Muslim Brotherhood winning in Egypt
Friday, 6 January 2012
Maswood Alam Khan
There are times when you have to tolerate the intolerant. It seems the United States has no option but to tolerate the new government in Egypt, being formed by Islamist Brotherhood Party. The ascent of Islamists in Egypt is an ironic corollary to the fall of Hosni Mubarak, who, though deemed a dictator to the Egyptian people, was once a great friend of the United States and who had to abdicate power during the tumults known as Arab Spring that had swept the whole Arab world.
Now it seems that Mubarak's departure has paved a way for the Arab Spring in Egypt to be turned into a kind of Egyptian Sharia Spring.The military-turned-civilian rulers of Egypt like Hosni Mubarak were America's allies for the past three decades who were recipients of about US $30 billion of American aid.
With the Muslim Brotherhood pulling within reach of an outright majority in Egypt's new Parliament, the American administration is about to reverse their mistrust and hostility with the Islamists as, thanks to Egypt's strategic position in the Middle East, America has to forge close ties with Brotherhood-formed Egyptian government, even though Muslim Brotherhood was once viewed as irreconcilably opposed to the United States' interests.
Closer ties with Brotherhood would be a historic shift in the American foreign policy held by succeeding American administrations that unwaveringly supported the autocratic government of President Hosni Mubarak in part out of fear for the Brotherhood's Islamist ideology and their historic ties to militants. The shift is an open nod to the new political reality in the region, as Islamist political parties are coming to power in various countries in the world.
Having won nearly half the seats contested in the first two rounds of Egypt's legislative elections, the Brotherhood last Tuesday entered the third and final round with a chance to extend its lead to a clear majority as the vote moved into districts that are long considered Brotherhood strongholds. Egypt's elections were to continue until Wednesday, with runoffs next week, and Parliament's first session is expected to open on January 23, two days before the anniversary of the protests that forced out Mr. Mubarak.
Islamists' resurgence in Arab countries like Egypt facing democratic revolutions is a reality America has to accept. Egyptian people's wishes to elect their government based on Brotherhood Party must be respected even, if the party is assumed a threat to western ethos. The US would do well if they adopt a strategy to cuddle up to Brotherhood in line with US's policy of promoting democracy.
"It would be totally impractical not to engage with the Brotherhood because of U.S. security and regional interests in Egypt," a senior administration official involved in shaping the new policy said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss diplomatic affairs, as reported in The New York Times.
Some observers have even called this emerging American relationship with the Brotherhood a first step toward a pattern that could take shape with the Islamist parties' coming to power around the region in the aftermath of the uprisings of the Arab Spring. Islamists have already taken important roles in Morocco, Libya, Tunisia and Egypt in less than a year.
The writer can be reached at email: maswood@hotmail.com
There are times when you have to tolerate the intolerant. It seems the United States has no option but to tolerate the new government in Egypt, being formed by Islamist Brotherhood Party. The ascent of Islamists in Egypt is an ironic corollary to the fall of Hosni Mubarak, who, though deemed a dictator to the Egyptian people, was once a great friend of the United States and who had to abdicate power during the tumults known as Arab Spring that had swept the whole Arab world.
Now it seems that Mubarak's departure has paved a way for the Arab Spring in Egypt to be turned into a kind of Egyptian Sharia Spring.The military-turned-civilian rulers of Egypt like Hosni Mubarak were America's allies for the past three decades who were recipients of about US $30 billion of American aid.
With the Muslim Brotherhood pulling within reach of an outright majority in Egypt's new Parliament, the American administration is about to reverse their mistrust and hostility with the Islamists as, thanks to Egypt's strategic position in the Middle East, America has to forge close ties with Brotherhood-formed Egyptian government, even though Muslim Brotherhood was once viewed as irreconcilably opposed to the United States' interests.
Closer ties with Brotherhood would be a historic shift in the American foreign policy held by succeeding American administrations that unwaveringly supported the autocratic government of President Hosni Mubarak in part out of fear for the Brotherhood's Islamist ideology and their historic ties to militants. The shift is an open nod to the new political reality in the region, as Islamist political parties are coming to power in various countries in the world.
Having won nearly half the seats contested in the first two rounds of Egypt's legislative elections, the Brotherhood last Tuesday entered the third and final round with a chance to extend its lead to a clear majority as the vote moved into districts that are long considered Brotherhood strongholds. Egypt's elections were to continue until Wednesday, with runoffs next week, and Parliament's first session is expected to open on January 23, two days before the anniversary of the protests that forced out Mr. Mubarak.
Islamists' resurgence in Arab countries like Egypt facing democratic revolutions is a reality America has to accept. Egyptian people's wishes to elect their government based on Brotherhood Party must be respected even, if the party is assumed a threat to western ethos. The US would do well if they adopt a strategy to cuddle up to Brotherhood in line with US's policy of promoting democracy.
"It would be totally impractical not to engage with the Brotherhood because of U.S. security and regional interests in Egypt," a senior administration official involved in shaping the new policy said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss diplomatic affairs, as reported in The New York Times.
Some observers have even called this emerging American relationship with the Brotherhood a first step toward a pattern that could take shape with the Islamist parties' coming to power around the region in the aftermath of the uprisings of the Arab Spring. Islamists have already taken important roles in Morocco, Libya, Tunisia and Egypt in less than a year.
The writer can be reached at email: maswood@hotmail.com