Temporary dictatorship. What does that mean? Whipping us for an unspecified amount of time? Isn’t every dictatorship temporary, or doesn’t it at least start as such? Where was this in the deal when he became our president? Regardless of whether we voted for Morsy or not, there is a democratic process here; a president cannot assume these powers in a public decree. A pharaoh king maybe, but not a president, even if a majority of the people support him, even if he had 99.9 per cent support like Mubarak supposedly had. A president does not “take powers” and announce them to the public.
Based on what we have been witnessing over the past week, it seems that the Muslim Brotherhood has chosen the path of violence to enforce the president’s grip on us because democracy was clearly ruled out by that decree. Now violence is on all fronts in all cities across the country, with hundreds injured and two dead so far. Will they kill half the population? For what?
For the revolution as they claim? What revolution? Wasn’t it over when we got an elected president and convicted Mubarak under civil law? And our rulers decided that they would respect the judiciary on several occasions, including monitoring the presidential elections. The revolution was over and Egypt is now ruled by the elected bunch, there seemed to be no need for “revolutionary” actions that require violence. So, again, for what?
Well, let’s see, the Muslim Brotherhood has always worked for the best interest of the organisation. This is what matters to them in the end and it doesn’t require a genius to deduct that from their history.
Their interest lies in the continuation of the Constituent Assembly and the Shura Council, maybe even paving the way to bring back the dissolved parliament. I am sure Morsy is under a lot of pressure from the Brotherhood regarding parliament, one look at El-Erian’s Twitter account makes that too obvious for comfort.
Of course, the constitution is a big battle as well and they want to get it over with. So basically even if he couldn’t bring back parliament with a holy decree, they will hold elections soon before more Egyptians know the truth of their failures on the home front.
I am also sure that El-Shater and the rest of the Brotherhood leaders are not very happy that every decision they make is questioned. The leaders are probably quite upset that they have to go on every TV channel, be quoted in every newspaper and speak on social networks to explain and defend themselves. The Brotherhood is not used to this. They hate being questioned; they have a military mentality where unquestioning obedience is crucial.
This must have affected the organisation from within. I expect that the Brotherhood are, for the first time in their history, in a situation where they must answer to their own people and their own youth. Those young boys and girls flooding Egypt arguing in the place of their leaders, and defending them in one tone, one rhetoric and one consistent style. They must have taken our questions to their leaders for guidance, even if only through general assemblies or in mosques. The religion card can hold for only so long, now that their youth are forced to have “discussions” with anti-Brotherhood people.
Add to that how busy the president is with other matters. On the week that ended with his ominous decree, he was busy meeting with Turkey’s Erdogan, the Qatari emir, the Saudi foreign minister, Hilary Clinton, Ban Ki-moon, Khaled Meshaal and Islamic Jihad. He had no time for domestic issues yet finished the week with a declaration of dictatorship, probably because his advisers and assistants had been nagging him for action on the home front. Along with Brotherhood figures like El-Erian, El-Katatny, El-Shater and El-Beltagui all having to deal with the public. Everyone needed the noise to stop.
Morsy had to close the doors on discussion and organised defence. He needed to issue some law to protect his future decisions from being challenged by a court order or in public debate. This is not to say that he has some specific demonic decision to make; I believe it was just to silence the noise we are making and avoid the obstacles we are putting on his path to glory and power.
He had to force us into submission and obedience. Because this is what it is all about in the end, isn’t it? Obedience and submission is the way the organisation that rules this country runs. This is the only way they can control the country. So shut down the courts, silence the media, protect tomorrow’s whims and have a good noiseless night!
The problem is that the Brotherhood relied on the fact that their opponents are not so strong, not so many, not so ready. They were unaware that things have been boiling for a while, from both sides. The bickering had been on the rise since the first 100 days fiasco and the fall of the renaissance project. They miscalculated and now the country has fallen into violence. All for the sake of an illegal organisation that used to make deals with the old regime on seats in parliament and syndicate leadership.
It is all for the greater good. The deaths and the injuries, the blinded and the crippled are a small price to pay.
Islam and Gaber; teenage boys killed for the greater good of the Muslim Brotherhood.
