generalspeaking

Egypt's Democracy Outcome...?

Egyptians - despite the apprehensions that people eligible to vote in the first elections assumed to be legitimately democratic and not stage-managed as they have historically been in an effort to appear 'fair and just', while manipulating the vote to result in a resounding (and wholly anticipated) victory for the ruling regime - are resolutely turning out in great numbers. The first round of votes took place in Cairo.

It's estimated that 50-million Egyptians are eligible to vote, including roughly eight million living abroad - if they have the proper enabling certification. Most eligible Egyptian voters are Muslim, while a minority proportion - anywhere from ten to 20%, are Coptic Christians. And they have lined up, patiently, and fully engaged in the process, to have their vote count for something. What it will, in the end, count for, is the question.

Political parties of various ideological stripes have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain, since the downfall of Hosni Mubarak and the promise of forthcoming elections. None of these various parties are really organized, nor were they capable of communicating their platform adequately, with the exception of the Muslim Brotherhood and their Salafist counterparts, who have had a long struggle in Egypt for legitimacy.

But they have done their work well, illegal or semi-legal, in infiltrating Egyptian society at the street level, while organizing themselves into a formidable underground political party whose ethos is fundamental Islamism. Of course, although the Muslim Brotherhood had its inception in Egypt in the 1920s, it has worked diligently to gain entrance and legitimacy as a movement to be reckoned with, throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, (Infidel!) for one, carefully and in detail wrote about their surge of influence in her native country, Somalia, and even in Kenya, among expatriate Muslims, where Christians are in the majority. They gained a reputation of trust; where corruption reigned supreme everywhere, anything the Muslim Brotherhood was involved in, banking, health care, social services, was seen to be above reproach.

And they built upon the already existent mistrust of Muslims regarding the infidels around the world, but mostly the despised Jews, whom they were urgently exhorted to hate even more and avoid at all costs having any truck with, and with Christians. And this brings us back to Egypt's own Christians, the Copts, who have a history in the country that far outstrips that of Islam.

A large community spread all over the country, with historic churches and a heritage of being among the original ancient Christian sects in the Middle-East-cradle of Christianity, faithful to their beliefs. The community has seen increased levels of conflict between the majority Muslims and minority Christians, as their houses of worship have been attacked, set on fire, and worshippers murdered.

Conflict between Muslims and Christians is not universal in Egypt, there exist many Muslims who respect and honour their Christian counterparts. But as the Salafists and the Muslim Brotherhood gain in strength and popularity and the prospect of their finally finding a voice of authority in government increases, Egypt's Christian Copts know that their future in their country is more fraught with danger than ever before.

"Some in the Brotherhood and some Salafis do not properly understand the Koran. They want to use religion to abuse people. They oppose freedom. When they see a woman uncovered, as Christian women are, they tell her to cover her head when it is none of their business." Now that's a generous, Christian view of the future, is it not?

Just as Jews have reason to be deeply concerned respecting the outcome of the vote, its final tally, and the resulting makeup of the new Egyptian government, so too do its Christians. They might consider seeking haven in Israel, if it was not a majority-Jewish country, had more geography to be generous with, and was not as it is, busy with other Muslim and Christian seekers-after-security.

Labels: Egypt, Islamism, Political Realities

posted by Pieface @ Monday, November 28, 2011