As the radical Muslim Brotherhood schemes to oust a pro-American despot in Egypt, U.S. pundits have cheered the move as a boon for freedom. This is dangerous pablum.Still more at the link.
The Muslim Brotherhood is in talks with opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei to form a unity government to replace the regime of embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, a U.S. ally.
Pundits on both the left and the right have naively portrayed the Brotherhood — a worldwide jihadist movement based in Cairo — as a pro-democracy force that has "courageously campaigned against the government and for the poor," as a CNN anchor put it. Obama adviser Bruce Riedel, a former CIA officer, argues that the U.S. "should not be afraid of the Muslim Brotherhood." He claims it "renounced violence years ago."
Former Bush spokeswoman Dana Perino chimed in that at least the Brotherhood would pick up the trash and provide basic services for Egyptians. "Don't be afraid of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt," she said on Fox News. "This has nothing to do with religion." In fact, it has everything to do with it. The exiled Brotherhood hates Mubarak because he secularized Egyptian society. The Brotherhood wants to Talibanize it.
In 2007, the Brotherhood drafted a party platform under the banner "Islam is the solution." It called for establishing an undemocratically selected board of religious scholars with the power to veto any legislation passed by the Egyptian Parliament and approved by the president that's not compatible with Islamic law. The platform also called for banning women and Christians from high office.
The spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Sheik Yusuf al-Qaradawi, has argued that secularism "is atheism and a rejection of Islam," and therefore "downright apostasy." He vows the Brotherhood will "conquer America" and has been barred from entering the U.S. due to fatwahs calling for the killing of American troops.
Other facts Americans should know: Mubarak outlawed the Brotherhood because it assassinated his predecessor, Anwar Sadat, and plotted to kill him, too; the Brotherhood gave birth to Hamas and al-Qaida and still finances the terror groups; and Brotherhood alumni include Osama bin Laden, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Ayman al-Zawahiri (who was jailed for the Sadat murder) and blind Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman (who issued a fatwah blessing it).
This is one reason why I updated my position on Egypt: "Analytical Realism: Political Stability in Egypt is Cardinal Israeli Interest." Freedom could bring terror. That's the danger, and good leadership with U.S. backing is going to be essential to the transition from Mubarak. But don't hold your breath on the administration. See Jennifer Rubin, "Obama's Failure of Imagination." And at LAT, "U.S. open to a role for Islamists in new Egypt government." (Via Memeorandum.)
And see the reports at NewsReal Blog, especially Ryan Mauro, "The Muslim Brotherhood’s Mask: Mohammed El-Baradei."