The Muslim Brotherhood, Coming Soon
In his column in the Wall Street Journal today, Bret Stephens quotes Kamal al-Hilbawi of the Muslim Brotherhood:
We think highly of a country...that confronts Western hegemony, and is scientifically and technologically advanced. Unfortunately, these characteristics can be found only in the Islamic Republic of Iran. I hope that Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia will be like that.
How large a role can we expect the Muslim Brotherhood to play in the new Egypt? Well, Stephens says, there's this:
In 2005, candidates for the Brotherhood took 20 percent of the parliamentary vote. [A knowledgable source]...once told me they command as much as 40 percent support.
Forty percent? As I've noted on Ricochet once before, the Nazis took power after winning less than 44 percent of the German election of 1933.
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Feb '11
Re: The Muslim Brotherhood, Coming Soon
Seems that it is a democratic culture that makes for a democracy. Anything less and groups like the MB are able to come to the fore.
Jul '10
Re: The Muslim Brotherhood, Coming Soon
The Shah in Iran.
Musharaff in Pakistan.
Mubarak in Egypt.
Whenever we undermine an authoritarian leader in the Islamic world out of some starry-eyed notion, what comes after is a disaster.
Iraq would have been the same, had we not kept our troops on the ground. But even there, one fears what will happen once we're gone. Iraq's Christians have a closer view of the situation and half of them have voted with their feet.
Dec '10
Re: The Muslim Brotherhood, Coming Soon
I agree, Prof. Democracy, absent individual liberty and the security of natural rights, is simply mob rule. It took the West centuries to regain the societal and cultural underpinnings that were lost with the fall of the Roman Republic.
There were few--I don't think any--republican democracies between the fall of republican Rome and the American Republic in 1776. The American Founding Fathers based their grand experiment upon centuries of learning and experimentation, on the ever improving Western traditions of freedom and liberty.
It strikes me as blindingly wishful to expect the Middle East to suddenly become a liberal democracy without first going through their own version of the Renaissance, Reformation, Enlightenment and all the experiments of liberty.
Iraq is working--for the time being--because the US military was keeping the peace and are well versed in the protection and cultivation of liberal republican democracies.
Edited on Feb 15, 2011 at 12:28pmRe: The Muslim Brotherhood, Coming Soon
I read in the London newspaper The Telegraph that a retired judge named Tarek al-Bishry, who belongs to an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, has been appointed to head a committee charged with framing for Egypt a new constitution. The committee has been given ten days in which to do its job.
It is worth adding that Article Two of the current constitution states that Islam is the religion of Egypt and that the shari'a is the basis for Egyptian law.
Jul '10
Re: The Muslim Brotherhood, Coming Soon
Michael Horn:
There were few--I don't think any--republican democracies between the fall of republican Rome and the American Republic in 1776. The American Founding Fathers based their grand experiment upon centuries of learning and experimentation, on the ever improving Western traditions of freedom and liberty.
There were several smaller republics, Venice for one.
I do agree with the thrust of your argument.
Dec '10
Re: The Muslim Brotherhood, Coming Soon
Palaeologus
There were several smaller republics, Venice for one.
I do agree with the thrust of your argument. · Feb 15 at 12:41pm
Ahh, yes. You're right of course. I forgot the City States. Thank you for pointing that out.
Are there any other examples anyone can think of?
Aug '10
Re: The Muslim Brotherhood, Coming Soon
I have a close friend with whom I work who is a practicing Muslim from Jordan. He's been here in the states for about 9 years and was naturalized last year. This man is educated, generous to a fault, kind and one of the best people I know.
He tells me how being here in the states has opened his eyes and extinguished the anger he used to share with his countrymen. He deeply appreciates the opportunities America offers and the unqiueness of our meritocracy.
Despite all this he still hates Israel with a passion - not Jews, just Israel. He would be more than happy to see Israel pushed into the sea. Why? He can't really provide a good answer to that question although he can say that all the Arabs of his acquaintance feel the same way.
I fear this irrational hatred of Israel colors almost everything the Arab world does. The only reason the Arabs stopped trying to destroy Israel was because they were sick of getting their butts kicked and we paid them to stop.
John the Revelator knew what he was talking about...
Feb '11
Re: The Muslim Brotherhood, Coming Soon
Frozen Chosen - "Despite all this he still hates Israel with a passion - not Jews, just Israel. He would be more than happy to see Israel pushed into the sea. Why? He can't really provide a good answer to that question although he can say that all the Arabs of his acquaintance feel the same way."
Sounds like a cultivated hatred called jihad.
Oct '10
Re: The Muslim Brotherhood, Coming Soon
Scientifcally and technologically advanced? I suppose they are in the same way as China is an advanced producer of Microsoft products. If the West hadn't decided long ago to pull its punches, there wouldn't be an Islamic Republic of Iran for him to admire.
Jun '10
Re: The Muslim Brotherhood, Coming Soon
I don't know if Egypt is one of them, but in a lot of countries, given the choice between a government that actually cracks down hard on corruption, and a government that allows political freedom, they'll take the end of corruption. That "honest government" might have an expiration date, but they'll enjoy it while it lasts. For the average guy, corruption is often a much bigger stumbling block to success.