69 million page views

Egypt is lost or soon will be

Reader comment on item: Egypt's Chance

Submitted by Gloria Stewart (United States), Feb 17, 2011 at 17:46

I see no reason for Dr. Pipes' optimism. Islam and any form of democracy are incompatible. The Islamists may have had little input into this overthrow (the Bolsheviks had little input into the original Russian Revolution), but they can easily hijack it. If the Muslim Brotherhood was not allowed to organize in the past, that only insured that they did not overtly do so. In any attempt at free elections, they will take part and probably win, if not a majority then a plurality. That will be a first step.

It is difficult to see how Muslims can be motivated by patriotism. I am not talking abut a handful of people. That is always possible. When one is a Muslim, one's loyalty is to the ummah. Secularism is equally impossibly, as mosque and state are one in Islam. Personal responsibility won't cut it either. In Islam the individual usually looks outside of himself and his actions when it comes time to assess blame. He tends to blame others.

I cannot imagine being impressed by Qaradawi and any moderate statement he might make. He would swear he was a Croatian dwarf if at the moment it served his broader purposes.

The average man in the streets in Egypt wants a better life, no doubt. Do you know many people who want a worse one? There is within Islam no vocabulary or protocol or framework for valuing democracy. It is like asking a blind man to describe the color red.

The smart money is on the Muslim Brotherhood.

Gloria Stewart

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 (57) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
1Good old tourism is gone [17 words]Firozali A.Mulla DBAMar 11, 2011 14:12183324
Dhimmi no more is agressive and impolite - just to win the argument. [256 words]HassanMar 6, 2011 13:09183190
6Islamic hypocrisy [189 words]dhimmi no moreMar 8, 2011 18:50183190
Muslims really have different views about Non-Muslims [106 words]HassanFeb 26, 2011 03:28182986
1problem defined [23 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanFeb 27, 2011 18:41182986
To Grand Infidel from Australia [18 words]HassanFeb 27, 2011 22:22182986
3Islamic logic a real oxymoron [127 words]dhimmi no moreMar 1, 2011 16:33182986
6Our dear Hassan and gem time [519 words]dhimmi no moreMar 1, 2011 16:55182986
3I do not think that he will get it [132 words]dhimmi no moreMar 1, 2011 17:28182986
To dhimmi no more [162 words]HassanMar 2, 2011 05:49182986
2The muslim ego! [293 words]dhimmi no moreMar 4, 2011 06:38182986
1To dhimmi no more [664 words]HassanMar 4, 2011 23:46182986
1To dhimmi no more-questions [70 words]HassanMar 5, 2011 01:44182986
to dhimmi no more [272 words]HassanMar 5, 2011 20:31182986
2leading ? [257 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanMar 5, 2011 21:22182986
1Argument from changing the subject! [134 words]dhimmi no moreMar 6, 2011 07:10182986
5Our dear Hassan is suggesting that we get rid of the books written by al-Tabari! I smell a fatwa here [925 words]dhimmi no moreMar 6, 2011 07:30182986
6We are all kuffar and get used to it [75 words]dhimmi no moreMar 9, 2011 08:02182986
5Islam [55 words]Abu Gefilte FishFeb 25, 2011 06:54182958
4Cairo and the decline of a great city [414 words]dhimmi no moreFeb 23, 2011 07:26182907
Egypt will need outside help [333 words]Frank LukeFeb 22, 2011 22:21182895
Egypt, Jordan, Libya; Etc., Etc., Etc......Is the World ready for What's Next? [99 words]M. ToveyFeb 22, 2011 19:35182890
A New Development [51 words]Barry BlackFeb 22, 2011 15:06182888
"Evidence of Blessing" [28 words]Bob StrubleFeb 21, 2011 01:55182849
Freedom and Food [140 words]Jay1Feb 18, 2011 23:29182814
what would change if there was no Oil in the Middle East !!! [260 words]HassanFeb 18, 2011 19:14182812
3A very fancy thought: What would change if there is no oil in the middle east [318 words]TedFeb 19, 2011 22:14182812
Sadam Husain's regime shaken to its foundations by mass demonstrations in Bagdad? [49 words]PeterFeb 20, 2011 20:19182812
2To Ted and Peter [378 words]HassanFeb 22, 2011 00:37182812
Saddam Hussein [32 words]JeffFeb 22, 2011 13:12182812
Flights of fancy [27 words]Amin RiazFeb 22, 2011 23:53182812
Norway, UK, US, and India - any of these countries secular - especially India and US is a joke. [20 words]PeterFeb 25, 2011 16:51182812
Respond Peter !!!! [20 words]HassanFeb 25, 2011 20:49182812
Daniel Pipes [24 words]HassanFeb 26, 2011 21:39182812
Corruption of Power the Root Cause of Hussein, Qadaffi, Mubarak's Fall-ME Oil was/is Only a Tool [655 words]M. ToveyFeb 28, 2011 17:10182812
Oil is not the main subject here. It's the US policies [956 words]HassanMar 1, 2011 19:21182812
2errata [134 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanMar 6, 2011 18:56182812
1While Oil May Not be the Main Subject - It Greases the Politics Many Feel are Out of Control [1757 words]M. ToveyMar 7, 2011 16:51182812
5Egypt is lost or soon will be [258 words]Gloria StewartFeb 17, 2011 17:46182784
Question mark over Egypt [141 words]Rebecca MouldsFeb 17, 2011 07:39182772
Egypt is One in a Chain of Events - What Happens There Will Become the Model [417 words]M. ToveyFeb 16, 2011 14:23182751
Egypt has a Chance! Let's hope so! [134 words]BAFeb 16, 2011 08:59182741
youth in 2011 [47 words]Alana RonaldFeb 15, 2011 23:03182728
3I do not share the optimism of Dr. Pipes [119 words]huckFeb 15, 2011 22:34182727
One tends to forget... [69 words]Amin RiazFeb 22, 2011 23:59182727
2And speaking of "one tends to forget" and Q2:27 says that the Jews are Allah's favorite nation/people and these are not my words [150 words]dhimmi no moreFeb 24, 2011 07:23182727
Egypt's new leadership [81 words]PeterFeb 15, 2011 20:34182724
4I'm not so sure... [38 words]RobFeb 15, 2011 20:31182723
7VERY REFRESHING [226 words]There is NO Santa ClausFeb 15, 2011 11:16182705
RE Egypt's Chance [57 words]yonatan silvermanFeb 15, 2011 11:15182704
2Obama's Shiite Sympathies [104 words]DeanFeb 15, 2011 10:59182703
This is the deal in a nutshell [181 words]DEBORAH THE JUDGEFeb 17, 2011 10:17182703
Good source [89 words]Joe Six-pacFeb 15, 2011 10:55182702
will "the the military leadership ...pursue its selfish interests" ? [21 words]Abu NudnikFeb 15, 2011 10:23182700
Egypt's chance for change [85 words]Francis ThorntonFeb 15, 2011 09:34182698
1"Spontaneous" revolution in Egypt ? [75 words]Paul JansenFeb 15, 2011 06:52182687
3re: "Spontaneous" revolution in Egypt [156 words]There is NO Santa ClausFeb 18, 2011 08:07182687

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.)