-
Not Super, But Pretty Good
June 18, 2013 | 20 comments
-
Player of the Week
June 12, 2013 | 12 comments
-
Bart Brightman vs. The 50 Ft. Democrats
June 5, 2013 | 5 comments
-
Time for Gawker to Put Up or Shut Up
May 29, 2013 | 27 comments
-
Anyone Still Believe Me?
May 21, 2013 | 38 comments
A Further Perspective
Standing With Whom?
Will the administration crown Egypt’s good with Muslim Brotherhood?
All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the
United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your
oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with
you. Democratic reformers facing repression,
prison, or exile can know: America sees you for who you are: the
future leaders of your free country.
— President
George W. Bush, Second Inaugural
Address, January 20, 2005
No one can deny there are many Egyptians who are standing for their liberty. But for whom in Egypt is America standing? On one hand, President Obama states, “Now, it is not the role of any other country to determine Egypt’s leaders. Only the Egyptian people can do that.” Yet when White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was asked by Jake Tapper of ABC News if the Obama Administration was concerned the Muslim Brotherhood could be elected to take over Egypt in the way Hamas was elected in the Gaza Strip, Gibbs replied, “I think it is clear that increase in democratic representation has to include a whole host of important non-secular actors that give Egypt a strong chance to continue to be the stable and reliable partner that the world sees in the Middle East.”
And who would be the most prominent of these “non-secular actors”? Surely Gibbs was attempting to make a discreet reference to the Muslim Brotherhood. Of course, this doesn’t stop President Obama from trying to downplay their importance as when he told Bill O’Reilly, “I think that the Muslim Brotherhood is one faction in Egypt. They don’t have majority support in Egypt.” But if the Muslim Brotherhood is such a marginal player, then why would Secretary of State Hillary Clinton make a point of welcoming their participation in discussions with the Egyptian government?
If the Obama Administration wants Egypt to have a more representative form of government, it is difficult to comprehend how it will be facilitated with the inclusion of the Muslim Brotherhood. Does the Obama Administration honestly view the Muslim Brotherhood as the future leaders of a free Egypt? Arizona Senator John McCain expressed his concerns about the Muslim Brotherhood in an interview with Der Spiegel:
I think they are a radical group that first of all supports Sharia law; that in itself is anti-democratic — at least as far as women are concerned. They have been involved with other terrorist organizations and I believe that they should be specifically excluded from any transition government.
Let’s also consider the words of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Somali born former Dutch parliamentarian who became the subject of death threats after writing the screenplay for the film Submission, a documentary about the plight of Muslim women. In an op-ed piece for the New York Times, Hirsi Ali states that she was at one time “an adamant member of the Muslim Brotherhood.” Contrary to President Obama’s claims that the Muslim Brotherhood is but one faction in Egypt that does not have majority support, Hirsi Ali argues that secular forces in Egypt are simply not as strong as the Muslim Brotherhood:
One reason is that they are an amalgam of very diverse elements: There are tribal leaders, free-market liberals, socialists, hard-core Marxists and human rights activists. In other words, they lack common ideological glue comparable to the one that the Brotherhood has. And there is a deep-seated fear that opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood, whose aim is to install Shariah once they come to power, will be seen by the masses as a rejection of Islam.
Above all else, the Muslim Brotherhood must be viewed as an anti-American entity. Indeed, it was only last September when the Muslim Brotherhood’s Supreme Guide Muhammad Badi’ called upon his brethren to wage jihad against the United States and Israel. After Badi’s edict, Barry Rubin, Director of Global Research in International Affairs Center, warned of an “increased internal conflict in Egypt, the start of a decade-long struggle for power in the Arabic-speaking world’s most important country.” Rubin also issued this warning for this country:
In August 1996, al-Qaida declared war on America, the West, Christians and Jews. Nobody important paid much attention to this. Almost exactly five years later, September 11 forced them to notice. Let it be said that in September 2010 the Muslim Brotherhood, a group with one hundred times more activists than al-Qaida, issued its declaration of war. What remains is the history of the future.
President Obama says he wants to Egypt to have a representative government. But if the Obama Administration chooses to stand with the Muslim Brotherhood as “an important non-secular actor,” chances are that representative government will not come to pass. There’s also a good chance Egypt could end up with a form of government that is worse than what it has right now. If that happens then there is every reason to believe we would end up with a government in Egypt that is hostile to the United States. Do we want to end up with a regime that has it sights set on our embassy in Cairo? Do we want to end up with regime that aids and abets another terrorist attack on the United States? Do we want an Egyptian regime that seeks to wage war on America?
Assuming the Obama Administration does not want such outcomes in Egypt it would be wise for it to avoid engagement with the Muslim Brotherhood. Unfortunately, the Obama Administration has yet to demonstrate any such wisdom in the Middle East.
About the Author
Aaron Goldstein writes from Boston, Massachusetts.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (23) | Leave a comment
More Articles by Aaron Goldstein
More Articles From A Further Perspective
http://spectator.org/archives/2011/02/08/standing-with-whom
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
Current Issue
- His Reach Exceeded His Grasp
- A World Turned Right Side Up
- Once Upon a Time in the West
SPONSORED LINKS
FLASHBACK TO: 1995
-
Pope Culture
A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
-
Why the GOP Does Not, Like, Totally Suck
Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
-
Dames at Sea
-
In the Absence of Guns
In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
-
The Metaphysical Martini
-
Counting the Costs of Clintonism
The debacle of this president’s administration is both a cause and a symptom of the decline of American values. Unless Congress impeaches him, that decline will go on unchecked. An eminent jurist surveys the damage and assesses the chances for the recovery of our culture.
-
Chuck McHagel
It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
-
The Legacy of Old John and Mother Fresh-Roasted
-
It’s the Best Time of the Year
The American Christmas, like the songs that celebrate it, makes room for everybody under the rainbow. Is that why so many people seem to be hostile to it?
-
The Bush Crack-Up
Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?
Clip of the Day
ADVERTISEMENT
PCC| 2.8.11 @ 6:31AM
So, in other words, since the forces of secular democracy can't or won't compete with these nutters, we should either ban them or bomb them?
Lazy and pathetic, in my opinion.
Ken (Old Texican)| 2.8.11 @ 10:28AM
PCC,
Not lazy and pathetic...prudent and "locked and loaded"!
Kumbayah types like you ushered in WWII.
Your exact words can be found written in 1938
Occam's Tool| 2.8.11 @ 9:43PM
It is best to stop a disease early, before one has to resort to maximum force PCC. Of course, you don't have any kids, do you?
Louis Jenkins| 2.8.11 @ 11:30AM
Numbers wise asking the Muslim Brotherhood to come to the big pow woo is like asking the USA Society of Unwed Fathers to come to the Democratic convention. But dear old Hillary has to be so inclusive she can't leave anyone out. Wouldn't doubt if she included a camel herder in government talks. So they have declared war on the US. Hasn't just about every other nabob over there? Should be more surprised if one of the groups hasn't. Yes, we need to be realistic. We are at war with the Muslims whether we want to be or not.
spinstopper| 2.8.11 @ 1:49PM
we are at war with muslims?? if you are jewish i agree but trying to convince americans that israel's enemies our americas enemies not working anymore, " the motivating factor for the terrorists attacks on america was americas percieved one sided support of israel against the palestinians"....9-11 commission report
Ken (Old Texican)| 2.8.11 @ 3:58PM
spinstopper,
Your inability to write a declarative sentence dooms your trolling to the ignorance bin.
simon templar| 2.8.11 @ 9:13PM
Oh..gee thank you I must have been dreaming the last 40 years..oh gosh...all those millions of US foreign aid dollars to the Palestinians, endless peace talks and summits of every president since Eisenhower, and the last century of Arab hatred of the west before and after the formation of Israel..must have all been a dream. Yeah, dem dam jews..yeah..
Tim the Enchanter| 2.8.11 @ 1:56PM
"Unfortunately, the Obama Administration has yet to demonstrate any such wisdom in the Middle East".
You should have stopped with "wisdom".
John| 2.8.11 @ 8:02PM
An article for stupid racist people. all this alarm about the brotherhood is complete tosh. Saudi is the mist theocratic Islamic kingdom on the earth.it is also Americas closest ally in Me. What america fears is Arab independence. That will now be coming in spades . The revolution will come Saudi next. Then maybe 100 billion dollars stolen from Saudis will be spent more wisely . The Arabs will not look kindly on those who placed obstacles on their freedom. The enemies of the Arabs should start digging for oil. Of course all this is absolute disaster for isreal. And that cheers me up no end.
simon templar| 2.8.11 @ 9:19PM
every once in a while someone like you post a comment out here that is so full of lies. distortions, inaccuracies, and historical revision, it leaves me speechless. It cheers you up that Israel will face disaster. Well, that sums it up.
canuckistani| 2.9.11 @ 12:02PM
What inaccuracies? Saudi is not the antithesis of everything American? Explain.
Occam's Tool| 2.8.11 @ 9:42PM
And it cheers me that Israel has 200 plus nuclear weapons to fry scumbags with to no end, John.
canuckistani| 2.9.11 @ 12:05PM
Not enough to fry them all, and the Mahdis know this.
Jews, by their nurture, decry suicide and are spectacularly adaptable to changing environments - and using the final solution on the camel jockeys would be tantamount to suicide. Won't happen.
skip| 2.9.11 @ 11:10AM
John,
Please clear something up for me.
Do you believe you will get 72, or 77, virgins?
Occam's Tool| 2.10.11 @ 11:18PM
Neither, Skip. It's a 72 year old virgin he will get. (Rim Shot.)
I'm here all week, folks. Remeber to tip your waitress.
Nite| 2.8.11 @ 10:41PM
The Muslim Brotherhood murdered Anwar Sadat and then was banned from Egypt, but apparently has slithered back in. They along with George Soros are behind these protests, obviously wanting to take over. Obama looked like the incompetent President that he actually is. Obama is extremely arrogant telling other Ministers how to run their countries, when he is doing a crappy job here. If radical Islam finds a home there, Israel, the US and the EU will be in a heap of hurt, because they will close the Suez and cut off oil and gas. Obama is too ignorant to understand this issue.
Ret. Marine| 2.9.11 @ 5:42AM
Nite, I believe if you had the belief of " no he is not ignorant of these realities, he is actually a player in all of it" it would make sense for him to be doing the things he is currently doing. Maybe a larger part of his plan for the destruction of our way of life fits somewhere in the future for the caliphate to succeed here. He' not ignorant, not with friends like Khalidi while in college to egg him on with the lies that's typical for the joooo hater he is.
canuckistani| 2.9.11 @ 12:09PM
If you actually know Arabs, and I'm guessing you don't, is that they are second only to Jews in merchant behaviors. They respect power, that's a given, but they respect money even more. Egypt, like any other Arab country, will follow the leader that gives the most do-re-mi to the most people in order to remain in power.
The Suez will remain open no matter who is in charge. No canal = no dollars = a very unhappy proletariat.
shipley130| 2.10.11 @ 7:39PM
Maybe this is the promise he made with the Arab world. According to Al Jazeera, Obama made some promise to them. Makes me wonder what the Israel scramble at the White House was all about last year, when the leader had to leave thru the back door.
Bee Free| 2.10.11 @ 9:43PM
"The U.S. has one final task before the Globalists
finish its collapse and RED China 'eugenics
realism' is brought forward ---and that's to 'bring
in' the recalcitrant Middle East."
-Alan Watt
Cutting Through the Matrix
(online)
UNDENIABLE, ESSENTIAL, TRUE
Reebok | 8.11.11 @ 4:09AM
is good
العاب | 4.11.12 @ 4:39PM
thank you