Headlines like that give me a sinking feeling in my stomach.
Omar Suleiman, the former head of Egypt's despised intelligence for over 18 years, announced Friday his candidacy for president. He's like a caricature of an evil boogyman and is responsible for much of the repression and torture of the Mubarak years.
His election would be a huge slap in the face to the revolutionary movements, including the Islamists, who perhaps suffered most under Mubarak.
His announcement comes after revelations that Salafi frontrunner Hazem Abu Ismail's mother held dual United States-Egyptian nationality, which disqualifies him from running for president.
The timing of the disclosure regarding his mother is very convenient for those who want to nip the Islamist surge in the bud.
Honestly, part of me feels for the Islamists. A lot of them, especially the younger ones, really do believe in the hope-y, change-y stuff. And a lot of people voted for Islamists--70 percent, in fact. No, the elections weren't perfect. There were a lot of barriers. But liberals did what liberals (in the United States, especially) do best--they bickered amongst themselves. They didn't have the institutional knowledge the MB had for political organization. They lost. And just because the powers that be--SCAF, the Egyptian intelligencia, the United States--doesn't like where things are going, does not justify the delegitimization of the Egyptian political process.
Besides, imagine what would happen if the thousands of Egyptians, emboldened and heartened after the revolution, saw the elections that followed as proof their vote would never count and democracy will never come.
As Egypt moves toward democratization, it will serve everyone well to keep Islamists in politics. Marginalizing and alienating them will only serve to radicalize them as they simmer with (probably well-founded) disdain.
Update: I got it. Suleiman reminds me of Cheney. Fact.
Omar Suleiman, the former head of Egypt's despised intelligence for over 18 years, announced Friday his candidacy for president. He's like a caricature of an evil boogyman and is responsible for much of the repression and torture of the Mubarak years.
 |
| Ooga booga! I'm going to come and kidnap you and take you to an undisclosed location to torture you. |
His election would be a huge slap in the face to the revolutionary movements, including the Islamists, who perhaps suffered most under Mubarak.
His announcement comes after revelations that Salafi frontrunner Hazem Abu Ismail's mother held dual United States-Egyptian nationality, which disqualifies him from running for president.
 |
| This dude: Actually more legitimate. |
Honestly, part of me feels for the Islamists. A lot of them, especially the younger ones, really do believe in the hope-y, change-y stuff. And a lot of people voted for Islamists--70 percent, in fact. No, the elections weren't perfect. There were a lot of barriers. But liberals did what liberals (in the United States, especially) do best--they bickered amongst themselves. They didn't have the institutional knowledge the MB had for political organization. They lost. And just because the powers that be--SCAF, the Egyptian intelligencia, the United States--doesn't like where things are going, does not justify the delegitimization of the Egyptian political process.
Besides, imagine what would happen if the thousands of Egyptians, emboldened and heartened after the revolution, saw the elections that followed as proof their vote would never count and democracy will never come.
As Egypt moves toward democratization, it will serve everyone well to keep Islamists in politics. Marginalizing and alienating them will only serve to radicalize them as they simmer with (probably well-founded) disdain.
Update: I got it. Suleiman reminds me of Cheney. Fact.
No comments:
Post a Comment