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Hanging with the Muslim Brotherhood

(Pajamas Media) Michael J. Totten - I just met with a high-ranking member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo while large ongoing demonstrations against Egypt's ruling military junta continue 24 hours a day in Tahrir Square. Every political party in the country is at that square except the Muslim Brotherhood. The range of political opinion right now in Egypt is much wider than it was before. It's politically unrecognizable as the Egypt I knew. The Muslim Brotherhood was the largest and best organized opposition group during Hosni Mubarak's rule, but that was partly a function of it being the only sizeable organization that was semi-tolerated by the regime. Now there are roughly 40 different political parties. The Muslim Brotherhood isn't the only available "protest vote" any more. And the Brotherhood itself is rupturing into relatively moderate and reactionary fragments. The Brothers will no doubt have an impact on regional politics even if they do end up, at the end of the day, smaller (and therefore with a harder core) than they recently were. The interview here with Muslim Brotherhood executive bureau member Esam El-Erian speaks for itself.
2011-07-15 00:00:00
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