This video was shared with me by fellow blogger and friend Damian Geminder, who can be found at http://conservathink.blogspot.com/ , http://www.conservatives4palin.com/ , and http://twitter.com/Conservathink .
It is an alternate take on the raid of the flotilla headed for Gaza that has been much publicized by virtually all aspects of the media. While I believe that this video is missing a few key points when it comes to the details about the seizing of the Mavi Mamara, I do see its value for giving a broader point of view of the situation.
I think I'll discuss some of the details I feel the video missed as well as giving a summary of the overall situation in an upcoming post. I will also discuss the breaking news, which I guess won't be so breaking when I write about it, that IDF forces shot and killed 4 Palestinian divers off Gaza which they believed to be affiliated with the terrorist group, Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
The Rachel Corrie Result
Well the second attempt by activists to deliver goods to the Gaza Strip has once again been stopped by Israeli Defense Forces, however this time in a much less harmful way. According to reports no one was injured and all on board the vessel, The Rachel Corrie, were transported to the Israeli port of Ashdod and detained accordingly.
While this incident shows much more restraint in response on behalf of the Israeli's, nothing less could be expected and Israel still finds itself very much under fire from the international community. As described in this AlJazeera article, the Israeli government is scrambling to prevent the Flotilla incident of becoming any more of a PR disaster than it already is. However, spokesman for the Israel, Michael Oren, did not improve this situation by stating in an interview with Fox News that "We are rejecting an international commission. We are discussing with the Obama administration a way in which our inquiry will take place." This international commision of which Mr. Oren speaks has been wildly called for across the globe, including from Mr. Obama. Israel's refusion to comply with these requests may cause further problems for the increasingly unpopular country around the world in the near future.
While this incident shows much more restraint in response on behalf of the Israeli's, nothing less could be expected and Israel still finds itself very much under fire from the international community. As described in this AlJazeera article, the Israeli government is scrambling to prevent the Flotilla incident of becoming any more of a PR disaster than it already is. However, spokesman for the Israel, Michael Oren, did not improve this situation by stating in an interview with Fox News that "We are rejecting an international commission. We are discussing with the Obama administration a way in which our inquiry will take place." This international commision of which Mr. Oren speaks has been wildly called for across the globe, including from Mr. Obama. Israel's refusion to comply with these requests may cause further problems for the increasingly unpopular country around the world in the near future.Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Day 2: Gaza Flotilla Attack
S**t appears to have hit the fan for the State of Israel. I would really not want to work in the Foreign Relations Department of the Israelie government right now. There has finally been a worldwide outcry towards the Israeli actions, even the U.S. seems to be joining the choir. The U.N. is leading the charge against Israel at the moment, holding an emergency Security counsel meeting yesterday to discuss what immediate implications the Israeli actions will result in. Of all countries, Turkey by far has shouted the loudest for sanctions against Israel, considering most of those killed on board were in fact Turkish.
With NATO calling for an investigation this morning, Israel has to face the fact that they've made a mistake and a bad one at that. Benjamin Netanyahu and his government have to find a way to immeadiately and effectively quell the tide because, as seen far too many times in history, a relatively small event like what has taken place with the Gaza Flotilla can soon lead to an escalation of tension between nations and ultimately full fledged war. Israel has to prevent that from happening, immediately, if they wish to continue with business as usual. Unfortunately I find this highly unlikely, instead of coming out with an apology, they have accused those on board of the flotilla of being terrorists. Although the Prime Minister did indeed acknowledge that he "regretted the loss of life", Israel's response has to be far more guilt-ridden on its behalf if it wishes for any further slack from the international community.
Al Jazeera coverage
BBC coverage
With NATO calling for an investigation this morning, Israel has to face the fact that they've made a mistake and a bad one at that. Benjamin Netanyahu and his government have to find a way to immeadiately and effectively quell the tide because, as seen far too many times in history, a relatively small event like what has taken place with the Gaza Flotilla can soon lead to an escalation of tension between nations and ultimately full fledged war. Israel has to prevent that from happening, immediately, if they wish to continue with business as usual. Unfortunately I find this highly unlikely, instead of coming out with an apology, they have accused those on board of the flotilla of being terrorists. Although the Prime Minister did indeed acknowledge that he "regretted the loss of life", Israel's response has to be far more guilt-ridden on its behalf if it wishes for any further slack from the international community. Al Jazeera coverage
BBC coverage
Monday, May 31, 2010
Gaza Flotilla Attack
I was waiting to write my 2nd post until the much reported on "Gaza Flotilla" had either reached the Gaza strip or had been intercepted by Israel-it appears the latter won that battle.
I'm not going into much detail about the attack, as the Israel Defense Forces boarded the boats in the flotilla less than twelve hours ago therefore the full extent and context of the attack may not be fully known at this point. The basic facts are that the Israeli forces attempted to stop the flotilla, while still in international waters, from docking in Gaza and they met some form of resistance from those aboard the flotilla, and consequently reacted. However, as often is the case when it comes to the Israeli Defense Forces, thet appeared to have overeacted. They were dealing with unarmed civilians, whose greatest form of resistance, that I have seen so far were a couple of slingshots and marbles. Despite the lack of threat that a few slingshot armed civilians aboard the flotilla posed to them, at this point it appears that 9 or 10 people were killed on the flotilla by live fire from the IDF.
Interesting footage of attack (scroll to bottom of page)
I'm not going into much detail about the attack, as the Israel Defense Forces boarded the boats in the flotilla less than twelve hours ago therefore the full extent and context of the attack may not be fully known at this point. The basic facts are that the Israeli forces attempted to stop the flotilla, while still in international waters, from docking in Gaza and they met some form of resistance from those aboard the flotilla, and consequently reacted. However, as often is the case when it comes to the Israeli Defense Forces, thet appeared to have overeacted. They were dealing with unarmed civilians, whose greatest form of resistance, that I have seen so far were a couple of slingshots and marbles. Despite the lack of threat that a few slingshot armed civilians aboard the flotilla posed to them, at this point it appears that 9 or 10 people were killed on the flotilla by live fire from the IDF. Although there has already been wide international condemnation of the attack, it has yet to be seen whether or not there will be further action taken to formally punish Israel for these attacks. The most important factors that must be taken into account in regards to this situation is that those killed were from the international community, not Palestinians or Israelis; they were civilains, likely unarmed and they were in international waters, not Israeli waters at the time.
Whatever the end result of the situation will be, it will most likely be decided over the course of the next few days, as we see what the overall international reaction to this incident will be.Interesting footage of attack (scroll to bottom of page)
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
About Me and The Muslim Brotherhood: Radicals or Politicians?
Hello to all and Welcome to the Middle East According to Me. If you read my little side bar thing you'll be able to get a decent idea of what this whole blog is all about.
For my first post I was going to write a rather funny and insightful commentary on the current state of affairs between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, however I just finished 4 hours of manual labor removing siding from my house, therefore I'm simply going to copy and paste a, rather lengthy, research paper I wrote for my Introduction to Muslim Politics class this past semester. I received an A- on the paper so there must at least be a few good points in there. But if possible take a look at it and read as much as possible without putting a gun to your head, however DO NOT take this as a sign of things to come. I expect to write brief articles a few times a week commenting on Middle Eastern news and events.
So here we go, I humbly present to you:
The Muslim Brotherhood: Radicals or Politicians?
To understand the situation fully, the Muslim Brotherhood’s actions and development in Egypt must be closely looked at; for Egypt is where the Brotherhood was born and where it currently has the most political influence. It also must be understood that since the Brotherhood was created almost 82 years ago, it is vital to discuss its change in views regarding democracy, terrorism and religion over the course of its history to properly understand how it functions in the modern world.
The Muslim Brotherhood, or MB, was founded in the city of Ismailia in Lower(Northern) Egypt in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna. A socially involved schoolteacher, al-Banna, had since his youth been actively involved in the resistance movement against the British rule of Egypt. The Brotherhood quickly grew as did its influence. However, unlike many other resistance groups, the MB did not automatically turn to violence as a way to expel the British from Egypt. Instead, it chose that peaceful resistance would be the best way to achieve its goal, similar to the actions of Gandhi in his resistance against the British in India. Their strategy is highlighted in this quote from Geneive Abdo, in her book No God but God, “The Brotherhood…had long ago renounced the use of force to concentrate on building an Islamist state through political and social change.” (Abdo). Because of their stance of non violence, for the first few decades they were extremely successful in promoting Islamism and the headquarters of the MB was truly the headquarters of the Islamist movement in the Middle East.
After Egypt received its freedom from Britain, the Brotherhood aimed their attention in another direction; the Palestinian struggle with Israel and the Egyptian government which they perceived to be passive in regards to the Palestinian situation. Their refocusing of their goals led to a “new” Muslim Brotherhood as the half century came around. Beginning with the assassination of the Egyptian Prime Minister Mahmud Fahmi Nokrashi in 1948, by a member of the Brotherhood, the MB took a radical turn. A combination of direct preaching against the Egyptian government as well as several attempts on the life of President Gamal Abder Nasser by members of the Brotherhood, led to the outlaw of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1954 (Al Jazeera). From there, the modern era of the MB began; as an underground organization, with just as much if not more influence among the Egyptian people as the Egyptian government. The Brotherhood has slowly over the past fifty years become the voice of the people; people that increasingly felt like that they were living in less of a republic and more of a dictatorship. The Egyptian government has understood this, and at times took radical steps to attempt to prevent it; however, the government has realized the strength and influence of the Muslim Brotherhood was and still is a force to be reckoned with, and as noted by Weaver, “Mubarak…is more afraid of the moderate Islamists[The Muslim Brotherhood] than of the militants”. (Weaver). The arrest of many prominent Brotherhood leaders, over the past few decades only added fuel to the fire which is the influence of the MB among the lower and middle classes of Egyptian society.
The power of the Muslim Brotherhood’s influence over the Egyptian people can only be understood if the position the Egyptian people see themselves in is understood. After being ruled by the same President for close to thirty years; the Egyptian people feel like they truly have no say in the politics of their country. Even after President Hosni Mubarak passed a law to allow presidential elections to occur for the first time, he was elected to his 5th term in office for the fifth time in 2005 only enforcing the belief among the lower classes of Egyptian society that they are living in a dictatorship.(Al Jazeera). Therefore, the MB have very little difficulty convincing the population that they are the next best alternative; as they represent the Islamic values that many Egyptians were raised with.
The Brotherhood possibly has no greater influence on any single group more than the youth in Egyptian society. Throughout the second half of the 20th century, and the beginning of the 21st century, the Brotherhood’s values and ideals rung out the most within Egyptian universities. The young minds of Egypt are looking for an alternative to the government which they perceive to have “ruled” for far too long. For many of these Egyptians, the Mubarak presidency has been the only government they have known their entire lives; consequently when the Brotherhood come along with set of ideals similar to themselves, they are much more susceptible to becoming indoctrinated in the beliefs of the MB. Many Middle Eastern students view the Israeli state as an insult to Islam, as well as continuing a horrible injustice upon the Palestinian people; they also see the U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as further Western intervention in Middle Eastern matters, and what many see as “A war against Islam.” While still staying modern, in their support of democracy, the Brotherhood provides answers to these issues, answers which the population as a whole is much more willing to receive than those of their government. As described in the article U.S. Egyptian Relations After The Cold War, “Mainstream Islamic movements, such as the Muslim Brotherhood…They dominate education administration…A large silent majority.” (Marr). Extremely sympathetic to the Palestinian situation, and at times their government HAMAS, as well as the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Middle Eastern soil, the brotherhood seems an almost perfect fit for the restless youth population of Egypt. However, the question of what consequences the Brotherhood’s overwhelming influence has on the beliefs and actions of its followers must be observed, as it is only too easy for the sentiment of democracy and peace to be confused with the Islamist ideals.
Saayid Qutb, Ayman Al-Zawahiri and Ahmed Yassin; all three of these men either founded or inspired some of the most radical Islamist groups in the Middle East, all three of these men were also disciples of the Muslim Brotherhood. Qutb, perhaps the father of modern jihad was a key intellectual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood during the middle of the 20th century. Al-Zawahiri, now second in command of Al-Qaeda, and Osama Bin Laden’s right hand man, and Ahmed Yassin, the founder of Hamas. These are just a few of many examples of men involved or simply inspired by the MB that went on to found or join “terrorist” groups around the world. The question that must be asked is why, if the Muslim Brotherhood claims to support democracy and peace to achieve its goals, would so many important members of the Brotherhood then turn to radicalism?
A logical explanation for many former brothers’ radical turns is that for many, the Islamist beliefs instilled by the Brotherhood lead to further thought and exploration. It only seems obvious that in today’s world, one truly inspired by Islamism would turn to radicalism. Evan Kohlmann, an international terrorism consultant explains in an article for the Council on Foreign Relations, “[For] someone who is interested in dedicating their lives to a radical Islamist cause, it can be a pathway up…to a more serious dealing with Islam.” (Crane). This “more serious dealing” can easily be interpreted as a turn to radicalism or terrorism. In an article on their website, the Muslim Brotherhood directly address their views on Hamas, the group viewed as terrorist by U.S., which currently governs the Palestinian territory. In the article ``Hamas:Friend or Foe in the Fight against Terrorism, the MB says that the U.S. must “improve their image in the eyes of Arabs and Muslims by demonstrating a willingness to engage popular Islamist movements[such as Hamas], and that they are serious about democracy promotion” (Mansour). By this they are stating that the US must be willing to acknowledge a recognize Hamas, which they view as a legitimate and “law-abiding” form of governance. The same group whose constitution includes the line “[There is] no solution to the Palestinian cause save jihad” (Mansour). While it appears that the Muslim Brotherhood is taking more of a “middle man” position in the debate, it is just one example of sympathy shown to groups classified as “terrorists” by the United States and other Western countries.
Having seen that although the Brotherhood many not strictly come out and say that they are in favor of terrorist groups, even going as far as saying that radicalism is a distortion of Islam, there is no mistaking that in some instances it appears they are at least sympathetic to the cause of radicalism. However, if the goals of the MB are examined, it seems only obvious that they would at least sympathize with radicalist groups, as they share many common aspirations for the Middle East and the world. In a document named "General Strategic Goal for the Group in North America", the Brotherhood lay out the plan for Islamizing North America,
“The Ikhwan must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and "sabotaging" its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated” (Akram).
This is certainly not rhetoric which sounds democratic or peaceful, or at least not in the ears of a Westerner. It is because of statements and actions similar to this that the Muslim Brotherhood is often looked at as a terrorist organization or at the very least an inspiration for terrorists. Due to its wide ranging, and powerful influence, the Brotherhoods beliefs and goals can have very profound effects on the surrounding world.
For all of the above described sympathy towards terrorist groups and at times radical statements from the Muslim Brotherhood, the fact is, is that, at least on the surface, they are a peaceful, democratic organization. Although unable to run in Egyptian elections as a party, representatives from the Muslim Brotherhood run as independents and often win many seats in the Egyptian parliament. On their website, the Brotherhood has many articles and columns supporting their stance of peace, tolerance, and the democratic process. One article entitled “Islam is a religion of tolerance, patience, forbearance and peace”, attacks on Egyptian Christians by Muslims were due to “ignorance rather than intolerance on the part of Muslims.” (Qaradawi). An entire section of the MB’s website is dedicated to the differences between the Muslim Brotherhood and Al Qaeda, entitled “MB vs Qaeda”. Simply taking a quick look at articles or statements generated by the Muslim Brotherhood will quickly give the reader the idea that this is not just another radical Islamist groups. The Brotherhood prides itself on being a moderate, forward thinking Islamist groups, that hopes to accomplish many of the same goals as terrorist groups, however without the violent acts. In fact, if not put in context, many of their statements could seemingly be the statement of any political party in the Western world; for example, in an article written on the difference between the MB and Al-Qaeda the Brotherhood states “they [Muslim Brotherhood] seek constitutional reform and equality for all citizens and for all religions in rights and responsibilities.” (Bishara). In brief, ignoring Islamist positions and goals, and its situation as banned organization in Egypt, many of the actions and statements of the MB support the argument that the Brotherhood is indeed a democratic and peaceful organization, like any other Western political party.
The Muslim Brotherhood is arguably, the most important and influential moderate Islamist organization in the world. They seek many of the same goals as radical terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda do, however approach them in a very different way. Having long abandoned violent and guerilla techniques to achieve their goals, they approach the world in a modern, democratic way. However, it is often difficult to ignore radical undertones and actions by members of the Brotherhood. It must be noted that members who founded radical groups, have done so more often than not after they have left the Brotherhood. Many find the MB as too restrictive and not active, violent, enough to reach their goals. On the other hand, with a new, democratic political system in place in Egpyt, it seems more likely than ever that the Muslim Brotherhood will make serious in roads to changing their government for the better, in their eyes. It cannot be argued that the MB is an Islamist organization, however it must be stressed that it is a moderate Islamist organization; and although many members go on to be actively involved in terrorist and radical groups, they have received inspiration but not direction to do this from the Brotherhood. However they hope to achieve it, the Brotherhood’s goal is and always has been “not to modernize Islam, but to stamp the authority of the Islamic faith on modernity”. (Abdo).
Abdo, Geneive. No God but God: Egypt and the Triumph of Islam. New York: Oxford UP, 2000. Print.
Akran, Mohamed. "General Strategic Goal for the Group in North America." Investigative Project on Terrorism. Web. 22 Mar. 2010.
"Al Jazeera English - GENERAL - A Nation in Waiting." Al Jazeera English - AJE. Web. 23 Mar. 2010..
Bishara, Marwan. Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website. Web. 23 Mar. 2010..
Crane, Mary. "Does the Muslim Brotherhood Have Ties to Terrorism? -." Council on Foreign Relations. Web. 24 Mar. 2010..
Mansour, Ali. "HAMAS: Friend or Foe in the Fight Against Terrorism." Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website. Web. 23 Mar. 2010..
Marr, Phebe. "U.S.-Egyptian Relations after the Cold War: Egypt's Growing Challenges." National Defense University: Strategic Forum (94). Print.
"Muslim Brotherhood." Federation of American Scientists. Web. 22 Mar. 2010..
"Qaradawi: Islam Is a Religion of Tolerance, Patience, Forbearance and Peace." Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website. Web. 24 Mar. 2010..
Weaver, Mary Anne. A Portrait of Egypt: a Journey through the World of Militant Islam. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1999. Print.
For my first post I was going to write a rather funny and insightful commentary on the current state of affairs between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, however I just finished 4 hours of manual labor removing siding from my house, therefore I'm simply going to copy and paste a, rather lengthy, research paper I wrote for my Introduction to Muslim Politics class this past semester. I received an A- on the paper so there must at least be a few good points in there. But if possible take a look at it and read as much as possible without putting a gun to your head, however DO NOT take this as a sign of things to come. I expect to write brief articles a few times a week commenting on Middle Eastern news and events.
So here we go, I humbly present to you:
The Muslim Brotherhood: Radicals or Politicians?
Since its creation in 1928, the Muslim Brotherhood has been one of the foremost Islamist movements throughout the Middle East. Its influence spreads further than the political and religious spheres it naturally encompasses, to the areas of education, social welfare and social justice, as well as many other aspects of daily life in the Middle East. Founded by Hassan al-Banna in response to the British occupation of Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood has grown from a small resistance group to a large, multinational and politically involved organization which seeks to achieve its goals through the use of the democratic process. However, the Muslim Brotherhood was not always concerned about the political process and it must be examined if some of their “freedom fighter” sentiment is still retained today. Although it appears that the Brotherhood is concerned in achieving their Islamist objectives in a peaceful and legal manner, the rhetoric of key leaders of the Brotherhood might cause one to question whether they truly wish to inspire democracy in the Middle East or if they hope to reignite jihadist flames. Their history, their current quasi-legal status and their political and religious influence all play a role in the way the group currently functions, and it is these topics I will discuss to examine this question further.
To understand the situation fully, the Muslim Brotherhood’s actions and development in Egypt must be closely looked at; for Egypt is where the Brotherhood was born and where it currently has the most political influence. It also must be understood that since the Brotherhood was created almost 82 years ago, it is vital to discuss its change in views regarding democracy, terrorism and religion over the course of its history to properly understand how it functions in the modern world.
The Muslim Brotherhood, or MB, was founded in the city of Ismailia in Lower(Northern) Egypt in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna. A socially involved schoolteacher, al-Banna, had since his youth been actively involved in the resistance movement against the British rule of Egypt. The Brotherhood quickly grew as did its influence. However, unlike many other resistance groups, the MB did not automatically turn to violence as a way to expel the British from Egypt. Instead, it chose that peaceful resistance would be the best way to achieve its goal, similar to the actions of Gandhi in his resistance against the British in India. Their strategy is highlighted in this quote from Geneive Abdo, in her book No God but God, “The Brotherhood…had long ago renounced the use of force to concentrate on building an Islamist state through political and social change.” (Abdo). Because of their stance of non violence, for the first few decades they were extremely successful in promoting Islamism and the headquarters of the MB was truly the headquarters of the Islamist movement in the Middle East.
After Egypt received its freedom from Britain, the Brotherhood aimed their attention in another direction; the Palestinian struggle with Israel and the Egyptian government which they perceived to be passive in regards to the Palestinian situation. Their refocusing of their goals led to a “new” Muslim Brotherhood as the half century came around. Beginning with the assassination of the Egyptian Prime Minister Mahmud Fahmi Nokrashi in 1948, by a member of the Brotherhood, the MB took a radical turn. A combination of direct preaching against the Egyptian government as well as several attempts on the life of President Gamal Abder Nasser by members of the Brotherhood, led to the outlaw of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1954 (Al Jazeera). From there, the modern era of the MB began; as an underground organization, with just as much if not more influence among the Egyptian people as the Egyptian government. The Brotherhood has slowly over the past fifty years become the voice of the people; people that increasingly felt like that they were living in less of a republic and more of a dictatorship. The Egyptian government has understood this, and at times took radical steps to attempt to prevent it; however, the government has realized the strength and influence of the Muslim Brotherhood was and still is a force to be reckoned with, and as noted by Weaver, “Mubarak…is more afraid of the moderate Islamists[The Muslim Brotherhood] than of the militants”. (Weaver). The arrest of many prominent Brotherhood leaders, over the past few decades only added fuel to the fire which is the influence of the MB among the lower and middle classes of Egyptian society.
The power of the Muslim Brotherhood’s influence over the Egyptian people can only be understood if the position the Egyptian people see themselves in is understood. After being ruled by the same President for close to thirty years; the Egyptian people feel like they truly have no say in the politics of their country. Even after President Hosni Mubarak passed a law to allow presidential elections to occur for the first time, he was elected to his 5th term in office for the fifth time in 2005 only enforcing the belief among the lower classes of Egyptian society that they are living in a dictatorship.(Al Jazeera). Therefore, the MB have very little difficulty convincing the population that they are the next best alternative; as they represent the Islamic values that many Egyptians were raised with.
The Brotherhood possibly has no greater influence on any single group more than the youth in Egyptian society. Throughout the second half of the 20th century, and the beginning of the 21st century, the Brotherhood’s values and ideals rung out the most within Egyptian universities. The young minds of Egypt are looking for an alternative to the government which they perceive to have “ruled” for far too long. For many of these Egyptians, the Mubarak presidency has been the only government they have known their entire lives; consequently when the Brotherhood come along with set of ideals similar to themselves, they are much more susceptible to becoming indoctrinated in the beliefs of the MB. Many Middle Eastern students view the Israeli state as an insult to Islam, as well as continuing a horrible injustice upon the Palestinian people; they also see the U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as further Western intervention in Middle Eastern matters, and what many see as “A war against Islam.” While still staying modern, in their support of democracy, the Brotherhood provides answers to these issues, answers which the population as a whole is much more willing to receive than those of their government. As described in the article U.S. Egyptian Relations After The Cold War, “Mainstream Islamic movements, such as the Muslim Brotherhood…They dominate education administration…A large silent majority.” (Marr). Extremely sympathetic to the Palestinian situation, and at times their government HAMAS, as well as the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Middle Eastern soil, the brotherhood seems an almost perfect fit for the restless youth population of Egypt. However, the question of what consequences the Brotherhood’s overwhelming influence has on the beliefs and actions of its followers must be observed, as it is only too easy for the sentiment of democracy and peace to be confused with the Islamist ideals.
Saayid Qutb, Ayman Al-Zawahiri and Ahmed Yassin; all three of these men either founded or inspired some of the most radical Islamist groups in the Middle East, all three of these men were also disciples of the Muslim Brotherhood. Qutb, perhaps the father of modern jihad was a key intellectual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood during the middle of the 20th century. Al-Zawahiri, now second in command of Al-Qaeda, and Osama Bin Laden’s right hand man, and Ahmed Yassin, the founder of Hamas. These are just a few of many examples of men involved or simply inspired by the MB that went on to found or join “terrorist” groups around the world. The question that must be asked is why, if the Muslim Brotherhood claims to support democracy and peace to achieve its goals, would so many important members of the Brotherhood then turn to radicalism?
A logical explanation for many former brothers’ radical turns is that for many, the Islamist beliefs instilled by the Brotherhood lead to further thought and exploration. It only seems obvious that in today’s world, one truly inspired by Islamism would turn to radicalism. Evan Kohlmann, an international terrorism consultant explains in an article for the Council on Foreign Relations, “[For] someone who is interested in dedicating their lives to a radical Islamist cause, it can be a pathway up…to a more serious dealing with Islam.” (Crane). This “more serious dealing” can easily be interpreted as a turn to radicalism or terrorism. In an article on their website, the Muslim Brotherhood directly address their views on Hamas, the group viewed as terrorist by U.S., which currently governs the Palestinian territory. In the article ``Hamas:Friend or Foe in the Fight against Terrorism, the MB says that the U.S. must “improve their image in the eyes of Arabs and Muslims by demonstrating a willingness to engage popular Islamist movements[such as Hamas], and that they are serious about democracy promotion” (Mansour). By this they are stating that the US must be willing to acknowledge a recognize Hamas, which they view as a legitimate and “law-abiding” form of governance. The same group whose constitution includes the line “[There is] no solution to the Palestinian cause save jihad” (Mansour). While it appears that the Muslim Brotherhood is taking more of a “middle man” position in the debate, it is just one example of sympathy shown to groups classified as “terrorists” by the United States and other Western countries.
Having seen that although the Brotherhood many not strictly come out and say that they are in favor of terrorist groups, even going as far as saying that radicalism is a distortion of Islam, there is no mistaking that in some instances it appears they are at least sympathetic to the cause of radicalism. However, if the goals of the MB are examined, it seems only obvious that they would at least sympathize with radicalist groups, as they share many common aspirations for the Middle East and the world. In a document named "General Strategic Goal for the Group in North America", the Brotherhood lay out the plan for Islamizing North America,
“The Ikhwan must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and "sabotaging" its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated” (Akram).
This is certainly not rhetoric which sounds democratic or peaceful, or at least not in the ears of a Westerner. It is because of statements and actions similar to this that the Muslim Brotherhood is often looked at as a terrorist organization or at the very least an inspiration for terrorists. Due to its wide ranging, and powerful influence, the Brotherhoods beliefs and goals can have very profound effects on the surrounding world.
For all of the above described sympathy towards terrorist groups and at times radical statements from the Muslim Brotherhood, the fact is, is that, at least on the surface, they are a peaceful, democratic organization. Although unable to run in Egyptian elections as a party, representatives from the Muslim Brotherhood run as independents and often win many seats in the Egyptian parliament. On their website, the Brotherhood has many articles and columns supporting their stance of peace, tolerance, and the democratic process. One article entitled “Islam is a religion of tolerance, patience, forbearance and peace”, attacks on Egyptian Christians by Muslims were due to “ignorance rather than intolerance on the part of Muslims.” (Qaradawi). An entire section of the MB’s website is dedicated to the differences between the Muslim Brotherhood and Al Qaeda, entitled “MB vs Qaeda”. Simply taking a quick look at articles or statements generated by the Muslim Brotherhood will quickly give the reader the idea that this is not just another radical Islamist groups. The Brotherhood prides itself on being a moderate, forward thinking Islamist groups, that hopes to accomplish many of the same goals as terrorist groups, however without the violent acts. In fact, if not put in context, many of their statements could seemingly be the statement of any political party in the Western world; for example, in an article written on the difference between the MB and Al-Qaeda the Brotherhood states “they [Muslim Brotherhood] seek constitutional reform and equality for all citizens and for all religions in rights and responsibilities.” (Bishara). In brief, ignoring Islamist positions and goals, and its situation as banned organization in Egypt, many of the actions and statements of the MB support the argument that the Brotherhood is indeed a democratic and peaceful organization, like any other Western political party.
The Muslim Brotherhood is arguably, the most important and influential moderate Islamist organization in the world. They seek many of the same goals as radical terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda do, however approach them in a very different way. Having long abandoned violent and guerilla techniques to achieve their goals, they approach the world in a modern, democratic way. However, it is often difficult to ignore radical undertones and actions by members of the Brotherhood. It must be noted that members who founded radical groups, have done so more often than not after they have left the Brotherhood. Many find the MB as too restrictive and not active, violent, enough to reach their goals. On the other hand, with a new, democratic political system in place in Egpyt, it seems more likely than ever that the Muslim Brotherhood will make serious in roads to changing their government for the better, in their eyes. It cannot be argued that the MB is an Islamist organization, however it must be stressed that it is a moderate Islamist organization; and although many members go on to be actively involved in terrorist and radical groups, they have received inspiration but not direction to do this from the Brotherhood. However they hope to achieve it, the Brotherhood’s goal is and always has been “not to modernize Islam, but to stamp the authority of the Islamic faith on modernity”. (Abdo).
Abdo, Geneive. No God but God: Egypt and the Triumph of Islam. New York: Oxford UP, 2000. Print.
Akran, Mohamed. "General Strategic Goal for the Group in North America." Investigative Project on Terrorism. Web. 22 Mar. 2010.
"Al Jazeera English - GENERAL - A Nation in Waiting." Al Jazeera English - AJE. Web. 23 Mar. 2010.
Bishara, Marwan. Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website. Web. 23 Mar. 2010.
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