Dr. Mark A. Gabriel
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Gaining Control Through Democracy: The New Strategy of Muslim Brotherhood
As the whole world breathlessly watches events unfolding in the Middle East and North Africa, everyone is wondering whether these revolutions will usher in democracy and human rights, or just a new type of oppression for the people in the form of Islamic states ruling with the cruel, merciless fist of Islamic law.
The German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung took the first step toward answering this question by interviewing Hussein Mahmoud, who is the general secretary of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and was imprisoned three times during Mubarek’s rule for his Muslim Brotherhood involvement. The Muslim Brotherhood is a key factor in understanding what may happen in Egypt, which is the most influential nation in the region. If Egypt falls into the hands of a government based on Islamist philosophy, the whole region will be influenced in that direction.
What did this interview reveal? On the surface, Mr. Mahmoud’s answers implied that Muslim Brotherhood loves democracy and wants to blend in to the new government. However, in this article I want to show you the real meaning behind his words and why Western nations need to be very concerned about the influence of Muslim Brotherhood in the region. At the end of this article, I will describe what could happen in Egypt, based on a similar revolution that occurred in the late 1970s.