Why Egypt matters...

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World A Guide to Our Recent Posts on Understanding Egypt

Posted on February 7, 2011 at 7:03am by Jonathon M. Seidl

Recently, we posted a series of stories and blog posts about the Egypt conflict featuring guest contributors. This story is meant to be a one-stop-shop of sorts for that recent coverage. As such, it will be updated. Below you will find excerpts and links to the stories.

“Understanding Egypt: What Is a Caliphate?” by Bill Tucker

“Sometimes a word, like a faded Hollywood starlet, makes a surprising return to the spotlight … and so it is for caliphate.  The word owes its renewed popularity to Glenn Beck, who first raised the possibility of a new caliphate on his Fox television show.  Suddenly, the word went from relative obscurity to become one of Google’s most searched words, as revolution erupted in Egypt and the world began to wonder what would emerge from the anger in Egypt’s streets.”

“Understanding Egypt: Islamic Socialism and the Left” by M. Zuhdi Jasser

“Many have a hard time understanding where the political left in Europe and the United States have common ground with this theo-political Islamist movement. Socialist ideology promotes an oppression of the individual for the collective needs of society and government. Islamist ideology similarly promotes the oppression of the individual for the ‘common good’ of the Islamic state. Both snuff out individual responsibility for tribal collective control.”

“Understanding Egypt: History of the Caliphate (Part One)” by Joel Richardson

“From Muhammad’s death until the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, various Caliphates or dynasties ruled the Islamic world. The most significant Caliphates in historical order were the Rashidun, the Abbasid, the Umayyid, and finally the Ottoman. At times in Muslim history, there have even been rival claimant Caliphs in different parts of the Muslim world. Although the purpose of the Caliphate is to unify all Muslims worldwide, rarely has this genuinely been the case.  Islamists however often downplay this fact and instead portray the first thirteen hundred years of Islam through a highly idealized lens…”

“Understanding Egypt: Making Stone Soup” by Damon Vickers

“We are facing a moment in history that is unlike anything we have seen in our lifetimes. Never before have so many people in so many regions of the world simultaneously beat the drums of revolution. While change is inevitable, what can we do to prepare ourselves? And how might a widespread transition to extremist Islamic rule in the Middle East effect your pocketbook? Your investments? And perhaps the politics here in the United States.”

“Is Egypt‘s Really Obama’s to Lose?” by S.E. Cupp

“Obama’s foreign policy is predicated on a belief in the real power of soft diplomacy, the unclenching of fists, and the oratorical equivalent of a hug. And when it comes to the Middle East, he is careful not to make too many demands (unless, of course, you were hoping to build some apartment buildings in East Jerusalem, in which case, he’d really rather you didn’t.)” Read more at www.theblaze.com

 

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Glenn Beck's Warning... Listen.

Amplify’d from www.theblaze.com

Egypt Understanding Egypt: What Is a Caliphate?

Caliphate.

Sometimes a word, like a faded Hollywood starlet, makes a surprising return to the spotlight … and so it is for caliphate.  The word owes its renewed popularity to Glenn Beck, who first raised the possibility of a new caliphate on his Fox television show.  Suddenly, the word went from relative obscurity to become one of Google’s most searched words, as revolution erupted in Egypt and the world began to wonder what would emerge from the anger in Egypt’s streets.

One possibility is … a caliphate.

Simply, a caliphate is a form of government.  More precisely, it is an Islamic state that draws its authority from, and is based upon, Sharia law. Get used to hearing the word; it is the form of government advocated by the Muslim Brotherhood.

What exactly a caliphate looks like depends on whether you are a Sunni or a Shia Muslim.  Sunnis believe a caliphate should be a constitutional republic, whose leaders are elected by Muslims.  Shias believe the head of state is divinely chosen via a lineage of religious clerics called Imams.  Within Egypt, Sunnis outnumber Shias.

Those who dismiss the idea of a caliphate in Egypt are discounting the country’s history.  Egypt is hardly a stranger to such a form of government; it was part of the Ottoman Empire from the early 16th century until in the late 19th century.  The Ottoman Empire was the last great caliphate. It didn’t transition to a secular government model until 1924.

With almost four hundred years of history as a caliphate, it’s not surprising then that Egypt’s penal code is written and based upon Islamic law.  Perhaps this is to be expected in a country where an estimated 90% of the people are Muslim.  What is surprising is that Egypt’s government is, or at least has been, a secular model.   But will it remain so?

Given the country’s history and the religion of the overwhelming majority of its people, the stage may be set for the return of a caliphate, rising out of the present turmoil.  And what that means to you probably depends on who you are.  A caliphate may sound fine if you are Muslim.  It might chaff a little if you’re not.  Christians and Jews were treated as second-class citizens under the Ottoman Empire. Certainly to the American mind, raised to believe in the “wall of separation between church and state” as articulated by Thomas Jefferson, a caliphate is an anathema.

If the possibility of a caliphate in Egypt sounds improbable, consider these facts:  Egypt’s current government is in collapse, the largest and most organized opposition, the Muslim Brotherhood, champions Islamic law and Egypt was once part of a caliphate.

It never works out well to ignore history or facts.  The dramatic changes in Egypt cannot be denied nor can the implications for the entire region.  An improbable word has made a comeback. The government it represents might not be so far behind. Read more at www.theblaze.com

 

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Like this is a surprise....

Amplify’d from www.wnd.com

FROM WND'S JERUSALEM BUREAU Soros fingerprints on Mideast chaos Billionaire tied to opposition leader, funded groups opposing U.S. allies

By Aaron Klein

JERUSALEM – Philanthropist billionaire George Soros has funded opposition organizations in Egypt and throughout the Middle East, where anti-regime chaos has already toppled the pro-Western leader of Tunisia and is threatening the rule of President Hosni Mubarak, a key U.S. ally.

Mohamed ElBaradei, one of the main opposition leaders in Egypt, has also sat on the board of an international "crisis management" group alongside Soros and other personalities who champion dialogue with Hamas, a violent offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Brotherhood, which seeks to spread Islam around the world in part by first creating an Islamic caliphate in Egypt, now backs ElBaradai, who has defended the group in the news media the last few weeks.

ElBaradei suspended his board membership in the International Crisis Group, or ICG last week, after he returned to Egypt to lead the anti-Mubarak protests.

Soros is one of eight members of the ICG executive committee.

U.S. board members include Zbigniew Brzezinski, who was national security adviser to Jimmy Carter; Samuel Berger, who was Bill Clinton's national security adviser; and retired U.S. ambassador Thomas Pickering, who made headlines in 2009 after meeting with Hamas leaders and calling for the U.S. to open ties to the Islamist group.

Another ICG member is Robert Malley, a former adviser to Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign who resigned after it was exposed he had communicated with Hamas. WND first reported Malley had long petitioned for dialogue with Hamas.

The ICG defines itself as an "independent, non-profit, multinational organization, with 100 staff members on five continents, working through field-based analysis and high-level advocacy to prevent and resolve deadly conflict."

Soros also has other ties to opposition groups in the Middle East.

His Open Society Institute's Middle East and North Africa Initiative has provided numerous grants to a wide range of projects that promote so-called democratic issues across the region, including in Egypt, where the Muslim Brotherhood stands to gain from any future election.

Soros' Open Society also funded the main opposition voice in Tunisia, Radio Kalima, which championed the riots there that led to the ouster of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

In September, Soros' group was looking to expand its operations in Egypt by hiring a new project manager for its Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, which is run in partnership with the Open Society Justice Initiative. The group is seeking to develop a national network of legal empowerment actors for referral of public-interest law cases. Such organizations in the past have helped represent Muslim Brotherhood leaders seeking election or more authority in the country.

Soros himself on Friday made public statements in support of the protests in Egypt, which the Mubarak government has warned will result in the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in the country.

In a Washington Post editorial entitled, "Why Obama Has to Get Egypt Right," Soros recognized that if free elections were held in Egypt, "the Brotherhood is bound to emerge as a major political force, though it is far from assured of a majority."

He stated the U.S. has "much to gain by moving out in front and siding with the public demand for dignity and democracy" in Egypt.

He claimed the "Muslim Brotherhood's cooperation with Mohamed ElBaradei … is a hopeful sign that it intends to play a constructive role in a democratic political system."

Soros did not mention his ties to ElBaradei.

Soros did, however, single out Israel as "the main stumbling block" in paving the way toward transition in the Middle East.

"In reality, Israel has as much to gain from the spread of democracy in the Middle East as the United States has. But Israel is unlikely to recognize its own best interests because the change is too sudden and carries too many risks," he wrote.

The information comes as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today tentatively welcomed Muslim Brotherhood involvement in the next Egyptian elections, saying Washington would "wait and see" how talks develop. "Today we learned the Muslim Brotherhood decided to participate, which suggests they at least are now involved in the dialogue that we have encouraged," Clinton told National Public Radio from Germany. "We're going to wait and see how this develops, but we've been very clear about what we expect." "The Egyptian people are looking for an orderly transition that can lead to free and fair elections. That is what the United States has consistently supported," said Clinton. "The people themselves, and leaders of various groups ... will ultimately determine if it is or not meeting their needs." She added: "I want to make very clear we have set forth the principles we support. We are adamant about no violence. "We want to see peaceful protests that are, so far anyway, embodying the aspirations that are in our view very legitimate. "And we want to see an orderly, expeditious transition." Read more at www.wnd.com

 

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From the "Do as I say, not as I do" department...

Here's the "healthy" menu at Michelle Obama's Super Bowl Party.

Amplify’d from whitehouse.blogs.cnn.com

Menu for White House Super Bowl party

Bratwurst Kielbasa Cheeseburgers Deep Dish Pizza Buffalo Wings German Potato Salad Twice Baked Potatoes Snyders Potato Chips and Pretzels Chips and Dips Salad Ice Cream Beverages including the following beers: Hinterland Pale Ale & Amber Ale (Wisconsin), Yuengling Lager and Light (Pennsylvania), White House Honey Ale. Read more at whitehouse.blogs.cnn.com

 

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