years there were only about 800 members of the Muslim Brotherhood in and around Cairo and Ismailiya, where al-Banna taught. However, the rise of Nazi Germany, interested in opposing Britiain in the Middle East, and the Arab Revolt in Palestine, gave the Muslim Brotherhood it's big chance. For Al-Banna and the Muslim Brotherhood, the Jewish presence in Palestine was another Westernizing colonialist influence that had to be stopped simply because it was Western. Al Banna formed a tactical and ideological alliance with the Nazis as well as with Hajj Amin al Hussayni, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, a Nazi sympathizer who coopted the leadership of the Palestinian Arab uprising. By 1938, the Muslim Brotherhood boasted nearly 200,000 members, with fifty branches in Egypt alone, as well as numerous branches in Jordan and Palestine. The organization established mosques, schools, sport clubs, factories and a welfare service network. On the eve of World War II there were more than a half million active members registered in more than two thousand branches across the Arab world.
Muslim Brotherhood following World War II
The Brotherhood began to carry out major acts of violence in the 1940s, and was particularly active between 1945 and 1948. In one week in 1946, four violent attacks were directed at British occupation forces, wounding 128 people. Brotherhood members were put on trial and found guilty by judge Ahmed El-Khazindar. Eight months later, the judge was assassinated by two Brotherhood members.
As tensions rose in Palestine, in 1947 and 1948, Jewish-owned businesses in Cairo were bombed by the Brotherhood. When Egypt invaded the newly formed state of Israel, the invasion was spearheaded by Muslim Brotherhood volunteers, who apparently coordinated to some extent with the Egyptian army. Following the failure of the war, the Brotherhood grew increasingly strident in criticizing the government. On December 18, 1948, Prime Minister Mahmoud al-Noqrashi (Noqrashi Pasha) dissolved the Muslim Brotherhood on the grounds that it had secretly plotted to overthrow the monarchy. Twenty days later, a young Muslim Brotherhood member assassinatied Noqrashi inside the Interior Ministry building.
Al-Banna tried to dissociate himself from the assassination, asserting or pretending that he had lost control over the group's paramilitary wing. He declared that those who had carried out the assassination were "neither brothers nor Muslims". Nonetheless, al-Banna was assassinated by Egyptian government agents on February 12, 1949.
Noqrashi's successor, Ibrahim Abdel-Hadi, dealt harshly with the Brotherhood, putting large numbers of them behind bars. By the time his cabinet fell in July 1949, 4,000 Brotherhood members were in detention.
The Egyptian government, however, found it convenient to try to accommodate the Brotherhood. A court exonerated the Brotherhood on the charge of plotting to overthrow the monarchy. On April 30, 1951, the ban on the group was rescinded after the radical Wafd Party won the elections. The Muslim Brotherhood cooperated with the young officers led by Gamal Abdel Nasser, who overthrew King Farouk of Egypt, but soon fell out with the Pan Arab nationalists. A decree dissolving political parties in January 1953 did not cover the Brotherhood as it was not a political party. But a year later, the decree was invoked against the Brotherhood by President Gamal Abdel-Nasser who ordered that the group be dissolved. The supreme guide, Hassan El-Hodeibi was arrested, along with other leaders and members.
On 26 October 1954, a gunman fired bullets at Nasser as he delivered a speech in Manshiya Square in Alexandria. The government blamed the Brotherhood. Thousands of its members were rounded up and some were put on trial. Of these, six were sentenced to death and seven others were sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Muslim Brotherhood, also called Muslim Brethren or The Society of the Muslim Brothers (Arabic: جمعية الأخوان المسلمون Jamiat al-Ikhwan al-muslimun) is an Islamic organization with a political approach to Islam. It was founded in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna in Egypt after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
Ideology
The Muslim Brotherhood opposes secular tendencies of Islamic nations and wants return to the precepts of the Qur'an, and rejection of Western influences. They also reject extreme Sufism. They organize events from prayer meetings to sport clubs for socializing.
The organization's motto is as follows: “Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. Qur'an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.”
An important aspect of the Muslim Brotherhood ideology is the sanctioning of jihad such as the 2004 fatwa issued by Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi making it a religious obligation of Muslims to abduct and kill U.S. citizens in Iraq.
Methodology
The Muslim Brotherhood is working to spread its concepts and gain more followers. They work on the levels of school students, university students, inside mosques and at work. The tools they use are cassette tapes, booklets, camps for youth in schools and universities, and recently the Internet.
Structure
The Brotherhood has branches in 70 countries. They claim to have taken part in most pro-Islamic conflicts, from the Arab-Israeli wars and the Algerian War of Independence to recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Kashmir. Currently, the Egyptian Brotherhood exists as a militant clandestine group, and has been connected to many underground political operations. In other countries, they have more prominent roles, including parliamentary seats. They have not supported movements like al-Jihad and al-Gama'at al-Islamiyya in Egypt and mujahedeen movements of Muslim communities in Europe and the United States.
Many analysts believe that the radical organization known as the Muslim Brotherhood will gain great influence with a change of government in Egypt.
A closer examination of the secretive group provides insight as to why its possible climb to power has Western observers so uneasy.
Before Osama bin Laden formed al Qaeda, he belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood. So did his top deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri and the 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
In addition, the terrorist group Hamas identifies itself as the Muslim Brotherhood's Palestinian branch.
Why are there so many jihadists drawn to the Brotherhood? The group's official motto may tell the story.
It reads:
■Allah is our objective.
■The prophet is our leader.
■Qur'an is our law.
■Jihad is our way.
■Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2011/February/Muslim-Brotherhood-A-Global-Terrorist-Influence/
Quran is a book of law, so what is wrong in implementing Quran's law if people want to implement it in a democratic way.One nation can choose any law which it likes, this is democracy. What"s wrong in it.
The message in the Couran is death to anyone who is not onside.
That is what's wrong–d i n g b a t!
The Brotherhood's mid-course correction seeks to achieve its means by befriending people - by means of lavish invitations, or payments to lobbyists or promises of opulent permanent employment or of significant donations - to be introduced among in the topmost circles of influence in the nations being groomed for hollowing out. From there it is simple enough over smiles and good food, to proceed, as favors are granted by new friends. Meanwhile, the motto and mission statement never change; enemies are confused with friends, and attempts to silence of free speech - such as Yale University's refusal to show the Mohammed Cartoons in a book on them by Jytte Klausen it published, possibly lest their appearance jeopardize a donation of millions being dangled before them; or the US and European legitimization of the "Istanbul Process." a serious of conferences requested the by the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation which has been seeking to have the United Nations internationally criminalize discussion of Islam - are confused with charming cultural quirks.
The US would do well to wake up to the truth of the Muslim Brotherhood's real agenda; its strategy seems to be paying off.
Imam Mohamed Magid, Homeland Security Countering Violent Extremism Working Group Member : He is a Sudanese-born president for the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) with alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. ISNA’s parent is the Muslim Student Association. ISNA completed a $21 million headquarters in Indianapolis using funds raised in part from Muslim Brotherhood.
Eboo Patel, Obama Administration Advisory Council on Faith-Based Neighborhood Partnerships: Patel spoke at a Muslim Students Association and ISNA convention, appearing on a panel alongside Tariq Ramadan, grandson of the Muslim Brotherhood’s founder, and Siraj Wahhaj, who was named as a possible co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and has defended the convicted WTC bombers. Wahhaj allegedly advocates the Islamic takeover of America.
Huma Abedin, Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: Perhaps most famous for being wife of the disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner, Huma Abedin appears to have family ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. In an interview with FrontPageMag, anti-Islamist author Walid Shoebat explained that Huma’s mother, Saleha Abedin, is involved with the Muslim Brotherhood and that Huma’s brother, Hassan, sits in on the board of the Oxford Centre For Islamic Studies (OCIS) where he is a fellow and partners with other board members including “Al-Qaeda associate, Omar Naseef and the notorious Muslim Brotherhood leader Sheikh Youssef Qaradawi; both have been listed as OCIS Trustees.”
Only Nasseef is currently on the board.
Arif Alikahn, Former Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Policy Development: Now a Distinguished Visiting Professor of DHS and Counterterrorism at the National Defense University, Alikahn also served as Deputy Mayor for Public Safety for the City of Los Angeles where he reportedly derailed the LAPD’s efforts to monitor the city’s Muslim community — particularly its radical mosques and madrassas where certain 9/11 hijackers were said to have received support. He is affiliated with MPAC, which has called the terrorist group Hezbollah a “liberation movement.”
Salam al-Marayati, Founder and Executive Director of Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC): Marayati is an Iraqi immigrant who drew national attention over a decade ago when then-House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt nominated him to serve on the National Commission on Terrorism. Backlash over al-Marayati’s defense of Hezbollah and other Islamic groups prompted a withdrawal of the nomination. The Center for Security Policy reports that MPAC was formed in 1986 as the Political Action Committee for the Islamic Center for Southern California, one of the largest Wahhabi mosques in the country. While MPAC later fractioned-off, one of the founders of the Islamic Center, Hassan Hathout, was a senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood who also spent time in Egyptian prison.
“Cultural suicide” is what Rep. Allen West calls the direction that U.S. national security—and especially the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)—is taking America with its policy of political correctness towards the Muslim Brotherhood. Speaking on “Fox and Friends” TV program, the Florida Congressman, left, was reacting to reports that the FBI recently has edited its training curriculum in order to conform to Muslim Brotherhood definitions of non-offensive material for counterterrorism training.
Learn to spell Caliphate – because it is coming, the muslims are on a mission to bring in the 12th Imam, because they honestly believe it is them that has to do it – kinda arrogant, but I expect nothing less from a group of people that can't stand either the Shia' or the Sunni (pick one) none the less all the rest of infidels.
12th Imam is just a fantasy.One should believe in mystery but not fantasy.These Imams have done what even prophet Mohammad and Jesus never did.
It is impossible to understand Islam and Muslims by listening to their protestations against terror and their proclamations of patriotism for America. Usually, it is wise and fair to give people the benefit of the doubt but when it comes to national safety and the future of America, we had better look twice, even thrice at Muslim patriotism. Why? Because Islam permits lying! It is called “Al-taqiyya.” One Muslim said that Al-taqiyya means dissimulation then he expanded it to diplomacy but he should have gone further to deception. Now some Muslims who do not follow the Koran are as faithful Americans as any of us, but the problem is, we cannot know.
Whoever controls the guns, wins. End of conversation.
Might is always right. Imagine Hitler winning world war.
here, wipe your mouth.
You're drooling just at the thought.
Discusting.
I remember Obama and Hilary Clinton hogging TV news time hailing the "Arab Spring" as the best thing since sliced bread.
There hasn't been a tweet out of either of them now it's all gone pear shaped!
They both exhibited grave errors of judgement. Luckily the UN are attempting to help and the Russians have arrived outside Syria. Let's hope they make a difference
Sorry, but America has lost her teeth as far as world affairs are concerned.
to HonestyCounts, at last someone with sane opinion about Middle East events. There is no good in Arab spring. Bad dictators will be replaced by the dictate of Sharia law, Christians, atheists or liberal Islamists will be executed. For one second somebody thought who are the people fighting the government in Syria and what are they going to do if they win? May be they are the same people fighting America in Iraq and Afghanistan? How shortsighted America is, once again making the same mistake. Bin Laden would be very happy.
Hello
Ahoy there!
No surprises here.... power is taken never given....
Governments are the same the world over. Once a political party is in power it fights by any means necessary fare or foul to keep it. Nothing new here.
Sadly, this is exactly what has happened in the past in the Middle East. Nothing ever really changes there.
On one hand, we have the military trying to usurp political power contrary to what "the people" want. On the other hand, the group that is "representing" the people is a religious movement (and I think we can all figure out what would happen if they gained control).
There is no "Arab Spring". There never was. There never will be. They are held in place by their culture and history (as are most countries in the world).
The US would do well to learn from what keeps happening in the Middle East. In particular, it should demonstrate what happens when one mixes politics and religion. This is why the folks who founded the USA wanted a separation of church and state. If the current trend of tearing down that separation continues in the USA, we can look forward to the same future that the Middle East currently faces.
Rather well said, Old Boy
Arab Spring cannot succeed because it is controlled by US to get its benefits.Why the Spring has not erupted in Bahrain despite many efforts, because Spring is controlled by USA
hinduism, denial of truth absolute is way of hindus, criminals in their hindu Judaism, filthy self center ism, secularism, Islam never was a religion but Theen Allah, const-tuti -on of truth absolute, To deny truth absolute, foundation of existence is way of hindu Jew's, criminal secular, Muslim have nothing to do with hinduism, criminality of hindu Jew's, criminal seculars, nor with hinduism, criminality of their hindu terrorist western gentiles, slaves.
Gott, wie groß ist deine Kompot. Hindujudaism. What other idiotic concept will you come up with next? One can only pity your mental handicap...
very hard for a hindu, ignorant to understand, word hindu is driven from Latin word hindered, negative, HUN, for great, HAN. to be in greatness, hin, to be negative to both of them, hindu, a noun in negativity, hinduism, way of negativity.
Word Jew is driven from Hebrew word Yahood, self centered or secular, denier of truth absolute, hindu Jew's are not what they claim to be in their hinduism, lies but hindu, pagans pf Egypt and Persia, pretending to be Israelite, blood brothers of hindu racist Nazi, hiding their hindu filthy hinduism, racism with same four letters, ZION by moving letters around. both of them hindu's racist, claimant of above rest of the humanity in their hindu filthy Judaism, self center ism.
Anne, Diane, Marcy, Denise, Cheif, Al, Charlie, Hourly, Jewel. You all write alike. So, if you are only one person with many account, stop polluting this forum, or do it as one person. You will still retain the same inability to influence any moderately educated person.
I do not agree. They have the same biases and ideologies but not the same style.
Are you trolling?
Mr Sachsen
When one talk with Germans one also have the same feelings.
Mubarak may be out but everything he stands for is well and alive, the military officers appointed by him and the justice systems and judges who dismissed the parliament were also appointed by him. So Is this a good news or bad news.. who knows... only the Egyptians knows the best. Mubarak is still in power.. This whole election and speculations & propaganda is diversion from the real issue that is hurting the normal people on the streets..
US has new puppets in Egypt and it did not help Mubarak because he was ill. This revolution succeeded only because it was not possible for US to help ill Mubarak. US support in Bahrain can be seen for proof.
What's all the flurry – was just about a year ago we were being told by he adminstration and the media that the muslim brotherhood would have no pull in the Egyptian elections, another BIG oops by the state run media in the US and Obie.
*the administration*
A well-written and extremely insightful article. While this is indeed a dark spot in Egypt's current trajectory, we can only hope that the Egyptian people will display the same courage and tenacity that brought about the fall of Mubarak. Struggles for human rights and democratic transition are the struggles of decades, if not centuries. And the victories won come at the cost of great sacrifice–just as we are seeing in Syria today. The Egyptian people deserve to make their own choices and vote in the representatives they believe will be the best guarantors of their rights and freedoms in the future. They have the right to practice their various faiths peacefully and to build the culture of tolerance so prominently on display in Tahrir Square during the revolution. The subversion of the judiciary by the military is a setback but ultimately, when people want to be free to determine the fate of their nations and themselves, history is on their side. As for the grossly ignorant and bigoted individuals who spewed their venom here, I wish they had the compassion, imagination and basic human decency to put themselves in the shoes of the people of Egypt who fought so bravely and deserve so much more. When you insist on demonizing the Other based on the narrowest possible view of the world, you diminish us all.
Religions should be banned. There is not a Jesus, no Allah and no other idols. Religious teaching are just that...stories to teach children right from wrong. Nothing more, nothing less.
Agreed, Syadan Moses, Easu, (Jesus) or Mohammad Pbt, never mentioned word religion, word religion does not exist in Hebrew, Aramaic or Arabic languages, Word spoken by all three of them is Theen Allah, Ellah and Ellohim, meaning not religion but const-ituti-on of truth absolute, Word Allah means nothing else but AL, The, La. limit, H, most high or absolute 360*. Not of Arabic but of Latin, truth language. Arabic is not a noun but an adjective, miss understood by every one. Corruption of true teachings and subordination text of true teachings is called religions. Handy work of hindu Jew's, criminal secular s of hindu pagan Egypt and Persia, pretending to be Israelite.
Many Christians think religion is nothing because Bible is full of myths. Read Quran you will find truth everywhere.
It is Americanism. US ruling Egypt even after Mubarik.
Us and the filthy Zoinist ,so called,nation are the cause of all trouble in the world.
Hitler,God bless his soul,left some trash behind. Someone will clean that garbage one day, Then peace on earth
you my friend are disgusting, we can only hope you go the same way as hitler and disappear from the face of this earth you racist bigot