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| Africa North |
| No Alliance With Ultraconservatives, Islamist Party Says |
| 2011-12-02 |
| The Muslim Brotherhood's political arm on Thursday distanced itself from a more conservative Islamist party as early vote tallies indicated that the two factions would claim the two largest roles in the first Parliament elected since the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. Responding to reports that the two Islamist parties together could form a majority of the new Parliament, the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party denied that there was any "alleged alliance" with the ultraconservative party, Al Nour, to form "an Islamist government." Al Nour is not 'conservative'. Al Nour is Islamicist and fascist. The statement appeared to be aimed at quieting the anxiety of Egyptian liberals and Western governments about the unexpectedly large share of the vote apparently won by Al Nour, which was formed by the ultraconservative Islamists known as Salafis. It also reflected the fine line that the Muslim Brotherhood is walking as it tries to hold together its most ardent Islamist supporters in the streets without provoking a backlash at home or internationally. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #4 Erdogan's party started out claiming to be moderate Islamists, too... For that matter, electing Hamas was supposed to moderate them because they would have to compromise their principles in order to govern effectively. We've seen how well that worked. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2011-12-02 14:26 |
| #3 They have a long history of spawning - and funnelling people, money, other support to - more radical groups while keeping the main brand name 'moderate'. |
| Posted by: lotp 2011-12-02 13:52 |
| #2 I'm expecting them to start out moderate and slowly become Hamas. |
| Posted by: Fred 2011-12-02 12:28 |
| #1 One thing I will say about the MB, is that they certainly know how to be diplomatic. This in its own right indicates that they are pragmatic and smart enough to "do business", without going the Salafist or Wahhabi route. Hopefully they will form a government with the secular party, so that the emphasis is on improving the economy, public services and infrastructure, "and we'll worry about the other stuff later." |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2011-12-02 11:08 |