Islamists in Egypt seek change through politics

[Pete]

Islamists in Egypt seek change through politics

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,1369436.story

A group hug story but.......

"......One of Egypt's leading ultraconservative sheiks, Mohamed Hussein Yacoub, influenced by Saudi Arabia's Wahhabi strain of Islam, was quoted as saying after the referendum had passed: "That's it. The country is ours."

Such sentiment shows that in a span of weeks, age-old religion, not the enthusiasm and slogans of the Facebook generation, is likely to be a crucial factor in choosing a new Egyptian government. This swift change has surprised even the Brotherhood, which avoided references to Islam during an uprising that was not inspired by religion.

Emerging secularist parties may yet find support from those fearful that bearded men and the Islamic tenets of radical elements within the Brotherhood are hijacking the revolution. The military council's decision to hold parliamentary elections in September instead of May will give nonreligious parties more time to win voters. But liberals and secularists have not regained the momentum they enjoyed in the early days of the revolt, even as extremist gangs recently attacked a cafe that sells alcohol and cut off the ear of a man accused of renting a flat to "indecent women."..............."

[incarcerated]

Originally Posted by Pete

Islamists in Egypt seek change through politics

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,1369436.story

A group hug story but.......

"......One of Egypt's leading ultraconservative sheiks, Mohamed Hussein Yacoub, influenced by Saudi Arabia's Wahhabi strain of Islam, was quoted as saying after the referendum had passed: "That's it. The country is ours."

Such sentiment shows that in a span of weeks, age-old religion, not the enthusiasm and slogans of the Facebook generation, is likely to be a crucial factor in choosing a new Egyptian government. This swift change has surprised even the Brotherhood, which avoided references to Islam during an uprising that was not inspired by religion.

Damn, I didn’t see that coming…

[Wiseman]

They got rid of one dictator that will soon be replaced by another one. I wonder why the youth is no longer engaging in cyber protests. Even Wael Ghonim's twitter (https://twitter.com/Ghonim) doesn't mention any of the take over. It's almost as if he is afraid....or supports it.

[Pete]

Muslim Brotherhood advocates Egyptian modesty police

http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=215050

Interesting article.

"............"Despite the attacks against the salafi movement, it is constantly advancing – untouched by the attack," Abd Al-Azim told Al-Masry Al-Youm. "If the Christians want safety they should submit to the rule of God and be confident that the Islamic sharia [law] will protect them."....................."

[Tress]

It will be interesting to see who wins this election. If the winners turn out to be conservative or even ultra-conservative and they start to impose Sheria Law, which seems to be the way that it is going, will the youth of Egypt again be able to rise against their leaders via the social networking method?

[Pete]

Islamists look for gains in Egypt's freer politics

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...MPLATE=DEFAULT

"......Salafis, who reject the veneration of religious shrines and tombs as a sign of idolatry, are believed to be behind the destruction of at least five Muslim shrines in the Nile Delta region the past week.

They are also blamed for attacks on Christians and others they don't approve of. In one attack, a Christian man had an ear cut off for renting an apartment to a Muslim woman thought to be involved in prostitution; in another a Muslim was killed for allegedly practicing magic, which ultra-conservatives denounce, a security official said.

In the oasis province of Fayoum southwest of Cairo, Salafis have forced the closure of four cafes that serve alcohol. They also set fire to four Christian homes in a Fayoum village, prompting clashes with residents, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to share the information with the media.........."

The whole article covers some old ground and fills in a few more pieces of the puzzle.

Again it all comes down to the election in September, who gets what, who writes what and who enforces what laws.

Egypt has a sizable number of people with religions other than Islam. Some areas have more western - un-Islamic - ways. Will it be "Open season" on infidels come October?

We shall see.

[incarcerated]

An excerpt from remarks on the Egyptian unrest by George Friedman, 27 January 2011:
http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/201...ituation-egypt

....Let’s use the Iranian rising of 1979 as a model. It had many elements involved, from Communists, to liberals to moderate Muslims, and of course the radicals. All of them were united in hating the Shah, but not in anything else.
The Western press did not understand the mixture and had its closest ties with the liberals, for the simple reason that they were the most Western and spoke English. For a very long time they thought these liberals were in control of the revolution.
For its part, the intelligence community did not have good sources among the revolutionaries but relied on SAVAK, the Shah’s security service, for intelligence. SAVAK neither understood what was happening, nor was it prepared to tell the CIA….

Meanwhile, Western human rights groups painted the Shah as a monster and saw this as a popular democratic rising. Western human rights and democracy groups, funded by the U.S. government and others, were standing by to teach people like Bani Sadr to create a representative democracy.
Bani Sadr was the first post-Shah president. He was a moderate Islamist and democrat; he also had no power whatsoever. The people who were controlling the revolution were those around Ayatollah Khomeini, who were used by the liberals as a screen to keep the United States quiet until the final moment came and they seized control.
It is important to understand that the demonstrations were seen as spontaneous, but were actually being carefully orchestrated. It is also important to understand that the real power behind the movement remained opaque to the media and the CIA, because they didn’t speak English and the crowds they organized didn’t speak English, and none of the reporters spoke Farsi (nor did a lot of the intelligence agency people). So when the demonstrations surged, the interviews were with the liberals who were already their sources, and who made themselves appear far more powerful than they were — and who were encouraged to do so by Khomeini’s people.
It was only at the end that Khomeini ran up the Jolly Roger to the West.
Nothing is identical to the past, but Iran taught me never to trust a revolutionary who spoke English; they will tend to be pro-Western. When the masses poured into the streets… they were Khomeini supporters who spoke not a word of English. The media kept interviewing their English-speaking sources and the CIA kept up daily liaison meetings with SAVAK — until the day they all grabbed a plane and met up with their money in Europe and the United States. The liberals, those who weren’t executed, also wound up in the United States, teaching at Harvard or driving cabs.
Let’s be very careful on the taxonomy of this rising. The Western human rights groups will do what they can to emphasize its importance, and to build up their contacts with what they will claim are the real leaders of the revolution. The only language these groups share with the identified leaders is English, and the funding for these groups depends on producing these people. And these people really want to turn Egypt into Wisconsin. The one thing I can guarantee is that is not what is going on.
What we have to find out is who is behind this…..Whoever it is, they are lying low, trying to make themselves look weaker than they are — while letting the liberals undermine the regime, generate anti-Mubarak feeling in the West, and pave the way for whatever it is they are planning.
Our job now is to sort through all the claimants and wannabees of this revolution, and find out who the main powers are. These aren’t spontaneous risings and the ideology of the people in the streets has nothing to do with who will wind up in power. The one thing to be confident of is that liberal reformers are the stalking horse for something else, and that they are being used as always to take the heat and pave the way….

[Pete]

Salafist groups find footing in Egypt after revolution

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12985619

"..............Hala Mustafa believes that the Salafists are mistaken to think they can take the revolution from the young, and in many cases more religiously moderate, people who fought for it.

But the Salafists and the secularists in Egypt have such divergent visions of the future that it is hardly surprising they view each other with contempt, mistrust and fear.

Mona Makram Obeid, who once taught political science at the American University in Cairo, believes the mainstream has been galvanised by the Salafists' sudden emergence.

"The Salafists have been brought out from their caves," she said.

"Everyone is frightened. There is a lot of fear in society and a lot of concern."........"

It comes down to the election in September. That will be the real "poll" that finds out where all the political factions stand. It is beginning to look more and more that the Salafists are going to field candidates in the election. Their winners would most probably line up with the Muslim Brotherhood.

[incarcerated]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...-in-Egypt.html

Radial Islamist groups gaining stranglehold in Egypt

The rapid spread of Muslim political parties ahead of September's parliamentary elections has strengthened fears that Egyptian democracy will be dominated by radical Islamic movements.
By Damien McElroy, Cairo 5:24PM BST 17 Apr 2011
The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest Islamic movement and the founder of Hamas, has set up a network of political parties around the country that eclipse the following of the middle class activists that overthrew the regime. On the extreme fringe of the Brotherhood, Islamic groups linked to al-Qeada are organising from the mosques to fill the vacuum left by the collapse of the dictatorship....

Mohammed Badie, the Muslim Brotherhood's spiritual leader, last week predicted the group's candidates would win 75 per cent of the seats it contested.

Fundamentalist factions have also emerged as parties. Gamaa al-Islamiya, an al-Qaeda linked group that promotes Salafist traditions has used its mosques as a political base for the first time since the 1970s.

A scare campaign that a No vote in last months referendum would eliminate Islamic law from the Egyptian constitution ensured a 77 per cent Yes result.

But the April 6th movement that spearheaded protests has no clear plan for party politics. Diplomats have warned the demonstrators are not well prepared for elections.

"The leadership of the protests was so focused on the street-by-street detail of the revolution, they have no clue what to do in a national election," said a US official involved in the demonstrations. "Now at dinner the protesters can tell me every Cairo street that was important in the revolution but not how they will take power in Egypt."

....Mahsud Arishie, a teacher visiting the square, said Egypt would be a different country in the wake of the uprising. "Muslims have their own space now where there is no pressure from the government, only a direct connection to the Lord in the sky," he said as he made his way to the prayers. "That does not mean our country will be hostile to the West but it does mean we will do what we want."

Although the leading contenders for Egypts presidency are independents, many have begun wooing the Muslim blocs. Front-runner Amr Moussa, the Arab League president, has conceded that its inevitable that Islamic factions will be the bedrock of the political system.

As hardliners compete for street power, Egypt's Christians – who make up 10 per cent of the population – are emigrating in growing numbers....

[incarcerated]

Oh, it‘s OK: they’re “The Freedom and Justice Party” now.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/3...l-run-for.html

Muslim Brotherhood will run for half of Egypt's parliament

By HANNAH ALLAM
McClatchy Newspapers
CAIRO, Egypt -- Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, the largest and best-organized Islamist faction in Egypt, announced Saturday the formation of its new political party and said it plans to contest half the seats in parliament in the first post-revolution elections scheduled for next fall.

The Freedom and Justice Party is the culmination of more than 80 years of struggle toward official recognition and full political participation for the Muslim Brotherhood. Since the group's founding in 1928, successive Egyptian administrations have outlawed the group and arrested its members.

"This party will be independent from the Brotherhood, but will coordinate with it," Mahmoud Hussein, the secretary general of the Brotherhood, told a news conference in Cairo.

The party will be led by Mohamed Morsy, who served in the Brotherhood's political bureau, along with other well-known figures: Essam el Erian as deputy chief and Saad Katatni as secretary general.

Under deposed President Hosni Mubarak's regime, the Brotherhood was officially banned and continually persecuted, but its members could run for office as independents....

[incarcerated]

http://www.stratfor.com/sitrep/20110...olitical-party

Egypt: Gamaah Al-Islamiyah Forms Political Party

May 23, 2011 | 2056 GMT
Egypt’s Gamaah al-Islamiyah is forming a political party to run in the next parliamentary election, Al-Masry Al-Youm reported May 23. Abdel Akbar Hammad, head of the group’s elections committee, said the group will not run in Egypt’s next presidential election.

[Pete]

Muslim Brotherhood Aims for Islamic Egyptian State

People, don't believe what I say? Just read what they say. That will tell you what their plans are. They make no secret of it.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/144527

"The Muslim Brotherhood will impose Islamic Sharia Law in Egypt if it comes to power, according to the movement's Sobhi Saleh, the Egyptian Arabic daily Al Masry Al Youm reports.

Saleh, a leading Muslim Brotherhood figure, claimed Sharia would protect Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

“Terms like civil or secular state are misleading,” he said. “Islamic Sharia is the best system for Muslims and non-Muslims."...................."