CAIRO - The post-Morsi turmoil should not eclipse the fact that Egypt has a big chance to put its fraught democratic transition back on the right track. A key step to do this is to avoid elbowing any political faction, mainly Islamists, into the cold. A clampdown on leaders from the Muslim Brotherhood, to which Morsi belongs, was not a good sign. Nor was shutting Islamist TV stations despite their hateful incitement of intolerance. Very few liberal voices were raised to condemn this arbitrary step, which has cast aspersions on freedom of expression in the country. Let's remember that among the grave errors made by the Brotherhood upon taking Egypt's helm were to hastily tighten its hold on power and demonise opponents. These practices not only earned the movement more foes, but also exposed its inefficiency and dictatorial leanings. Having waited for more than eight decades to govern Egypt, the Brotherhood abysmally failed to show impressive credentials as Morsi did not keep his promise to be a president of all Egyptians. The situation prompted large numbers of Egyptians to take to the streets on June 30 to demand Morsi step down. It would be self-deceptive for the stunned Brotherhood to play down the potent message sent by the protesters, who turned out to demand Morsi resign and hold early presidential elections. On the other hand, the mainstream opposition, jubilant as it is on Morsi's overthrow, would fool itself if it believed that the protesters showed up en masse in response to opposition leaders' calls. Now that Islamists have been forced out of power, liberals, who are expected to dominate the army-overseen transitional period, have to meticulously examine the Brotherhood's failings and be keen to shun them. The new rulers have to make sincere efforts to initiate an inclusive transition allowing for the participation of Islamists without prejudice. Despite their pallid performance as rulers, Islamists cannot and should not be written off. After all, they have a large following in Egypt. Their engagement in an all-inclusive political process is vital for achieving genuine national reconciliation and sound democracy. If not, the alternative is ominous. Islamists, who cannot be stereotyped into one mould, have a notorious history of working underground and involvement in violence for years. The backlash of the Brotherhood and some radical allies in the wake of Morsi's toppling should not be seen as surprising for at least two reasons. First, they were removed from power at a time when they thought they had got the upper hand and prepared themselves for staying more years in power. Second, the Brotherhood's shocking experience as rulers was its first since the movement was created in 1928. Since banned in 1954, the Brotherhood had been the target of frequent government clampdowns until Hosni Mubarak's ouster more than two years ago. The Brotherhood is haunted by the spectre of being oppressed and jailed again. The detention of senior leaders in the group in the past few days has fuelled Islamists' fears about their future. What Egypt badly needs at present is to shun political reprisal against Islamists. The nation's liberals, who frequently criticized the one-time Islamist rulers' arrogance and political naïveté, are facing a litmus test, the result of which would shape Egypt's future.
