But while the Muslim Brotherhood clearly is a force to be reckoned with in deciding which direction Egyptian society may be heading, especially following the forthcoming elections, there are other groups that could be even more dangerous were they able to advance their extremist agendas.
Comments made by a senior member of Egyptian Islamic Jihad, Sheik Adel Shehato, have raised alarm bells for those conscious of its extremist views.
In an interview Aug. 13 with the Egyptian daily Roz Al-Yousef, the sheik said that if the group comes to power, “We still espouse the old jihadi ideology that is today the ideology of Sheik Ayman al-Zawahri, the late Sheik Osama bin Laden and Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi . . . .”
The sheik said that if the Muslims rise to power in Egypt, they will form Muslim battalions to enforce sharia law through “a campaign of Islamic conquest throughout the world.”
When asked what his position would be regarding Christians (Egypt’s Coptic Church represents about 10 per cent of the country’s 77 million inhabitants), the sheik said, “The Christian is free to worship his God in his church, but if the Christians make problems for the Muslims, I will exterminate them.”
The sheik made it clear he opposes democracy, “because it is not the faith of the Muslims, but the faith of the Jews and Christians.”
He added that, “Once Allah’s law is instated, the role of the people will end and Allah will reign supreme.” He said there would be no trade or cultural ties with non-Muslims.
The sheik added, “In Islam, there is no such thing as art. Painting, singing and dancing are forbidden.”
While some might wish to dismiss the sheik’s extremist views as simply those of a minority, his radical approach to what would happen if similarly minded ideologues were to come to power in Egypt cannot be totally ignored. His movement was considered such a threat that upon his return to Egypt from Afghanistan in 1991, he was imprisoned by the now deposed Mubarak regime and only released 20 years later on March 23 following the pro-democracy demonstrations in Egypt.
Although Egyptian Islamic Jihad may remain small in its numbers and support among ordinary Egyptians, its potential to influence events can’t be ignored. Small but extremely dedicated extremist groups have often managed to seize power against larger majorities, as happened, for example, when Lenin seized power in Russia.
The sheik’s views are only one aspect of disturbing trends within Egyptian society. Over the past month, the Egyptian press and media have published or broadcast other radical views that are alarming for those who had been encouraged that pro-democracy and reform-minded groups in Egypt would somehow manage to prevail against extremists in coming days under a new constitution and open and fair democratic elections.
During a live broadcast on Al-Jazeera television on Aug. 26, Egyptian cleric Sallah Sultan called for the Egyptian people to assassinate the Israeli ambassador in Cairo and Zionist tourists.
This is the same cleric who, in 2004, reportedly founded the American Center for Islamic Research in Columbus, Ohio. He also founded the Islamic American University in Southfield, Mich., and owns the Sultan Publishing Co. in Columbus.
So far, the Egyptian authorities do not appear to have placed any restrictions on such statements advocating violence or death against non-Muslim groups or Muslims considered lacking commitment to Islamic values
The Egyptian military, which effectively controls Egypt, has itself shown little interest in stopping what in the western world would be considered promoting racial or religious hatred. Some even suggest the military is knowingly facilitating the agenda of religious groups, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood – something Egypt’s past military leaders have done when it served a useful purpose for their own self-interest.
Whether or not this is true remains to be determined. However, in the meantime, it’s obvious that the continuing access to the media by extremist individuals and groups is a worrisome development, especially for those who have fought to free Egyptian society from repression and to embark their country on the long road toward democracy and respect for fundamental human rights.
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Harry Sterling, a former diplomat, is an Ottawa commentator who frequently writes on Middle East issues. The Calgary Herald
