The Sixth Caliphate
Egyptians have yet to go to the polls. But the interim military government has set about drafting new constitutional principles in advance of the planned three-stage parliamentary election, to begin on November 28. This initiative, on constitutional principles which appear to hugely benefit the ruling military, screening its budget from parliamentary oversight, has angered the Muslim Brotherhood."The cabinet is clinging on to undemocratic articles, so we have no choice but to stage a million person march to defend democracy on Friday", the Muslim Brotherhood has warned. The rebellion that began as a loose coalition of civil groups representing young, unemployed Egyptians, university students, working-class underdogs and Christians and Muslims alike, has now been re-structured to benefit the organized, Islamist Muslim Brotherhood.
Why is this no surprise? Islamism is on the march all over the Middle East and the world of Islam. What is thought of as moderate Islam has been gradually and inevitably shunted aside. In Tunisia the Islamist politician most likely to represent as the first democratically elected prime minister appears to regard himself as a vanguard leader in a new kind of political/religious structure.
"My brothers", announced Hamadi Jbeli, secretary-general of Ennahda, which bills itself as the moderate Islamist party, "you are at a historic moment in a new cycle of civilization. God willing. We are in sixth caliphate. God willing." It remains to be seen whether God will be willing, but if the Islamist groups have any say in the matter, He surely will be.
The issue of democracy is paramount everywhere, now, giving an air of legitimacy to the ascension of Islamist parties to governance. Iran prides itself on being a democracy. Saudi Arabia requires no such nonsensical notions in an oil-rich kingdom, nor do its Gulf State peers. In the Palestinian Territories, however, Hamas achieved legitimacy by dominating the polls.
In Lebanon, where Sunni, Shia, Christians, Kurds and Arabs have been at violent tenterhooks with one another for decades, where bombing and assassination is the order of the day, Hezbollah, a creature of Iran, is manifestly in control of the Lebanese parliament. That is to say, its political wing; its military wing is a power unto itself, dominating the weaker, poorer-armed state military.
The die is cast; for obviously Allah has thrown the dice and admired their landing in favour of strengthened, heritage-issue Islamism, boasting full Sharia law.
Labels: Africa, Islamism, Middle East
posted by Pieface @ Thursday, November 17, 2011
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