Posted on 08/27/2005 3:30:22 PM PDT by Mark Felton
n an article in the Egyptian weekly Roz Al-Yousef, Egyptian author and intellectual Tarek Heggy responded to recent indications that Washington is ready to accept the risk of having the Muslim Brotherhood in power. In his article, Heggy points to the organization's fundamentalist, anti-democratic character, and asserts that while democratic reforms are necessary, they should not be made in a hasty manner that would allow the opponents of democracy to take power.
The following are excerpts from the article: [1] The "Muslim Brotherhood" Aims to Take Over the Islamic World
"With eruption of public protests in Egypt against and the government's anti-democracy crackdown, public attention has focused on the radical Islamist Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood is a transnational organization, established in Egypt in 1928, which aims to take over the Islamic world. Its goal is establishing a Caliphate, a religious militarized state, as the base to wage war against the 'infidel' West. The Muslim Brotherhood today is the best-organized political force in many Arab countries.
"The hasty promotion of democracy may bring the Brotherhood to power in Egypt, Syria, Jordan and elsewhere. While some in Washington are ready to accept this risk, it may entail dangerous unintended consequences. "It is important to understand the political thinking of the Muslim Brotherhood, in hopes of shedding some light on an issue many people in the world need to understand."
The Brotherhood Wants to Subject Politics to the Shari'a
"Unlike Western democracies, which guarantee the political participation of all citizens regardless of ideology, opinion or religion, the Brotherhood makes political participation of individuals in society subject to the principles of Islamic holy law (the Shari'a). While in the West, the legislative and judiciary branches of government monitor state actions to ensure they conform to democratic rules, the actions of the state would be monitored by the Brotherhood to ensure they conform to the rules of Shari'a.
"The Brotherhood guarantees freedom of belief only for the followers of the three revealed (Abrahamic) religions. The Brotherhood's position on religious minorities can be summed up by its insistence [that] a non-Muslim can never become president and [that] non-Muslims will be subject to the Shari'a principles on which the entire legal system will be based.
"While Western democracies guarantee absolute freedom of the individual as long as it does not impinge on the freedom of others, the Brotherhood limits the freedom of thought within the strict parameters of a code derived from the Shari'a. The Brotherhood calls for restoring hisbah, which allows a private citizen to prosecute any individual who commits an act he considers a breach of the Shari'a even if the plaintiff himself was not personally injured by it…"
Women's Political Participation Would be Limited to Municipal Elections
"In Western democracies, women enjoy the same political rights as men. But as far as the Muslim Brotherhood is concerned, women's political participation would be limited to municipal elections. There is no question, for example, of a woman ever becoming head of state. To further marginalize women and exclude them from any meaningful public role, the Brotherhood calls for educational curricula to include material appropriate for women, tailored to suit the female nature and role and insists on complete segregation of the sexes in classrooms, public transportation and the workplace.
"The organization calls for an economic system based on respect of private property. At the same time, however, it insists the system be based on the principles of Islamic Shari'a, which criminalizes charging interest on borrowed money, as by banks. They also call for state ownership of public utilities."
The Brotherhood Calls for Revival of the Caliphate
"Contrary to the democratic governmental system, based on peaceful rotation of power by elections, the Brotherhood calls for a government based on the principles of Shari'a and the revival of the Islamic Caliphate.
"The freedom of association enjoyed by civil organizations in a democracy would, in an Islamist system, be conditional on their adherence to the strictures of Shari'a.
"The Brotherhood opposes the notion of a state based on democratic institutions, calling instead for an Islamic government based on the Shura (consultative assembly) system, veneration of the leader and the investiture of a Supreme Guide. In this, they are close to the model established by the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Iran, which enables diehard conservatives (a group to which the Supreme Guide belongs) to nip any reform or renewal in the bud."
The Brotherhood will Never Recognize the Legitimacy of Israel
"Over the last 57 years, the Brotherhood has opposed all attempts for a peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The organization will never recognize the legitimacy of Israel.
"The Brotherhood calls for a constitutional and legal system based on the principles of Shari'a, including cruel corporal punishments in the penal code (stoning, lashing, cutting off the hands of thieves, etc.). The Muslim Brotherhood has never condemned use of violence against civilians, except when directed against Muslims.
"Finally, modern progress is realized by two tools – science and modern management. These are two disciplines of which the Brotherhood has not a vaguest idea. Instead, it promulgates a retrograde ideology, which can be deadly for sustainable economic development, growth in investment, and equality.
"Promoting democracy in the Middle East is an imperative necessity for all humanity. Given the right steps, the peoples of the Middle East (as Professor Bernard Lewis has repeatedly expounded) are capable of flourishing democratic societies. However, a hasty transformation is likely to be disastrous for the forces of progress in Egypt and in the Middle East."
Dear God!
Good then we can Nuke em!
Except for the fact that a most firm and clear statement made via diplomacy to the nations of our world by a most formidable figurehead with a vision of the world situation, "either you are with us or you are against us", I would be most concerned by this revelation.
Hoffer’s “True Believer”? – Excellent Book. Just thinking about rereading that one.
There already is a militarized Islamic state in power - Iran.
Don't you think that the West, if shaken out of its miasma, can make these animals quake in their boots? I think the time is about ripe, IMO.
I thought the time was right when 3000 American civilian men, women and children were slaughtered in a couple of hours. Apparently it will take 30,000 or 300,000 in AMerica or Western Europe for that to happen.
But your right, if and when that happens, "these animals" will think the West was easy on the Nazis and Japanese in WWII. The Nazis and Imperial Japan were civilized compared to this bunch.
So we're adding one.
You may win the first election and maybe even the second. But you will not win the third and that mr Abdullah is democracy. When the people get promised that the lighbulb will be changed and it doesn't, demococracy will offer the people someone else that can change the lightbulb. That sir is democracy. So take a good hard look at the lightbulb because one day someone will need to change it! Oh by the way, if you look carefully, that lightbulb that will need a changin was probably made by GE!!
When the Aswan Dam "collapses", the air alone will move with the pressure of ten atmospheres. When the water hits, the jihadists will think they are in the days of Noah....
BUMP
The last war with Israel was--God, I'm getting old--32 years ago. Large parts of the Egyptian population have no memory of the whipping that Israel put on Egypt in their wars, and they want to start something again.
They will learn.
We really need TWO Militarized Islamic States... that way inevitably they'll end up fighting each other, ala Iran-Iraq 1980s. Reagan's brilliance in Iran-Contra was he kept this war going 8 years forcing Iran and Iraq to sell their oil cheap (remember it got down to around 75 cents a gallon). The Demwits, however upon discovery of this... wanted to impeach Ronaldas Magnamus, forcing an end to the effort! Proving once and for all, Libs are willing to defeat America to defeat a Republican! Traitorous lot all of 'em!!!
>> You may win the first election and maybe even the second. But you will not win the third and that mr Abdullah is democracy.
<<
Under their plan, once in power, there is no need for any subsquent real elections. If they need to appear to be domocratic, they can always do exactly what Iran did for the last election: they found the candidates they did not approve of "disqualified" to run for office.
Let them do it. Let them all gather in one country (Syria? Saudi Arabia?) where they can wage all the "holy war" they want right up to the point when we nuke them into oblivion.
["Finally, modern progress is realized by two tools – science and modern management. These are two disciplines of which the Brotherhood has not a vaguest idea. Instead, it promulgates a retrograde ideology, which can be deadly for sustainable economic development, growth in investment, and equality."]
Translation: Our ideological foes are impotent Luddites destined for history's septic tank.
...or we could all switch to biodiesel.
http://www.biodiesel.org
http://www.dfwbiodiesel.com
As far as I'm concerned, Israel can take Aswan out any time. No tears here and the fall out will mostly hit other Muslim countries.
ping
He may be an author, but...
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