Egypt ponders price of Islamists' gains

AP/Reuters ^ | By Neil MacFarquhar

[robowombat]

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt When stumping through the port city of Alexandria, whose crumbling mansions and rickety tram lines evoke long-faded glory, Sobhe Saleh of the Muslim Brotherhood vowed he had a different vision for Egypt's future. "If Islam were applied, no one would be hungry," he roared recently to a crowd of fully veiled women ululating with joy. "Islam is a religion of construction. Islam is a religion of investment. Islam is a religion of development." Religion, in fact, should profoundly alter both Egypt's domestic and foreign policy, said Mr. Saleh, a 52-year-old lawyer with a clipped helmet of steel-gray hair. "If Islam were applied, the television would not show us prostitution and people lacking all decency!" he declared. "If Islam were applied, Iraq could not have been invaded, Israel could not occupy Jerusalem, and aggression could not have been used to humiliate Muslims everywhere!" A long-expected day of reckoning is at hand in Egyptian politics now that the Brotherhood, an illegal organization with a violent past, is entering the corridors of power

[Frenetic]

""If Islam were applied, no one would be hungry," he roared recently to a crowd of fully veiled women ululating with joy. "Islam is a religion of construction. Islam is a religion of investment. Islam is a religion of development.""

- ROFL

[RightOnline]

He forgot to add "peace"; would have made it all the funnier.

[saganite]

Funny stuff indeed! Is this scrappleface?

[rawcatslyentist]

"If Islam were applied, no one would be hungry,"

Dead People don't eat! or It's hard to swallow without a neck!

[EBH]

Deep apathy among the 70 million people of Egypt - by far the largest Arab country - meant turnout in this election officially averaged 34 percent, but many election analysts have put it at 25 percent or lower.

Apathy, deep apathy like this will cost them what little freedom(s) they do have.

[2001convSVT]

Yea Peace, Peace of the grave, Peace of the iron fist, Peace of the jackbooted mullahs. Islam brings Peace, yea right.

[Thermalseeker]

Islam is a religion of construction...

...of bombs and terrorists...

Islam is a religion of investment....

...in bomb making technology...

Islam is a religion of development....

...of bomb making and people willing to blow themselves up with said bombs.....

[Mind-numbed Robot]

"...and aggression could not have been used to humiliate Muslims everywhere!"

A big difference I see between Muslims and other religions is this trumped up "honor" that must be protected and this greatly exagerated "humiliation" which must be avoided. Where other religions teach an outgoing and God seeking attitude, Islam seems to be centered inwardly to an idividual who is so important that "honor" must be respected to the nth degree and humiliation can come from even the most innocent action. Although they are big on giving Allah praise for everything they certainly seem very self-important. They hide that by saying they are Muslims therefore any insult to them is an insult to Allah. I think that is just using Allah to conceal vanity.

I don't think I am going to convert. :-)

[Do not dub me shapka broham]

Well put.

I can't help but be envious of all those well-fed Bengalis and Sudanese.

Or those Iranians, whose economy is worse now than it was thirty years ago, i.e. prior to the imposition of an Islamic theocracy.

[robowombat]

The Arabs imported their tribalized shame culture into Islam. Just like street corner thugs they have a thin skinned sense of pride and a chip on their shoulder the size of a pond cake and constantly scrutinize the most banal actions for evidence of 'disrespect'. Islam is like living in a huge prison exercise yard with tens of millions of bros demanding 'respect' 24/7.