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Egypt and Islamists

Reader comment on item: Turmoil in Tunisia

Submitted by dhimmi no more (United States), Jan 22, 2011 at 07:52

Thank you Dr. Pipes for a very interesting analysis. I'm not sure that I can agree with your idea of "the push for democratization" is one of the answers.

Democracy pre-supposes secularism (al-3ulmaniyya) which is a dirty word in the Arab world now. However, unless we have secularism we will never have a democracy. It just would not exist and case in point is Egypt where even most moderate Muslims would not want to have a fully secular state. And notice that if secularism is adopted then the Coptic problem will just vanish and poor Egyptians would have more access to education and jobs and health care. It is very alarming to hear from many Copts that if South Sudan can be a new country then why not a Coptic state?

The way I see it in the case of Egypt: It is either Egypt adopts real secularism which I do not see it happening or Islamists would come to power and in the mean time old Christian communities will just vanish as half measures do not work any longer

So what would be the way out here? The only way out as was pointed out by Nasser some 55 years ago that islamists and political islam must be defeated at any cost.

As for islamism as the enemy: It is just amazing how much most Egyptians are in real denial about islamism and the evils of radical Islam and case in point was the reaction to the bombing of the Coptic church in Alexandria and in the editorials and comments made about such tragic incident no Muslim Egyptian (with very few exceptions the likes of Adel Imam) was blaming the teachings of islam and the blame for such tragic incident was attributed to al-sahayinna (the Zionists)!

I do believe what Egypt needs is a new generation of the likes of Sheikh Tahtawi and Abdo and women the likes of Huda Sha3rawi that can work within the system and change it from within

Am I optimistic? Not even close

As for Pakistan; It is our real enemy

Submitting....

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Reader comments (36) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Oxymoronic "Islamists moderates" [181 words]PilarOct 24, 2011 23:24190345
1Turmoil in oppressive totalitarian Apartheid 'Arab world' [130 words]AnaJan 28, 2011 06:28182093
2Countering islamism [38 words]Clifford IshiiJan 23, 2011 14:22181965
4Egypt and Islamists [347 words]dhimmi no moreJan 22, 2011 07:52181949
Agree on enforced secularism, although not sure how long it can last [64 words]Charles MartelJan 25, 2011 12:41181949
4Overrating Tunisia's Islamists [167 words]Nafata BamagujeJan 21, 2011 03:39181932
The US war against Islamism creates strange bedfellows [61 words]RalphSchmalphJan 23, 2011 16:34181932
Deja Vu [106 words]Peter HerzJan 20, 2011 19:01181927
Exodus [104 words]UgriJan 21, 2011 12:10181927
4US is helpless and toothless, [99 words]roadmasterJan 20, 2011 07:31181917
1morocco [76 words]benchahbaJan 19, 2011 14:21181907
1views [89 words]AnnaJan 19, 2011 11:34181903
Pipes Focus [42 words]Michael NutkiewiczJan 19, 2011 10:45181902
Implications of an Islamist Tunisia [429 words]M. ToveyJan 18, 2011 18:28181890
Tunisia a la Iran!!! [85 words]JaladhiJan 18, 2011 16:00181887
Tunisia is not Iran [62 words]PhilippeJan 18, 2011 23:18181887
Good chance Tunisia would follow Iranian example!!! [97 words]JaladhiJan 21, 2011 14:35181887
tunisia a la Iran [273 words]moJan 21, 2011 16:28181887
Turkey [61 words]PhilippeJan 21, 2011 18:44181887
add on [55 words]PhilippeJan 21, 2011 18:49181887
1Mo's Delusion!! [226 words]JaladhiJan 24, 2011 15:58181887
tunisia a la Iran [186 words]moJan 25, 2011 12:35181887
3no point [69 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanJan 25, 2011 20:54181887
No Point [88 words]moJan 27, 2011 13:12181887
3Mo - finding meaning where no meaning exists [194 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanJan 28, 2011 07:00181887
1My Dear Mo [244 words]Seamus Dafydd Dives MacNemiJan 29, 2011 19:08181887
2Misguided USA policy with Moslem countries [355 words]NuritGJan 18, 2011 15:02181886
I thought that Ben Ali had been pushing a more benign Koran interpretation? [68 words]Charles MartelJan 18, 2011 14:37181885
objectıon [99 words]UMIT SOMERJan 18, 2011 09:45181878
Democracy in the Arab world? [36 words]yuval Brandstetter MDJan 18, 2011 08:04181874
1No U.N. Resolution against Israel is enforceable. [214 words]YJ DraimanJan 18, 2011 04:47181871
1Tunisian revolution not unexplained [351 words]Peter ClarkJan 18, 2011 02:36181863
Developments in Tunisia are a welcome news [294 words]GopalJan 18, 2011 02:00181860
Hope you are correct [57 words]Joe Six-PackJan 20, 2011 10:05181860
To Gopal [66 words]Seamus Dafydd Dives MacNemiJan 29, 2011 19:23181860
A problem of context [152 words]Seamus Dafydd Dives MacNemiFeb 5, 2011 22:06181860

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