Islamist factions have won big in Egypt’s first round of parliamentary elections. One man, one vote, etc. Democracy In Action. But the real question is whether this is to be “one time”?
From the NY Times:
Islamists claimed a decisive victory on Wednesday as early election results put them on track to win a dominant majority in Egypt’s first Parliament since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, the most significant step yet in the religious movement’s rise since the start of the Arab Spring.
The party formed by the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s mainstream Islamist group, appeared to have taken about 40 percent of the vote, as expected. But a big surprise was the strong showing of ultraconservative Islamists, called Salafis, many of whom see most popular entertainment as sinful and reject women’s participation in voting or public life…
The unexpected rise of a strong ultraconservative Islamist faction to the right of the Brotherhood is likely to shift Egypt’s cultural and political center of gravity to the right as well.
Such an event could only be “unexpected” only for those whose expectations included unicorns and faeries, in the lands where dreams go to die.
To quote Fight Club, I’m Jack’s total lack of surprise. Just check out that Mark Steyn photo montage of the University of Cairo where the women disappear more and more behind veils in the past 40 years and see all of the attacks on Copts to read the tea leaves there. A whole big, stinking pot of not good. But hey, democracy in action!
But have you seen how many candidates there are? :0
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15914250
Al Qeada traces it’s roots back to Egypt. As much as the Mubarak regime was bad on too many fronts, they were able to keep things balanced enough to allow some enlightenment to reach the masses…I spent a significant amount of time there and was in Cairo on 09/11/01.
The majority of Egyptians were horrified as 80% of their economy is tied to tourism. 09/11 was a bad day for them also as tourists stop coming to see the Pyramids. If the hard right factions take a hold, tourist $ will go away, impoverishing more citizens and limiting investment…..
Egypt will either forge ahead and continue a path to a better future or join the repressive brotherhood of countries where things like female drivers are not seen….there is no middle ground I’m afraid…..if they can model themselves along the lines of Dubai, they might actually succeed….
Just like Israel–gotten more conservatve over time with small orthodox parties having more power (look how Israeli women are treated by orthodox). Anyway this probably reflects an unrigged election–I worry for the coptics long term.
The Copts are in trouble, as are all Christians in the ME.
The one good side of this that the Egyptians have chosen their own path. It may not be a good one, but they have no one to blame but themselves. Not that that will stop them.
To paraphrase Heinlein’s future history; “America elected Nehamiah Scudder, and gave birth to its first fundamentalist theocracy. It would be the last election for many years.”