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Treat Muslim Brotherhood with caution, Blair urges
CNN ^ | 2-7-11 | Richard Allen Greene

Posted on 02/07/2011 4:27:32 PM PST by SJackson

London (CNN) -- Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood needs to be treated with caution, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair warned Monday.

"It's not an extremist group in a way that we have seen in other countries; on the other hand, we shouldn't be complacent about it either," he said.

"It is founded on a different view of the relationship between religion and public policy than most people in secular societies would want," he argued.

"Religion is an important part of our society, its voice should be heard, but I wouldn't want to live in even a democratic theocracy," the former prime minister said at the office of his Tony Blair Faith Foundation, which works to promote multifaith understanding.

He spoke a day after Egypt's government, under pressure from nearly two weeks of anti-government demonstrations, held talks with a range of opposition groups, including the Islamists.

Officially banned but quietly tolerated, the Muslim Brotherhood is regarded as Egypt's most organized opposition force.

Blair has been warning for the past week against letting "religious autocracy" or "religious exclusivity" take hold in Egypt.

He declined to say Monday that the Muslim Brotherhood aimed to impose either one.

"The truth is, I don't know, and neither does anybody else. And therefore what I am really saying is, don't be hysterical about it, but don't be complacent about it either," he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: mohammedbadie

1 posted on 02/07/2011 4:27:34 PM PST by SJackson
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; Lent; GregB; ..
Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

2 posted on 02/07/2011 4:28:06 PM PST by SJackson (In wine there is wisdom, In beer there is freedom, In water there is bacteria.)
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To: SJackson
About the same caution as should have been used in the 30s with Adolf Hitler and his merry band of man-boy love enthusiasts..
3 posted on 02/07/2011 4:31:41 PM PST by kbennkc (For those who have fought for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.)
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To: SJackson

Sure. Deal with them as cautiously as Abdul Nasser and Kemal Ataturk did. End of story.


4 posted on 02/07/2011 4:35:51 PM PST by Eleutheria5 (End the occupation. Annex today.)
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To: Eleutheria5

I’ve their treat.....

Right here.


5 posted on 02/07/2011 4:37:34 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo (FreeRepublic. Monthly Donors Welcome.)
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To: SJackson

Try creating the Christian Brotherhood and see if you get treated with any kind of respect from the MSM.


6 posted on 02/07/2011 4:58:55 PM PST by Berlin_Freeper
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To: SJackson

Something about this whole Egypt situation stinks - to high heaven.


7 posted on 02/07/2011 5:12:58 PM PST by jivin gene (Breakin' up is hard to do)
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To: Berlin_Freeper

The most frightening thing is listening to American journalists and commentators suggesting that Al Jazeera is a great source of truth and information, the muslim brotherhood is a force for good here in Amercia and in Egypt and we as Americans should embrace all of this as democracy takes hold. The media, politicians, union heads, radicals, American communist party, and many other anti American groups seem to be working in concert forming a dangerous coalition against Americans Amercia American interests, capitolism and our western way of life. We need to pay attention


8 posted on 02/07/2011 5:13:35 PM PST by ronnie raygun (V.........................................)
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To: SJackson
It's not an extremist group in a way that we have seen in other countries…

Perhaps you are not paying attention, Mr. Blair.

“Arab and Muslim regimes are betraying their people by failing to confront the Muslim’s real enemies, not only Israel but also the United States. Waging jihad against both of these infidels is a commandment of Allah that cannot be disregarded.
“All Muslims…need to understand that (what) the (Muslim) nation seeks can only be attained through jihad and sacrifice and by raising a jihadi generation that pursues death just as the enemies pursue life.” - Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Badie, October 2010

9 posted on 02/07/2011 5:14:29 PM PST by frog in a pot (We need a working definition of "domestic enemies" if the oath of office is to have meaning.)
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To: kbennkc
About the same caution as should have been used in the 30s with Adolf Hitler and his merry band of man-boy love enthusiasts..

Yes, Churchill warned us.

10 posted on 02/07/2011 5:41:01 PM PST by SJackson (In wine there is wisdom, In beer there is freedom, In water there is bacteria.)
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To: jivin gene
Something about this whole Egypt situation stinks - to high heaven.

Jihadists?

11 posted on 02/07/2011 5:48:54 PM PST by SJackson (In wine there is wisdom, In beer there is freedom, In water there is bacteria.)
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To: SJackson

I think it is a better plan to treat the Muslim brotherhood...

With bullets and explosives.


12 posted on 02/07/2011 6:29:03 PM PST by MrEdd (Heck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.8)
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To: Berlin_Freeper

“Try creating the Christian Brotherhood and see if you get treated with any kind of respect from the MSM.”

Heck, go for it! Have a media event with direct link to Freep, and watch them flip their hair transplants.


13 posted on 02/08/2011 4:21:43 PM PST by Eleutheria5 (End the occupation. Annex today.)
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