What started as a protest by average Egyptians crying out for freedom has turned into an international crisis worthy of attention and prayer. Egypt’s crisis has created a ripe opportunity for radical Muslim leadership to co-opt the protest, step into power and gain a stronghold over a mideast nation, and strengthen the presence and influence of radical Muslim ideology worldwide. The ramifications of such a takeover would be far-reaching and profound.
Check out Joel Rosenberg’s ongoing analysis of the events here. From his blog:
“In the past several days, the dynamic of the protests in Egypt has changed rapidly, and not for the better. What started out as a genuine and positive pro-freedom movement is being steadily coopted by the Muslim Brotherhood and other violent and extremist forces. There is now a growing risk that the overthrow of the Mubarak regime could lead either to an authoritarian military regime, or a Radical Islamist regime. We must pray neither scenario comes to pass. The people of Egypt would be further oppressed. The U.S., Israel and the West would be endangered. Bottom line: This is a very complex and fast-moving crisis, and it could get much worse.”
“The leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood (which began in Egypt in the 1920) had initially been caught off guard by sudden and intense rise of the protests and had not been involved in planning or developing these protests. But sensing an opportunity, they decided to move decisively and try to coopt the movement for their own purposes. They mobilized their followers throughout the country and told them to take to the streets.”
All of this creates a tricky foreign policy dilemma for President Obama. Egypt has been an Arab ally for America. Such a breakdown coupled with the rise of radical Muslim leadership in Egypt would only serve to embolden Islamic extremists and other adversaries around the world. Again, Rosenberg clearly summarizes the potential outcome that must be avoided:
“I don’t want to see the Muslim Brotherhood win. For all of Mubarak’s sins, he is not a Radical. He doesn’t want to launch a jihad against the U.S., Israel or the West. He has maintained the peace treaty with Israel. He has worked to counter the Hamas movement in Gaza. He is strongly opposed to the Iranian nuclear weapons program and has worked closely with the West to counter it. The Obama administration needs to be careful to support positive change in Egypt and support human rights there, without cutting the legs out from underneath Mubarak precipitously, the way President Carter did to the Shah of Iran in 1979. The Shah had his many flaws, no question about it. But Carter’s actions helped trigger the Islamic Revolution and led to the rise of the Ayatollah Khomeini, the loss of an American ally, and the rise of a terror-exporting country that has gained in lethality ever since. We dare not make the same mistakes with Egypt.”
Among other serious worldwide concerns as well as concerns for the Egyptian people… can our Muslim-friendly, bow-to-foreign-leaders, let’s-negotiate-with-terrorists President handle this crisis in a way that ultimately protects America and her freedoms? Let’s seriously pray so.
h/t Joel C Rosenberg
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