Don't Fear the Muslim Brotherhood

The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is a more democratic movement than many Westerners realize.
Unless the army postpones elections, it looks increasingly likely that the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party will gain considerable influence on the new government, if not win an outright majority, in November. There is a great deal of anxiety in the U.S. about the possibility of an Islamist government in Egypt, which evokes images of a regime run by bearded men spouting vehemently anti-American rhetoric. Not confined to the right end of the political spectrum, this anxiety stems from the failure to make distinctions between violent Islamist groups and peaceful, democratic ones. While it is a given that the United States will have no choice but to engage whatever government comes to power in Egypt, Americans—and the West at large—should keep an open mind about what Egypt under the Muslim Brotherhood's influence might look like.The West fears the possibility of an Islamic state because there are only three examples of Islamic states in modern history―Sudan, Iran, and Afghanistan under the Taliban―and none of them are known for having especially good records of promoting liberal values and rights. (This is, of course, a gross understatement in the case of the Taliban.) Americans fear Islamic governments because they expect them to be replications of these draconian states. Middle Eastern leaders have been more than happy to help perpetuate this fear because it has led to American support for authoritarian regimes.It must be emphasized that none of these Islamic states came to power via democratic channels. It is highly unlikely that any government, Islamist or not, that comes to power through non-democratic means will advocate for liberal values. Islam is not a monolithic religion, and political Islamist movements are correspondingly diverse. In the Egyptian context, a relatively liberal and democratic Islamic state is possible.While it is true that Al Qaeda has roots in the more violent offshoots of the Muslim Brotherhood, today the Brotherhood and Al Qaeda have little in common. The two groups have very different ideas about how Islam should be interpreted, different views of how to enact reform, contrary opinions on the legitimacy of democracy and state boundaries, and, perhaps mostsignificantly, opposing stances regarding violence. The Muslim Brotherhood rejects violence and terrorism with one important exception, noted below.Of course, there are a number of divisions today within the Muslim Brotherhood and there are no doubt extremist elements within the organization. Skeptics argue that the Muslim Brotherhood's seemingly moderate agenda belies much more radical views, and that the group will retreat from its moderate stance once in power. Like most Islamist movements, the Muslim Brotherhood has historically rejected democracy, but in the last couple of decades there has been a decisive shift toward accepting democracy as a legitimate way to enter the political arena. The Muslim Brotherhood may have moved in a more moderate direction due to political calculations, but this does not delegitimize its commitment to democracy. Moderation will make the Brotherhood more successful politically, so assuming that elections become a fixed practice in post-Mubarak Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood will have strong incentives to stay moderate.Though anti-Western sentiment has been a defining characteristic of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Arab Spring has introduced the possibility that the group's relationship with the West will be redefined. American support for Mubarak was a major source of ire for the Muslim Brotherhood, but early in 2011 the United States wisely called for Mubarak to step down. If the Muslim Brotherhood does come to power in Egypt, it may realize it is in Egypt’s best interest to cast the Brotherhood's traditional anti-Western sentiment aside in favor of pragmatism.The Muslim Brotherhood's stance toward Israel will perhaps be the biggest conundrum for the United States, as the Muslim Brotherhood has historically opposed peace with Israel. While the Muslim Brotherhood denounces the violent terrorism of Al Qaeda and other groups, it views violence as a legitimate form of resistance against Israel. This is true of virtually all Islamist movements. Should the Muslim Brotherhood come to power in Egypt, the United States will have to figure out a way to safeguard Israel's protection.Americans should recognize that all Islamist movements are not created equal and that political Islam is not inherently synonymous with jihad. The Muslim Brotherhood has articulated liberal values and a dedication to democracy and political pluralism―even promising to involve all of Egypt’s political orientations in the drafting of the new constitution. Keeping this commitment will only ensure the Brotherhood’s inclusion in Egyptian politics in the future.

Photo courtesy of Kodak Agfa via Flickr.