#1 Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood sets up new party
Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 2:19 pm
BBC
A religious party is acceptable in a democracy, a theocratic party isn't. Some of us may not be able to make the distinction but there is a difference. If the Muslim Brotherhood's party of "Freedom and Justice" can remain at Republican levels of religiousness, I will be shocked and amazed. That's unlikely, as at the risk of starting a flame war, all things considered the actual policies seriously pushed are more about making money then creating a religious society.
At this point the Muslim Brotherhood is the best organized group in Egypt. The younger revolutionaries don't have an organized party (if they even have enough common goals and programs to make one) and Mubarak's party has been dissolved by the military with many of it's leaders under arrest.Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has set up a new party to contest up to half the seats in a parliamentary election scheduled for September.
The head of the Freedom and Justice Party says it will be a civil, not a theocratic, group.
The election follows the removal of President Hosni Mubarak in February after a popular revolt.
The Muslim Brotherhood ran candidates as independents in previous elections, to circumvent a ban on the group.
It has sought to allay fears of an Islamist parliamentary majority, and said it would be willing to co-operate with secular parties.
Mohammed al-Mursi, the head of the new Freedom and Justice Party, told reporters in Cairo: "It is not an Islamist party in the old understanding, it is not theocratic."
Egypt's constitution bans parties based on religion, class or regionalism.
A religious party is acceptable in a democracy, a theocratic party isn't. Some of us may not be able to make the distinction but there is a difference. If the Muslim Brotherhood's party of "Freedom and Justice" can remain at Republican levels of religiousness, I will be shocked and amazed. That's unlikely, as at the risk of starting a flame war, all things considered the actual policies seriously pushed are more about making money then creating a religious society.