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Egypt: What are Muslims saying about religion's role?
By Julia Duin
A protester leads a chant during anti-government rally in Tahrir Square on the morning of January 31, 2011 in central Cairo, Egypt. Protests continued into the seventh day as thousands of people marched to demand the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, after 30 years of ruling the country. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)
With events in Egypt changing by the hour, what are Muslims themselves saying about historical changes there?
For those of us who want something a bit more substantial than Twitter, the pickings (at least in English) are slim.
A few blogs stand out. Check out MuslimMatters.org for this essay from a former Egypt resident on what he hopes will come of the riots. TheAmericanMuslim.org wonders who America will back.
Arsalan Iftikhar, who writes at TheMuslimGuy.com asks if we're seeing "A 'Democracy Renaissance' in the Arab World?" but does not cite any religious elements at work.
AltMuslim's Haroon Moghul writes:
We need to get out of the mindset that sees religious Muslims as antithetical to democracy, and that demands a conflict between Islam and progress. Muslims in the Muslim-majority world are already way beyond these stereotypes, and it's time we get past them, too.
Akram's Razor asks why American coverage of the riots in Egypt seems so dimwitted.
But good Muslim news blogs aren't plentiful. A list of top 10 Muslim blogs provided by Dilshad Ali of Beliefnet revealed a list that was mostly out of date or the links didn't work. The Islamic Society of North America and the Council of American-Islamic Relations had nothing on the Egyptian riots that I could find. Which leads me to believe that the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt are less religious than political and economic.
I got the best information from a staff blog Al Jazeera's English-language site. This is chock-full of photos and chronicles, among other things, how Tahrir Square in central Cairo has become the Tiananmen Square of the Middle East: People vs tanks.
There's been rumbling about the Muslim Brotherhood being behind a lot of this but that claim has not yet been fully teased out in news reports. Some independent analysts say the Muslim Brotherhood is old school and protestors have not adopted it as their cause by a long shot. Thus, events on the street are about regime change, not religious revival.
The biggest fears are coming from the Israeli side of the fence, as in this JJewish Issues Watchdog blog sees the Brotherhood's fingerprints all over the current anarchy in Egypt.
Do you think the events in Tunisia and Egypt are mostly religious in nature? What are the implications if they are --and if they are not?
Julia Duin
| January 31, 2011; 8:12 AM ET Save & Share:
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Posted by: wiki-truth | January 31, 2011 2:13 PM
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I pray for the Egyptian people, that Muslims will not take advantage of this demand for freedom to do anything that will restrict the religious freedom of all.
I pray that Israel will be protected from the fallout.
If I were there in Egypt, I would likely be a protestor also.
Posted by: LoveYahweh1Yahoocom | January 31, 2011 5:16 PM
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This is a historic event of the greatest magnitude. It is the Revolutions of 2011, analogous to the European Revolutions of 1848. Asad is speaking of reform in Syria. No more support for Mubarak is coming from King Abdullah, whom Obama spoke with, and Gaddafi also got the message.
BP is (literally) making other plans to move the oil, as are Conoco-Phillips, and Exxon-Mobile, should transport via the Canal be interrupted.
The people of Egypt have done what we Iranians could not. We could not rid ourselves of the BP Shah, and when we did it was too late.
I pray for the people of Egypt.
Posted by: Farnaz2Mansouri2 | January 31, 2011 9:38 PM
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A 'W i k i - T R U T H' Dispatch: JUST IN:
Note: This INFO is an account of what was said or heard or Extracted from five different Grave-Sites from the "Expired-Protesters" own Bereaved blood-lines, on site, by our Gave-Vine Agents:
iNCAMERA(Opposite Revealtion): 5 separate Dispatches condensed into 1. [Cairo + Alexandria]:
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Cairo: ".... This is to corroborate the theory that there are foreign [Islamic] agents behind these Rebellions. At 5 different Grave Sites [3 in Cairo areas & 2 in Alexander area's] WE heard & witnessed, From 2 Family Members in Cairo, that They have been Promised, at the Grave Sights {By Unknown Approachers; Not Egyptian based on the Arabic used; Maybe Syrian} Compensation for their brave Child's MARTYRDOM in the pro-Islamic Jihad struggle..." AND from 1 Family's Grave sight we heard , what sounded like a Turkish-Arab Family saying, that they was well taken care of for their Loved one's MATRYDOM..." [Similar].
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Alexandria: "... There are Saudi Arabian elements at one of the grave sights of a expired elder woman that thanked them and assured the bereaved that ALLAH and SAudi Arbia build a structure with his name on it..." [Similar]. AND "... There are surely some Iranian or Alqaeda members who promesed this young girls family compensation of $25,000 (Iranian) and that they will Name a Boulevard after her MARTYDOM...." [Similar].
"... FINAL ANALYSES: YES, There are Surely Islamic Elements disguised via Secular Strategy and secular Fronts and Cover-Ups that Perpetrated and orchestrated these Events. It is our Opinion that None Of These are Isolated Events nor that the Left did not know what the right was doing. Well planned and well executed. Note: There are also inside elements (of these Governments) who get payed and do Double dipping or indulge in Moon lighting activities for foregn elements..." [Similar].
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Shame on the EGID/SSIB(Egypt)! Shame On The MOSSAD(Israel)! Shame On The CIA(US)! Shame on the VATICAN (SRS)! Shame on the FSB (Rus)! Shame on DGSE(fr)! Shame On M16(Crown) & CO!
The 'West'is Been Snuckered, again via Ishlami Intel-Agency's; Fools! Ye Yo all been tricked!
All this counter terrorism craparino's and yet, unlike 911, Ye Yo still Did Not Know these (Subsidized Ishlami) Rebellions//Riots/Protests.. was perking-up//being-Ventriloquy'd//Spun///coming etc..! or Did They? It is now Obvious THAT
The Ishlami Ummah's Spy Agency's, a/k/a "ELDERS OF AL TAQIAH" {NOt Elders of ZiONAH} have once again proven that SATAN via Ishlasmi-VersUS can grow their Shlami-Creep & Scare Locally, Neighborly & Internationally! So it is also obvious that The Ishlami Spyy Agencies Are Slicker that the [SECULAR] Western Agencies!? Example:
Sneaky; Turks via NIO/GICTB, GIP (Saud) GSD/MIS (Syria), Ja-el-Mu(Libya), SIU/CIA(Pak), MOIS(Iran), and rogues; ALQAEDA International, Islamic Brotherhood/BurkaHood
Posted by: wiki-truth | February 1, 2011 10:10 AM
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Aegypt's Riots was Scripted & Payed For!!
From Info & Belief; 1/3 of These (Original) "PROTESTERS" have been payed or promised "Check"s (sort of Employment) to gather and snow ball or create via a Multiplier Effect the Other 2/3 or via Multi-Level Marketing, To Pay them Stir Crazy protesters a Share of The "Check." And
it has also come to our attention that those Rioters whom originated or was at the 'Front Lines' and got Killed or Severely Hurt; was Promised Compensation Directly and or to their Beneficiary's.
one of our Grape-Viners insinuated that she thinks that it was an inside job via Foreign Agents from Iraq via the Muqtada Al Sadar's Islamic-Mafioso's from Iraq/Iran Nexis as in collusion with the Global Muslim Brotherhood leadership via Tariq Ramadan.
Note: As Ye might recall that (Unconstitutional 'Secretary Of State') Ex-New York Senator, Hillary Clinton Invited or allowed Islamic Brotherhood Strong Arm/Man TARIQ RAMADAN to attend Speaking engagements into America (and raise Money)?
The Dots are starting to make sense.
Note: our Grave-Viners will inform Us later tonight or morrow of the Exact Source(s) Behind This Attempted Islamic-Overthrow or Secular-Overthrow.