Islamists have yielded success in
Egypt in recent years because the country has undergone an extensive social
revolution. Although Egypt has never really been a full-fledged liberal
democracy, it has had a history of a relatively progressive society, beginning
most notably with Gamal Abdel Nasser. He was a strong advocate of
secularism, modernization and uniting Egyptians around Arab values rather than
Muslim values. Although perhaps not as direct and obvious with his vision
for Egypt, Mubarak, who came to power many years later as a critic of strict
Islamic ideals.
When he was deposed, Egypt's
Muslim Brotherhood went from being a prohibited but well-organized group
relatively on sidelines to what is essentially now a political party on the
forefront of Egyptian politics. This group has effectively instigated a “social
revolution” among Egyptian people by convincing them of the need to revert back
to a time of strong Muslim values. Their platform, although very diverse
and constantly changing over time, maintains the need for a strong and evident
role of Islam in Egyptian society and government. It is highly
disputed whether their history of violent acts should deem them a terrorist
organization or whether their work bringing schools and hospitals (similar to
Hezbollah) renders them a social movement which has swept over many countries
in the Middle East. I would argue the latter is what many Egyptians
believe, which is why they effectively support them by turning out to vote.
I also find it interesting that the Muslim Brotherhood has appeared in other countries too, where they hold an entirely different purpose than in Egypt. I think political parties form based on the needs of the people and in order to have any support they must promote what the people, and in many of the countries this includes Islam.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Camille. As noted in my response, The Brotherhood's strategic separation from the Egyptian regime and condemnation of its actions allowed it to amass half of the parliamentary seats in the 2011-2012 election. Political parties and organizations that resonate with the people they intend to serve have better chances of winning elections.
ReplyDeleteI think a very interesting point that you raised, and what Camille and Andrew noted, is the different perceptions of the Muslim Brotherhood itself. Isn't it so strange that in the eyes of Egyptians this organization can help them achieve a better future, but in the eyes of many Westerners this group is considered a terrorist organization? I think this happens a lot in politics; we rally around a group that we think can provide us what we want. I mean that sounds like common sense, but it's almost similar to the election of Donald Trump in a way. Okay, obviously this is kind of a dumb example and I don't think Donald Trump and the Muslim Brotherhood are the same at all, but hear me out. Donald Trump was essentially elected because a lot of Americans felt desperate and hopeless about the future of America. However, many Americans looked at Trump and saw a crazy person who clearly had no idea what he was doing. It's so interesting how, in the world of politics, people can be looking at the same thing, say Donald Trump or the Muslim Brotherhood, and have such different perceptions based on their emotions or past histories.
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