69 million page views

Response to my post

Reader comment on item: Turmoil in Egypt
in response to reader comment: What kind of 'Change' - in 'oppressive apartheid Arab world?' - would be a good one?

Submitted by Imad Al-Sukkari (Canada), Feb 5, 2011 at 23:41

I don't believe that you have read my post carefully. The main point I was trying to get at is simply that one cannot predict the outcomes of revolutions. From a historical perspective, revolutions have often produced surprising outcomes to say the least. The French revolution is a good example of this, as the toppling of the monarchy led to the creation of five Republics, in the process leading to the reign of terror. What is unexpected is that the machine behind the current Egyptian revolution is not the Muslim Brotherhood but rather the educated secular youth of Egypt (who by the way, mostly graduated from the American University in Cairo) where Dr. Pipes studied Arabic and Mohammed El Baradei the former UN Chief for the IAEA. The Muslim Brotherhood stated on a number of occasions that they are not going to have one of their candidates run in the Presidential Elections. Again, I am not a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood nor am I sugar-coating their aspirations to have the country Islamicized in the future.

As for your laundry list of what an 'Arab Revolution' should look like, I think you omit a great deal of historical analysis and focus entirely on the negative impacts espoused by exteremists both on the Ultra-Left and Islamist parties in the Middle-East. Just remember the Arab world for the most part during the 9th to the 13th centuries has been a safe haven for the Jewish population that were oppressed in Europe, and this comes from ethnographer and historian Shelomo Dov Goitein. Your claim about Israel being the only country accepting Christians is false, given that countries like Syria, Jordan and Lebanon fully accept their Christian bretherns. Besides, Israel current coalition government consists of radical right-wing parties like Shas founded on 'Apartheid' principles, calling for the marginalization and the eventual deportation of the 'Arabs' from the Holy Land. Just look at the actions of current Mayor of Jerusalem (plans to expanding the settlements) and the Minister of Housing (belongs) to Shas.

Where I will agree with you, is the fact that the Arab world has a long ways to go in reforms. But as Dr. Pipes pointed out in a later article, reform will take time and only the Egyptian people have the capacity to change it by themselves. How long will it take? Only time will tell. You are entitled to your opinion, but I refute your laundry list of reforms as it is easy for one sitting at their comfort of their own home to look at the various problems that still linger. Again, I challenge the Right to support the toppling of the brutal and the autocratic regime of Hosni Mubarak.

Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

<< Previous Comment      Next Comment >>

Reader comments (61) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Moral Dilemma [48 words]morris wiseFeb 26, 2011 11:34182989
He Will Not Go Homeless [45 words]morris wiseFeb 22, 2011 20:32182893
Arabs Want A Pay Raise [48 words]morris wiseFeb 19, 2011 10:02182827
New Fuhrer In Egypt [60 words]morris wiseFeb 18, 2011 10:53182800
Infidels Needed [51 words]morris wiseFeb 17, 2011 15:38182781
Donations Are Needed [50 words]morris wiseFeb 16, 2011 11:45182747
Mubarak And Madoff [68 words]morris wiseFeb 14, 2011 09:04182654
I disagree [1546 words]Professor Francisco Gill-WhiteFeb 8, 2011 00:28182415
turmoil in Egypt [107 words]IsaacFeb 6, 2011 10:42182362
New King Solomon [50 words]morris wiseFeb 14, 2011 19:11182362
Mubarak's theft of Egytian cash [101 words]Kim BruceFeb 5, 2011 23:19182348
Do Not Share Your Goodies [50 words]morris wiseFeb 22, 2011 16:00182348
Canes For The Aged [78 words]morris wiseMar 1, 2011 17:16182348
1WITH FRIENDS LIKE BARACK OBAMA, ONE DOESN'T NEED ENEMIES [180 words]Ilene RichmanFeb 5, 2011 11:04182317
1"Road Map" to Disaster [482 words]Jules PostenFeb 3, 2011 17:49182240
Six Months Later and Counting [361 words]Jules PostenSep 10, 2011 19:51182240
Turkish PM Erdogan talks the talk, but does not walk the walk [78 words]AKP Must GoFeb 3, 2011 12:36182231
What about Israel? [85 words]AnonFeb 3, 2011 01:04182221
Three Points and a Scenario [227 words]Jay1Feb 2, 2011 23:27182220
3The turmoil belongs to the liberal and confused man in the white House [246 words]NuritGFeb 2, 2011 18:42182213
2Analysis on the Egyptian Uprising [427 words]Imad Al-SukkariFeb 2, 2011 11:30182206
3What kind of 'Change' - in 'oppressive apartheid Arab world?' - would be a good one? [1114 words]DianaFeb 5, 2011 20:28182206
Response to my post [451 words]Imad Al-SukkariFeb 5, 2011 23:41182206
Arab racist "apartheid" sur [281 words]DianaFeb 7, 2011 21:12182206
Israel = the only true democracy in the Middle East [so far, 2011] [745 words]DianaFeb 7, 2011 21:32182206
2Don't use labels [229 words]Imad Al-SukkariFeb 8, 2011 18:44182206
Take The Money [40 words]morris wiseFeb 16, 2011 15:53182206
Obama's Big Blunder [26 words]TedFeb 2, 2011 08:46182204
11The flag of the Muslim brotherhood in Egypt [174 words]dhimmi no moreFeb 2, 2011 07:02182203
1exactly who is the donor in Doner Kebab???? [153 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanFeb 5, 2011 00:59182203
5The amazing islam [221 words]dhimmi no moreFeb 6, 2011 06:44182203
Holy Neck Slitting!!! [139 words]JaladhiFeb 7, 2011 16:51182203
Elaborate [17 words]Helene W. ZadokFeb 2, 2011 00:26182199
4If we are not too careful, the Islamists will be dancing in the street… [157 words]BAFeb 1, 2011 19:33182190
Whither Egypt [100 words]Rick JonesFeb 1, 2011 16:19182188
As Egypt Goes- So Too Does All of Islam [200 words]M. ToveyFeb 1, 2011 13:32182185
1"siding with the Islamists" [47 words]David LFeb 1, 2011 12:25182184
2President Obama's wrong message [148 words]shimshon issakiFeb 1, 2011 11:53182183
1Egypt [145 words]moFeb 3, 2011 17:25182183
Turmoil in Egypt, Caused by the Muslim Brotherhood, they aren't fooling us. [50 words]AnneFeb 1, 2011 08:30182182
Looking from a different lens [346 words]Jack SmithFeb 1, 2011 08:10182181
politics [49 words]HowardFeb 1, 2011 07:30182178
1TURMOIL IN EGYPT AND MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA [69 words]Balarabe AbbaFeb 1, 2011 06:56182176
Deception [82 words]moFeb 3, 2011 17:10182176
GUIDED DEMOCRACY [44 words]PAUL JEFFERYFeb 1, 2011 06:40182174
4myopia or something more sinister? [152 words]Gamaliel IsaacFeb 1, 2011 06:23182173
Deception [137 words]moFeb 3, 2011 16:59182173
He supported Shariah [117 words]GamalielFeb 5, 2011 14:16182173
Deception [975 words]moFeb 6, 2011 04:54182173
Deception [975 words]moFeb 8, 2011 13:41182173
clear headed [6 words]Herzl HefterFeb 1, 2011 02:30182172
Egyptian Army [72 words]Dan EldarFeb 1, 2011 02:29182170
5What about Sinai? [28 words]PTFeb 1, 2011 02:17182169
Not many days are gone [72 words]MansoorFeb 1, 2011 02:08182168
2How come one billion muslims are subjugated by the west? [211 words]GopalFeb 2, 2011 23:03182168
1reflection needs a mirror [161 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanFeb 4, 2011 19:41182168
Don't spoil a good analysis [74 words]Mike BergerFeb 1, 2011 01:45182167
Something novel in this unrest [311 words]GopalFeb 1, 2011 01:36182166
i know this isnt top priority, [22 words]gemFeb 3, 2011 23:32182166
Comment [39 words]Dan B in MiamiFeb 1, 2011 01:21182165
Iran and Egypt [64 words]shahin S.Feb 1, 2011 00:45182164

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)