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Change in Egypt will change the region
Mike Huckabee, the conservative former Arkansas governor, this weekend said that he is concerned about Islam's role in Egypt's future. As On Faith panelist Reza Aslan this week noted, Huckabee has also called for Americans to "take this nation back for Christ" and, while running for president in 2008, declared that "what we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards."
In America and in Egypt, should a majority religion inspire political life? How will Islam play a role in the struggles for democracy happening now in Egypt and other parts of the Muslim world?
Allah will not change a condition of a people, until they change themselves
(Quran 13:11).
This is a pivotal moment in the current history of the Arab World. If Egypt is transformed, it will transform the region.
Egypt is the moral and intellectual leader of the Arab world. It sets the cultural and political standards in the region. When Anwar Sadat made peace with Israel, the Arab wars against Israel ended. When Egypt decided to suppress its Islamic movement, the rest of the region followed suit and the Muslim Brotherhood, in spite of its popularity and institutional reach into Arab civil society, remained marginal and powerless. When Egypt decided that Iran was the new enemy of the Arab people, most of the regimes in the area embraced this posture.
Egypt is the key to the Arab world. Its enduring authoritarian regime is the biggest hurdle to democracy and freedom in the region. Saudi Arabia has long been a rival to Egyptian hegemony in the Arab world. But a country that has never fought a war for its people does not truly inspire the Arab imagination. Whatever influence Saudi Arabia has, it has been bought with petro dollars. Egypt on the contrary has been the engine of Arab imagination, its intellectual and political center. If Egypt becomes democratic, democracy will become the norm in the Arab World.
In the past 150 years, we have witnessed four major political trends in the Arab world -- Arab socialism, political Islam, Islamic modernism and Wahabism.
Except Wahabism - an anti-reason, anti-science, anti-democracy, anti-freedom, anti-tolerance, anti-pluralism ideology that originated in Saudi Arabia, the other three Arab intellectual trends have thrived in Egypt.
Arab socialism was a pan-Arab movement that sought to create a unified Arab nation, based on some of the values borrowed from the progressive movements of the 19th century. A combination of populist nationalism and socialism, it eventually degenerated into authoritarianism, as Arab nations failed to unite, failed to defeat their greatest enemy - Zionism - and gradually stagnated on the cultural and economic fronts. Their nominal achievements include the creation of nationalist identities and a rather weak and toothless Arab League. Egypt's second President Jamaal Abdul Nasser (d. 1970) was the key luminary of this movement.
The current spate of uprisings and protests across the Arab World are perhaps the swan song of Arab socialism. If the Mubarak regime falls, other dictatorships will also fall. If Mubarak survives, the Arab world may continue to languish in despair.
Political Islam or the Muslim Brotherhood, a movement that aspires to create Islamic States, the panacea to all Muslim problems, the magic wand that will replace tyranny with harmony and restore Arab glory, is perhaps the biggest and the most institutionally ready alternative to Arab socialism in Egypt today. It will be the biggest player in a democratic Egypt unless all other factions form a coalition to balance it. However their anti-West rhetoric may alienate Egypt from the West and undermine its economic prospects and tourism industry and effectively fail to resolve the problems that trigger the current uprising. If they focus on symbolic goals then they will tear Egypt apart, but if they moderate their rhetoric and focus more on substantive changes - economy, corruption, job creation -- they could become a positive force in Egypt and the region.
The Muslim Brotherhood was slow to join the current uprising and so far is not central to the protests.
There are other groups in Egypt, which are less organized and less influential. There are progressives, old-fashioned Marxists and neoliberals who all desire regime change in Egypt. It is possible that the Egyptian elite that benefited from the Mubarak regime and his current party, The National Democratic Party may reconstitute itself as a nationalist alliance and compete with the Muslim Brotherhood for power. This group maybe more acceptable to the West but it will be tainted by the corruption of the current regime and may not be acceptable to the Egyptian people.
Islamic modernism is an important facet of Egyptian intellectual heritage which experienced its peak during the time of Muhammed Abduh. It combines Islamic values, specially its focus on justice and personal virtue with equality. Islamic modernism seeks to find a path compatible with Islam and democracy, faith and reason, religion and science. Its institutional form in Egyptian politics is the Al Wasat party. It is a bridge between the secularist and the pro-democracy Islamists.
In a free and democratic Egypt, where the youth are aspiring for openness, for global connectivity and for opportunities to fulfill their potential; where the pious still dream of living in a virtuous republic, and the traditionalist hope to find accommodation with the modern and the postmodern, Al Wasat will thrive. It is an option that none will reject outright. The only question remains, can they deliver if given the opportunity?
I am not sure if Egypt will be transformed into a democratic and open society. The possibility that a new strongman will replace the old along with some cosmetic changes is a more likely outcome. But nevertheless Egypt and the Arab World have been presented with a historic opportunity; I pray that they will grasp it firmly.
The Quran suggests that God will not institute change until people themselves change. Systematic change does not come from mere regime changes. Egyptians will have to change their culture, their normative habits and their political concerns to bring about an enduring and beneficial change. Those of us, who wish them well, hope that they will indeed rise to the occasion.
I am reminded of Shakespeare who penned the following words for Brutus but they also speak to the Egyptian people:
There is a tide in the affairs of men Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune... On such a full sea are we now afloat, And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures.Dr. Muqtedar Khan is associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Delaware and fellow of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.
By
Muqtedar Khan
|
January 30, 2011; 12:48 PM ET
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Posted by: webcontent2011 | February 4, 2011 4:43 AM
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Dear Farnaz2mansouri2,
Good Morning(USA e.t.)
A)You say *Hamas(a Zionist organisition,no doubt)*
Dont they(supporters of Hamas) understand this Reality ? Are they so Limited Men that they dont perceive what Hamas is ? Lets suppose Hamas founded by Mossad,why do they still shore Hamas ?
B)Suez Canal.Importance of Suez Canal shouldnt be magnified too much.Only 2-2.5 percent of Oil Shipping pass through Suez Canal.There is Solution if it closed.
C)Child Sex and Sodomity is Middle East Culture,including Iran.
-Founder of Islam had got married with 8-year-old Child Girl,
-Iranian Rumi and Arafat were Sodomite,
-Thai Little Travesties play Saxophone in Gulf Countries,
-Zanne,male belly dancer in Woman Dress is a Historical Tradition in ME,
-Iranian Homeyni certifies that Male(Husband) can have opposite intercourse when woman in menstruation.
I can multiply samples.These are Repulsivenesses of Disgusting Culture in ME,not especially Egypt.
You are insulting Mubarak in Journal Threads.Problem is Machine,Machine,not Mubarak.
-The Machine of Making Human Being Beast,
-The Machine of Creating Terrorists,
-The Machine of Making Sub-Continent Land of Terror,
-The Machine of Desert Rules,
-The Machine which paralyzes Brain that they can not think healty and they can not do Correct Appreciations.
This Machine is the Mother of All Troubles,including Poverty, in Middle East and Sub-Continent.
Chaos,chaos and Poverty shall continue before and after Mubarak in Egypt and Egyptian Nation shall get Poorer.
Core Issue is not Mubarak Man.
Posted by: halozcel2 | February 3, 2011 5:35 AM
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R E X R E A D Y
The Leader of the "911 Hijacker" is/was the all and famous ["Magnificent 19"] Aegyptian "MUHAMMAD ATTA"!
Good Timing:
As an Ex/Retired International Smuggler+ With prongs in 54 Nations; WE [i] Received a "Special[UnderGround]TeleGram" a/k/a "interKITE" which, According to Our Grape-Viner's (eyes & Ears) THAT,
In fact; The SAUDI ARABIAN Elders Of Al TAQIYAH; Had Planned this "Student" Script and being in collusion via None-Students for ths Outbreak/UpRising by PAYING 1/3 of The Students involved (a Month Ago) who was 1st involved (Who Used a "Multi-Level-Promotion (Similar to M.L. Marketing tactics) on Campuses & in Turn Promised Rewards/Money to Those Off Campuses (To Join the GREAT ISHLAMI Distraction: soo Do Not Be Fooled YO) and or Paying Students by BARTER. Imams & Mosques are biggest Agents.
Our Grape-Viners also tell Us that the "TUNISIAN" revolt are separate Phenomena from AEGYPTS uprising. Our Grave-Viner's Tell us that it's dual purpose was
1: To Distract The (KAFIR) World From the recent Islamic IRAQ's mass Murder Of Christians to make people & Media forget; AND
2: To Distract The Mass Murders Of KAFIRS Christians in the Islamic PHARAOH Mother Landa. Note: No Elders Of Xionism was involved.
Oooppss, Theres a 3rd: To Distract The KAFIRS from PAKISTAN Gifting Ready-To-Go Atomic-Bombs delivery to Both SAUDI and TURKEY.
Note: our Handlers also once relayed that this SUNNI (Saudi Tension) VS. SHIA (Iran Tension) phony-act is All a CHARADE to Trick the KAFIR People/Governments/media. Hence "The GREAT DISTRACTION" not Only [Ishlami] Attraction. This is How SATAN Operates. Interestingly: If Ye Yo Know Islamic-Violence-History Ye Yo's will see (forget Probability) the PATTERNS. Every Time Ishlami's Do Crazy Stuff (Distracting Acts) they are always followed (soon) with Other More Distracting Acts.
Soo, The Elders Of Al Taqiyah are Masters Of Distractions and Blame games! Soo, Now Ask : hmmmm WHAT ARE THEY GONNA DO NEXT?
Point: These Riots were PAID For! A Source Of [Deceptive] Employment!!!!!
___
No To Go On a Tangent; But AGYPTIAN(s) Language is not Originally ARABIC, nor Is their Religion Originally Islamic!
___
Recommendation: SPLIT All Of AFRICA thus making a "NORTH" (Islamic) and a "SOUTH" (KAFIR) But Make It a UNITED STATES OF South Africa (Say of 13 States) NOW! Even If Ye Yo Have to Ship Massive Populations over. Separate Islamic North From Kafir South!
ISHLAMI's Cannot Live [Permanently] with KAFIRS! Ship All Xrstians From Aegypt, Iraq et al To Israel's Golan Heights or Other None-Islamic States NOW!
SAVE [Kafir] LIVES! SAVE THE [Kafirs] FUTURE in Afrika NOW! Why Prolong The ISLAMIC-CREEP/SCARE etc..??
Like a NUKE Islam Must Be Disarmed; But It's Too Late!
Posted by: wiki-truth | January 31, 2011 1:18 PM
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wiki-truth aka JJ.
You pollute these threads with your wacky offerings. We scroll and scroll past your comments till we get to a something worth reading. Your posts are not. Nobody reads them.
If you have a message - make it simple. Simplicity is at least readable. Better still - just go away.
Posted by: Rongoklunk | January 31, 2011 11:15 AM
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In ISHLAMite//ESAUite Code; "GOD" is NOt "ALLAH" and "ALLAH" is NOt "GOD"! Wake-Up!
Any "OIC"+ Nation That Uses The Word "ALLAH" (but disguised by using the word 'GOD' (even in their phony Constitutions; a Kafir product) which is a Kafir word and should never be used by ANY Islamic Person or Nation) and Uses the Word "ISLAM" is a PRE-APOCALYPTIC People; they Never can nor ever will be APOCALYPTIC; No Matter how they dress-up the (None Islamic) word DEMOCRACY.
SUMMARY: So, Using the [Kafir] Word "GOD" instead of the [ISLAMic] word "ALLAH" is an insult To Kafir Peoples and Nations!
Example: In Indonesia (Most Populous Islamic people) and now in IRAQ, Have Killed [Kafir] People and persecuted [Kafir] people for Using the Word "ALLAH" (Halal) in Sermons etc when the kafirs shoud use the word "GOD" (Haram) instead. So, the Word "GOD" or "G-D" or G_d or GuD, or G_d lalala Is incompatible (NOt-Same) as their word "ALLAH"
"Allah-Akbar" is not same as speaking "GOD-Akbar". in fact, they both sound and mean two different Deity's in the minds of their Elders and followers of "AL TAQIYAH" ummah. Soo, DO NOT BE FOOLED 'KAFIR'S (Xrstians, Hindu's, Buddhists et al, includes Jews, Goys & Gentiles..)!
_
Interestingly; Please see AEGYPT's CONSTITUTION (during Sadat; 1980) @
CONSTITUTIONAL PROCLAMATION:
preamble: [We, the Egyptian people, in the name of ALLAH and by His (OSIRIS?) assistance, pledge indefinitely... ]
FOURTH: [We, the people of Egypt.. and faith in all national and international... and in acknowledgment of ALLAH's right and His (Osiris? a MAN?) Heavenly Messages?, and in the right of the country and nation]
Article 2
[Islam is the religion of the state and Arabic its official language.
Islamic jurisprudence is the principal source of legislation]
Article 11
[The State shall guarantee the proper coordination between the duties of woman towards the family .... and .. without violation of the rules of Islamic jurisprudence.]
Article 79
[... "I [PHARAOH] swear by Almighty ALLAH (Osiris, a MAN) to uphold the Republican system with loyality, to respect... and to safeguard the independence and territorial integrity of the motherland"]
Article 90
["I swear by [ALLAH] Almighty, that I shall preserve the safety of the nation and the Republican regime [Dictatorship]..."]
___
Breaking News: CHINA's Big-ISRAEL, PAKISTAN, The VANGUARD OF ISLAM: "... have more than 110 deployed weapons in a sharp jump from an estimated 30-80 weapons fours years ago, 'Washington Post' has reported." [Secret: GCC//SAUDI's & Ummah has NUKES already: FOOLS!] THEN
LET PAKi's EAT URANIUM/PLUTONIUM! AND Let the "OIC"+ Brotherhood/Burkahood Take care THEM! No more by KAFIR Nations!
_
DEAR MALINDA & BILL GATES et al
Strenghten & Help KAFIRS People//Nations, Never (OIC) "Organisation of the ISHLAMi Conference" Nations/People. Its time!
Posted by: wiki-truth | January 31, 2011 10:12 AM
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For the Muslim brotherhood to run Egypt is a major tragedy for all.
They are infact, the origins of al Queada.
Posted by: rexreddy | January 31, 2011 8:12 AM
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F O O L S!
SAUDI ARABIA and 52+ "OIC"s by Proxy Is Behind ALL//EVERY//ANY of all these Rebellions today! The "Elders of AL TAQIYAH, Not The elders of 'Xionists! Do not Lert The SATANIC LOVERS of Al Taqiah Fool 'US' KAFIRS! Better Not Go Through The Suez, and Isolate All Of "OIC" Nations than to Die because of SuperStupidStitious People.
Note: F--K, I-S-R-A-E-L (never Visit That unForsaken Places/Areas) & Their Ishlami Cousins!! There are Other GODs Country's Not Only Israel et al!
F O O L S!
The "Islamic Brotherhood//Sisterhood'" Via Libya, Turkey, Syria et al art ventriloquy'd behind all this simultaneousnessinity!. NOt a Phenomena!
It is only a Precursor to Destroy Israel or any "AMERICAN-YOKE!
F O O L S!
DON'T Be Fooled!
WE [i] K A F I R S (None Ishlami, None Esaui Ummah) showed and gave them OUR (not Their; They are Too Stupid; Hence a Danger To US Kafirs) T-E-C-H-N-O-L-O-G-Y; NOW
They Want To Use OUR (not Their) Intelligence/Patents/Intellectual Ideas etc.. Against US!
ISLAM is a DISEASE! And Must Be Stopped. Starting With BOTH//Simultaneously by Eradicating Both SAUDI ARABIA {Sunnis Ummah} and IRAN {Shia Ummah} Period! NO EXCEPTIONS!
Our Grand Children Don't need This Crazy ISHLAMi People to Hijack Our FUTURES!
Better Drop Atomic Weapons on Both SAUDI and IRAN Now! Now! TODAY! Not Morrow!
--
PS: Just Kidding. Oye...!
Posted by: wiki-truth | January 30, 2011 9:28 PM
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.
Posted by: wiki-truth | January 30, 2011 9:09 PM
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Egypt's greatest enemy, the greatest enemy of the Middle East, is epitomized by this opportunistic "essayist."
The Muslim Brotherhood, like Mubarak, is terrorist. Arguably, it has more integrity than Mubarak to whom we have given TWO BILLION per year, and paid rent for use of the Suez Canal to the tune of hundreds of millions.
That is our interest in Egypt, the interest of Exxon-Mobile. When Egypt nationalized the Canal, it was France that agitated for war. If the Canal goes, gas prices will skyrocket. Let them.
We cannot repeat the mistake we made in Iran, which resulted in endless suffering, and BP still has not recaptured the oil for which we imposed Shah on a nation.
I have blogged for years here on the miserable Mubarak about whom this opportunistic bigot Khan has been silent.
Mubarak has taken the billions we have given him, the billions given him by Europe and deposited them in Swiss Bank accounts, distributing some to the Oligarchy, and some to the ranking officers. Meanwhile Egypt's poor have been going HUNGRY. Is this the result of "Zionism"?
Per WikiLeaks, Saudi ARabia and Egypt led Qatar, Syria, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, etc., in petitioning Obama to bomb Iran. ARe these Zionist nations?
Saudi ARabia pays off Mubarak; Iran finances the Brotherhood--Zionists? Like all ME nations Egypt is nativist, although perhaps more than most. Unless you have lived in Egypt since time immemorial and are Muslim, Egyptians do not consider you a national. Palestinian Egyptians, therefore, are not considered Egyptian. They are not even second-class citizens. They have been deported for years, cannot attend Egyptian public schools. The plan is to deport the rest when Palestine is formed. This is hardly a secret; it is common knowledge.
Mubarak is no different from any other Egyptian in his distaste for Palestinians, Christians, and, of course, Jews. He does not like pogroms against the Copts, who are terrified today, unless he provokes them. When other entities provoke such pogroms, he tends to ignore them. Egypt's ancient Jewish civilization has been destroyed so his state-sponsored antisemitism doesn't have any immediate consequences. Ironically, Jews and Christians lived in Egypt long before there was Islam. However, they are "foreign."
Since 1973, the US has forced Israel to sell weapons to Egypt, which sells some to Hamas (a Zionist organization, no doubt) so as to make sure Hamas doesn't set foot in Egypt and that no other Palestinians do.
Egypt is the hub of child prostitution in the MIddle East. Rich Saudis and others go there on weekends to frolic with boys. It is also notorious as the best spot for picking up little boy camel jockeys.
Impoverished and desperate, Egypt should not have to be debased by bloggers like Khan.
Posted by: Farnaz2Mansouri2 | January 30, 2011 8:32 PM
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Khan asserts:
“The Quran suggests that God will not institute change until people themselves change.”
Moi:
The Quran also states that all matters are preordained by Allah before creation and are encoded in a tablet that is preserved somewhere in Heaven for all times. That flies in the face of the assumption of a “free will” that the above statements suggests.
Khan:
“Systematic change does not come from mere regime changes. Egyptians will have to change their culture, their normative habits and their political concerns to bring about an enduring and beneficial change.”
Moi:
The dominant Egyptian culture is derived from the teachings of the Quran. It is a religion culture that is mainly concerned with the afterlife and breaks down every issue into whether it is religiously allowed (halal) or religiously prohibited (haram). For Muslims in general to change their culture means to abstain from using their holy texts as a manual for daily living as they are doing now.
Posted by: abrahamhab1 | January 30, 2011 8:17 PM
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pcow
I am agree with this news article body. I think to change the situation Of Egypt's, it is depend now on the people. Egypt is a great Muslim country so that's a time to create Muslim Socialism and Muslim brotherhood.
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