ME
Times -- Egypt"s political life is being damaged by a clash – now in
its third year – between government forces and the Muslim
Brotherhood. A far better option to the confrontation, a new study
by the prestigious International Crisis Group shows, is to work
toward a long-term goal of integrating the Brothers into the
political mainstream.
The latest report from the ICG examines the no-nonsense, hardline
stance adopted by the ruling National Democratic Party, and the
ambiguous approach the Brotherhood is taking to political
participation.
At a time of political uncertainty around Egypt"s presidential
succession and serious socio-economic unrest, the study offers an
alternative to the current short-term thinking that carries very
uncertain long-term returns.
In a way the very same can be said about two other Islamist
groups in the Middle East: Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.
Perhaps the countries" interests may better be served if the
three groups: the Brotherhood in Egypt, the Islamic Resistance
Movement in Gaza and the Shiite Hezbollah Movement in Lebanon, were
invited to join their governments – assuming they haven"t already
invited themselves, as sometimes happens – to actively participate
in political life.
Better to be battling within the political arena than opposing
from beyond, from where they can cause political paralysis at best,
and at worst mayhem and military takeover, as we have seen in Gaza.
In Egyptian elections in 2005, the Brotherhood scored stronger
than expected by grabbing close to one-fifth if the country"s
parliamentary seats, by running as independents – saying that they
were prevented from running as a party. That success has emboldened
the group to redouble their efforts to contest future political
elections, the ICG report says.
However, the Egyptian government has reacted with mass arrests
throughout the Brotherhood ranks, a response, the ICG points out,
that has only served to discredit Egypt"s electoral democracy and
increase political tension in the country.
By presenting the Muslim Brotherhood as the political boogeyman,
the Egyptian government"s tactics have largely backfired, and in the
process helped the Islamists to consolidate their position.
"By restricting the political field, the regime has assisted a
hybrid organization that is uniquely positioned to evade
restrictions on recognized political parties and work outside a
strict legal framework," states the report.
That being said, the participation of Muslim Brothers, Hezbollah
or Hamas in government does not come worry-free. Again, referring to
the ICG report, among other preoccupations: "Their program"s
distinctly non-democratic and illiberal tone, as well as its
ambiguous pronouncements on the role of women and the place of
religious minorities, is cause for genuine concern."
"Ultimately, the Muslim Brothers are too powerful and too
representative for there to be either stability or genuine
democratization without finding a way to incorporate them", says
Issandr al-Amrani, ICG"s North Africa analyst.
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