The Muslim Brotherhood is becoming more engaged in the political scene, abandoning its traditional reticence on issues of political reform, writes Amr El-Choubaki* For a change the Muslim Brotherhood has things to say beyond its familiar calls for the implementation of Islamic law, respect of all citizens and government through consultation. They had, until very recently, towed their usual line -- skipping over details and preferring generalisations. Even today, when any specific point is addressed, the Brotherhood is likely to tie itself into self-contradictory knots. Those following the Brotherhood discourse are aware that they have back- pedalled on more than one occasion recently. First they advised the nation to obey President Hosni Mubarak, for the powers that be must not be challenged. Then some of its members came out against a renewal of the Mubarak presidency for another term and organised marches of protest. Soon they were shifting again, this time towards the middle, supporting the election of either President Mubarak or his son Gamal in exchange for genuine political reform. Despite the Brotherhood's desire to enter the public arena, the group remains in political limbo. Legally speaking, the group is banned. Practically, they are the country's largest opposition group, with ample clout in syndicates and student unions. The Brotherhood commands the largest opposition block in the People's Assembly and has succeeded in mobilising large crowds in demonstrations calling for political reform. Their slogans remain a mishmash of religion and politics with supporters raising Quran along with political banners in recent marches. The government appears as confused as the Brotherhood. Both have a problem with politics. Whenever the group is inconvenienced by political or security restrictions it draws its head within its religious shell, disclaims any political ambition and pretends that power is not its goal. In distress they claim the only thing they seek is for Egyptians, government and nation, to follow the tenets of Islam. Once the security grip is loosened, the group bares its political teeth again. It engages in organised politics. Without delay their ability to mobilise puts it ahead of both government and opposition. The ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) refuses to compete on a level playing field with any political grouping. It is happy to hold a dialogue with opposition parties that share its outmoded ways of thinking, its obsolete manner of operation. The NDP is even happy talking to parties that exist only on paper -- with a licence to operate but no followers worth mentioning. The Brotherhood is edging towards becoming a political party with a Muslim agenda. To do so, though, the group has to commit itself to democratic rules and must stop differentiating between citizens on the basis of sex or creed. They need to state unequivocally that they are committed to a civic discourse and therefore accept criticism and dissent. They need to see themselves as part of the political movement and not as standing on a pedestal. Its only possible mandate must come from the Egyptian people. The Brotherhood is not helped by a befuddled discourse blending Islamic quotations with moral propaganda and then throwing in a dose of democracy and reform for good measure. Its ambiguity towards the powers that be is disturbing. The group surprised everyone by backing government candidates during recent elections at the Bar Association and the Press Syndicate. An admission by the group that it is a political group with political ambitions will take it at least half way towards becoming a political party -- with respect for the constitution, the republican system and democratic principles and human rights. They will compete with other political forces and will have to abandon the pretence that they are living in a divine and exclusive world. Just because Islam is popular in Egypt does not mean that people will be lenient with the Brotherhood. Many find what they did, and are still doing, at the Bar Association inexcusable. Some imagine the government is suppressing the group because it is an Islamic group. This is not true. The government is repressing the Brotherhood for the same reason it suppresses any other politically valid group. The government does not want competition, because it cannot cope with democracy. The integration of the Brotherhood in Egypt's political scene must begin with its being accepted as a legitimate political party -- a first step towards reform, testing the ability of other political forces to compete with the group. A fair and efficient government has no need to repress any political group. The government's task is to create the right political -- not security -- climate for free political activity and fair elections. Only this will energise the nation and release its latent potential. * The writer is an analyst at the Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies.
