Mubarak or the Muslim Brotherhood: who are you rooting for?

[pErvinalia]

So who would you rather see ruling Egypt - the Muslim Brotherhood, or Mubarak and a successor from the military?

So they're the only two options hey Woz?

Would you rather eat dog shit or cat shit?

[Warren Dew]

The muslim brotherhood only got 20% of the vote in the last 'elections' and they were the opposition to a vile dictator, the protesters seem youthful and secular. They came to the protests too late to have any real influence and are just hanging on to the coattails. The police have all but disappeared, the army are neutral for now.

20% isn't bad for a banned party. I certainly don't remember banned parties in the U.S. or the Soviet Union doing better.

It wasn't until the Muslim Brotherhood joined the protests on Friday that the clashes escalated to the point where the police left the streets.

[Gawd]

Israel urges world to curb criticism of Egypt's Mubarak

Israel called on the United States and a number of European countries over the weekend to curb their criticism of President Hosni Mubarak to preserve stability in the region.

Jerusalem seeks to convince its allies that it is in the West's interest to maintain the stability of the Egyptian regime. The diplomatic measures came after statements in Western capitals implying that the United States and European Union supported Mubarak's ouster.

Israeli officials are keeping a low profile on the events in Egypt, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even ordering cabinet members to avoid commenting publicly on the issue.

Senior Israeli officials, however, said that on Saturday night the Foreign Ministry issued a directive to around a dozen key embassies in the United States, Canada, China, Russia and several European countries. The ambassadors were told to stress to their host countries the importance of Egypt's stability. In a special cable, they were told to get this word out as soon as possible.

.....

"The Americans and the Europeans are being pulled along by public opinion and aren't considering their genuine interests," one senior Israeli official said. "Even if they are critical of Mubarak they have to make their friends feel that they're not alone. Jordan and Saudi Arabia see the reactions in the West, how everyone is abandoning Mubarak, and this will have very serious implications.".......

Now I'm really rooting for the Muslim Brotherhood. Just goes to show you that the "Jewish State" doesn't have any morals, they will prop up a dictator on a dime.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/ne ... k-1.340238

[JimC]

Gawd, you should be rooting for the secular, left-leaning elements opposing Mubarak; they will certainly reduce their ties with the US, but are not medievalist, fanatical scum...

[pErvinalia]

I'd just like to point out that it's not an dichotomy like Warren would have us believe. Already we've heard reports that El Baradi is looking like being the chair of a coalition of opposition groups. Doesn't sound like either Mubarak or the Brotherhood are pulling those strings.

[Gawd]

Gawd, you should be rooting for the secular, left-leaning elements opposing Mubarak; they will certainly reduce their ties with the US, but are not medievalist, fanatical scum...

Jim, I don't see any problem with supporting the Muslim Brotherhood. In fact, you should be highly supportive of the Muslim Brotherhood because it is one of the moderate voices and is slandered by American propaganda to make you think otherwise.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_Brotherhood

While studying at university, Osama bin Laden claimed to have been influenced by the religious and political ideas of several professors with strong ties to the Muslim Brotherhood including both Sayyid Qutb and his brother Muhammad Qutb. However, once Al Qaeda was fully organized, it denounced the Muslim Brotherhood's reform through nonviolence and accused them of "betraying the cause of Islam and abandoning their 'jihad' in favour of forming political parties and supporting modern state institutions".

[pErvinalia]

Wasn't it the Muslim Brotherhood who shot up that bus of tourists 10 or 15 years ago?

[Gawd]

Wasn't it the Muslim Brotherhood who shot up that bus of tourists 10 or 15 years ago?

You'll have to be more specific, I've been bombarded by stories of American drones bombing farmers and Israeli settlers gunning down Palestinians.

[pErvinalia]

It's just a memory. It was big at the time. I'll look it up later.

[Seth]

So who would you rather see ruling Egypt - the Muslim Brotherhood, or Mubarak and a successor from the military?

I'm rooting for Moses and the Plagues.

[Warren Dew]

I'd just like to point out that it's not an dichotomy like Warren would have us believe. Already we've heard reports that El Baradi is looking like being the chair of a coalition of opposition groups. Doesn't sound like either Mubarak or the Brotherhood are pulling those strings.

El Baradei may end up leading a coalition of oppostion groups, yes - groups which in total could poll about a quarter of what the Muslim Brotherhood did. The only way he could gain and keep power in Egypt is if the U.S. invaded and kept him there. He's like Chalabi was for Iraq: someone westerners love for having abandoned his country for exile in the west. Somehow, the people who stay behind don't look on that kind of behavior quite as favorably.

[Warren Dew]

Jim, I don't see any problem with supporting the Muslim Brotherhood. In fact, you should be highly supportive of the Muslim Brotherhood because it is one of the moderate voices and is slandered by American propaganda to make you think otherwise.

There's some truth to that. They do favor peaceful means at least nominally. Indeed, if it weren't for scruples like that - plus the lack of a strong outside backer like Hezbollah has in Iran - they'd probably have taken power already.

I suspect the main western objection to the Muslim Brotherhood is that they'd impose Sharia law, though. When westerners say they want "free and fair elections", they don't often mean "free and fair elections even if that results in the election of a government that will impose Islamic religious law."

[pErvinalia]

I'd just like to point out that it's not an dichotomy like Warren would have us believe. Already we've heard reports that El Baradi is looking like being the chair of a coalition of opposition groups. Doesn't sound like either Mubarak or the Brotherhood are pulling those strings.

El Baradei may end up leading a coalition of oppostion groups, yes - groups which in total could poll about a quarter of what the Muslim Brotherhood did. The only way he could gain and keep power in Egypt is if the U.S. invaded and kept him there. He's like Chalabi was for Iraq: someone westerners love for having abandoned his country for exile in the west. Somehow, the people who stay behind don't look on that kind of behavior quite as favorably.

The thing is he's not a puppet of the west like Chalabi was. That's pretty clear from his time at the IAE thingo.

Also, as far as I am aware, the Brotherhood are in with that coalition that is looking to Baradi to head up.

[JimC]

Gawd, you should be rooting for the secular, left-leaning elements opposing Mubarak; they will certainly reduce their ties with the US, but are not medievalist, fanatical scum...

Jim, I don't see any problem with supporting the Muslim Brotherhood. In fact, you should be highly supportive of the Muslim Brotherhood because it is one of the moderate voices and is slandered by American propaganda to make you think otherwise.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_Brotherhood

While studying at university, Osama bin Laden claimed to have been influenced by the religious and political ideas of several professors with strong ties to the Muslim Brotherhood including both Sayyid Qutb and his brother Muhammad Qutb. However, once Al Qaeda was fully organized, it denounced the Muslim Brotherhood's reform through nonviolence and accused them of "betraying the cause of Islam and abandoning their 'jihad' in favour of forming political parties and supporting modern state institutions".

It may have escaped your notice, Gawd, but this is an atheist forum...

So sure, let the Vatican form a party to rule Italy...

[Gawd]

Gawd, you should be rooting for the secular, left-leaning elements opposing Mubarak; they will certainly reduce their ties with the US, but are not medievalist, fanatical scum...

Jim, I don't see any problem with supporting the Muslim Brotherhood. In fact, you should be highly supportive of the Muslim Brotherhood because it is one of the moderate voices and is slandered by American propaganda to make you think otherwise.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_Brotherhood

While studying at university, Osama bin Laden claimed to have been influenced by the religious and political ideas of several professors with strong ties to the Muslim Brotherhood including both Sayyid Qutb and his brother Muhammad Qutb. However, once Al Qaeda was fully organized, it denounced the Muslim Brotherhood's reform through nonviolence and accused them of "betraying the cause of Islam and abandoning their 'jihad' in favour of forming political parties and supporting modern state institutions".

It may have escaped your notice, Gawd, but this is an atheist forum...

So sure, let the Vatican form a party to rule Italy...

Being an atheist does not mean that I'm an anti-religiousite at all costs. In fact, I haven't nailed a Christian or a Jew to a cross in a long time. Does that finally put to rest that you think I'm a Muslim? Considering what we have here, the Muslim Brotherhood is the least evil compared to the USA and Mubarak. You only have a negative emotional perception of the Muslim Brotherhood because you've been brainwashed by Western, aka: American, propaganda.