Egypt, after 60 years Muslim Brotherhood party admitted to elections

Out of the chaos of the Arab Spring, the Muslim Brotherhood is rising like the Phoenix.  Only a few weeks ago, the Brotherhood denied any political ambitions can now garner perhaps half the vote in Egypt. Now sporting a new front, the ironically named Justice and Freedom Party, they are on course for a landslide in the September elections.  Once in power in Egypt, they will become the center of Islamic radicalism in the Arab world.

With al Qaeda in the wings in Libya and Yemen, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah becoming more belligerent by the day the Middle East is a tinderbox of instability and uncertainty.  The Saudis and UAE must be looking over their shoulders at their unhappy populations and wondering when their worlds will fall apart.

All in all, 2011 looks like the year of the Islamic Radical in the Middle East.  One can only guess what effects all the turmoil will have on the rest of the world, but whatever happens, it cannot bode well for peace and prosperity.


FROM ASIANEWS.IT:
Egypt, after 60 years Muslim Brotherhood party admitted to elections

Born after the jasmine revolution, Justice and Freedom aims to achieve 50% of the votes in September elections, despite the unfavourable polls. AsiaNews sources emphasize the clever campaign of the Muslim Brotherhood, to date the only ones on television, radio and in newspapers. Concern over Islamist drift of Egypt.

Cairo (AsiaNews) - The Electoral Commission has recognised the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood party, Justice and Freedom. For the first time in 60 years a political party linked to the Islamic movement is allowed take part in political life. Thanks to this acknowledgment, the Muslim Brotherhood will participate in the September elections, with a target of achieving over 50% of the vote, despite criticism and a poor performance in polls.

Founded on April 30, Justice and Freedom is one of four political parties founded by the Islamic movement after the jasmine revolution. AsiaNews sources point out that "the party is still the only political formation that is carrying out a real election campaign, with TV ads, posters, articles, ads on radio and in mosques." "The party – says the source -  is gaining ground and a landslide victory is not to be excluded, even though polls show only 20% of the population in favour of the Muslim Brotherhood."

The source believes that the moderate position taken by the Muslim Brotherhood is just an election ploy. They are using the party in order to present a "clean face" as evidenced by the election of a Coptic Christian as vice president, the absence in the statute or theocratic elements or radical Islamic positions and continual praising references to the Justice and Development, the moderate Islamic party of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan. However, despite claims to liberty and secularism, the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood are still the same. "Their ideology - the source confirms - is inspired by radical Sharia law, which could emerge once parliament has been conquered. And all of this with the backing of the army, which has secretly been aligned to the Islamic movement all along.