Excuse Me? Hello? Newsweek?
So Newsweek just pumped out a piece about the Muslim Brotherhood with the most bizarrely buried lede I think I've ever seen in my career as a journalist.
Page two, paragraph four, no further elaboration:
NEWSWEEK has obtained an extensive dossier, compiled last year by Arab analysts with close ties to Saudi intelligence, that argues that a well-financed global Muslim Brotherhood network uses “moderate-seeming politicians to further its extremist agenda” as far away as Malaysia.
You think they plan to share the details of this? Or just to mention coyly that they have it?
Mind you, my confidence in their reporting is not rock-solid, given that they seem to be taking seriously the claim that there are only 100,000 Brothers in Egypt. In the 2005 parliamentary elections, the Brotherhood's candidates (who ran as independents) won 20 percent of the seats. The population of Egypt is about 83 million, so let's just say--charitably--that someone's math skills here might be faulty.
Anyway, Newsweek, enquiring minds really want to know: What exactly does that intelligence report say? Don't worry, we'll be responsible if you tell us. We won't go all Ikhwanophobic on you or something. Except maybe in Malaysia, or wherever else these moderate-seeming politicians are advancing its agenda--they might get a bit touchy.
By the way, just hazarding a guess: Newsweek, you wouldn't happen to be talking about Anwar Ibrahim, would you? Correct me if I'm wrong, but that would fit the bill.
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Comments :
Jun '10
Re: Excuse Me? Hello? Newsweek?
Ikhwanophobic, I like it. Let's make it word of the day. Better still let's describe all legitimate apprehension of the wing-nuts coming our way from the Middle East as a quasi-medical condition, then we won't be bigots--we'll just be crazy.
Oct '10
Re: Excuse Me? Hello? Newsweek?
Ikhwanophobic... The term I have searched for over the last three decades. Now, what is the comparable word for my feelings for the left?
Jun '10
Re: Excuse Me? Hello? Newsweek?
gauche-aphobia.
May '10
Re: Excuse Me? Hello? Newsweek?
What's Newsweek?
Jan '11
Re: Excuse Me? Hello? Newsweek?
Where's WikiLeaks when you need it? I'd like to see this dossier (or, rather an English translation of it).
Dec '10
Re: Excuse Me? Hello? Newsweek?
Not that we'll ever see it, but with reference to Casey's post above, what other names might be in there? Nesweek is great, but the Saudis are my go to guys (No Girls Allowed!) source for information on masquerading muslim moderates.
Edited on Feb 7, 2011 at 4:39pm