http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=2&id=24391
The Big Test for Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood
Osman Mirghani
Osman Mirghani is Asharq Al-Awsat's Senior Editor-at-Large.
05/03/2011
Ever since revolutions erupted in Tunisia and Egypt, with this storm then
extending to other countries, questions have continued unabated, regarding the
Muslim Brotherhood and their role in the forthcoming stage. Analysis has
fluctuated between warnings of the Muslim Brotherhood's increasing role, and
possible attempts to hijack the revolution, whilst others have sought to herald
a new era, in which the organization displays an understanding for the lessons
of the past, and today advocates the peaceful and democratic exchange of power,
and the need for an active civil society. The debate surrounding the Muslim
Brotherhood's participation in politics has been problematical and
controversial for a long time. Several of the organization's slogans and
practices have caused many to view it as a movement seeking to topple existing
regimes, or seize upon them in a bid to achieve their goal of unilateral rule,
and the establishment of a theocratic state. Hence, even when the Muslim
Brotherhood speaks of democracy, such rhetoric sounds suspicious, because many
feel they do not believe in the peaceful exchange of power.
Of course, some would counter such an argument by saying that Islamist
movements are actually the victims here - even when they attempted to work
legitimately they were still deprived from obtaining power by democratic means,
as was the case with Algeria in the early 1990s. However, such an argument does
not seem to take into account the fact that several members of the [Algerian]
Islamic Salvation Front's leadership had issued controversial statements [at
the time], which brought their belief in democracy into question, hence fueling
fear and giving reason for the military to invalidate the election results, and
end the political pluralism experiment. Furthermore, in the months before the
Algerian election, Islamists in Sudan had seized upon a democratically elected
government by staging a military coup, and went on to impose a governing model
dependent upon a tight security grip, and a policy of oppression. These actions
gained much support from other Islamist groups in the region. On that day,
Islamists failed the democracy test, affirming the view that they did not
believe in democracy, or the peaceful exchange of power, and that even if they
feigned support for democracy as a tactic to obtain power, they would certainly
not leave this position via democratic means.
There have been many incidents since that period which have fuelled unrest in
the region, and triggered confrontations between governments and Islamist
movements, and they cannot all be recounted here. Yet what is most important is
that this problematical relationship is coming to the fore once again today;
from Egypt and Tunisia, to Gaza and Libya. The most significant test will be in
Egypt, for what happens there in the days to come will have a great impact upon
the region. Numerous Islamist movements in the region have emerged from the
Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, which also generated a number of extremist
movements. Thus today, all eyes are focused on them, to see how they will act
with regards to the Egyptian revolution, and promises for democracy. If members
of the Muslim Brotherhood are able to prove they mean what they say - that they
support a civil state, without marginalizing Copts or women, and aim to
establish a democracy that entails the peaceful exchange of power - then they
may become the Arab version of the Turkish model. This would convince many of
the possibility of dealing with Islamist movements that conform to legitimate
political activity. Indeed, this may help put an end to the cycle of exclusion,
and the banning of Islamist movements. It may [also] reduce the emergence of
armed extremist groups, and combat the current climate which is conducive to
terrorism. Finally, it would put an end to accusations made by Israeli and
Western groups that Islam and democracy are incompatible.
During the revolution in Egypt, many sought to counter it by brandishing the
Muslim Brotherhood scarecrow, arguing that regime change would present power to
the Islamist organization on a silver platter. Initially, the Obama
administration was extremely hesitant in providing support for the Egyptian
revolution, for reports had always referred to the Muslim Brotherhood as the
most organized alternative political force, compared to other eroded political
parties, whose numbers had shrunk significantly, and who were no longer
influential. Even after Mubarak stepped down, many continued to warn that the
Muslim Brotherhood may override and hijack the revolution, or that the regime
would exploit them as a means of circumventing the unrest, by making a deal and
then later excluding the Brotherhood [when the revolution was over].
Without doubt, the Muslim Brotherhood needs to restore the trust of other
parties, which regard it with fear and suspicion, believing it to be an
organization with a conspiring mentality that seeks to exclude its opponents.
There has been much speculation and analysis that the Muslim Brotherhood,
having backed Mohammed ElBaradei prior to the revolution, and having exploited
his movement and his popularity amongst the Egyptian youth, would abandon him
immediately after the revolution, and exclude him from their negotiations with
the government. This is because they regard him as a strong potential candidate
for the presidency, and they fear that his political manifesto may contradict
theirs in many aspects, or so some believe. It is worth noting that the Muslim
Brotherhood has indeed begun to surmount other forces which participated in the
revolution, and this was made clear when Sheikh al-Qaradawi's guards prevented
youth activist Wael Ghonim from mounting the platform to deliver a speech in
Tahrir Square, following the "Friday of Victory" prayers.
Egypt is undergoing an extremely sensitive and significant stage in its
democratic transition. All decisions made by political parties, including those
of the Muslim Brotherhood, will shape the new state in Egypt. Will it be a new
Egypt, or an old one with new faces? Will it be a democratic Egypt, or an Egypt
where political wrangling returns us to dictatorship or theocracy? A
considerable challenge is facing the Muslim Brotherhood, but perhaps they will
realize the historic moment, and the magnitude of the test facing them. They
will either prove to be a political force that believes in democracy and the
peaceful exchange of power, or they will fail the test and act with a
conspiring mentality to exclude other parties, and plan for the day in which
they can rule the country single-handedly. If this were to happen, it would
represent substantial evidence that Islamist movements do not believe in the
peaceful exchange of power, and that they regard democracy as nothing more than
a vehicle to attain power, after which they would unilaterally establish a
theocratic or autocratic state.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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