Back when the Arab spring blossomed in Egypt, many hoped for the emergence of a democratic state.
But others, including me, saw better chances for an Islamic state developing.
Back then, when the potential for democratic elections surfaced, news outlets reported that a group called the Muslim Brotherhood would not participate.
Fast forward more than a year and the Muslim Brotherhood now controls the government after winning elections and wresting power from the military. And President Mohammed Morsi is growing and consolidating his power.
Now a leading cleric has given permission for Muslims to murder those protesting Muslim Brotherhood rule.
The Muslim Brotherhood quickly moved to strike down opposition and spread its influence to other countries where regimes have become unsettled, most notably Syria. There it now operates a militia battling with the forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.
About the only country at odds with the United States that the Muslim Brotherhood loathes is Iran.
Nevertheless, in any country in the region with an unstable government, the Muslim Brotherhood seems more than willing to fill the void.
No one likes to see people beaten down by regimes — regardless of the region where they operate. But history shows that when these regimes topple, everything but democratic rule moves into the vacuum.
None of this bodes well for the U.S. or the prospect for stability in the region.
Israel continues to escalate its rhetoric about attacking Iran in order to disrupt its nuclear weapons program.
Few hold hope for Iraq and Afghanistan during or after the U.S. withdrawal.
Libya has been reduced to a battle among warlords.
Pakistan faces a bevy of pressure from inside and outside.
Al Qaeda forces attached a security bureau in Yemen Saturday.
It seems that despite decades of diplomacy, military intervention, regime changes and more, the region never posed more of a threat to world peace and stability than now.
It’s definitely worse than my previous post on the topic in March.
And I am sure the Muslim Brotherhood and its backers are all smiles.
Resources:
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2190258/…
- http://www.examiner.com/article/egyptian-muslims/…
- http://www.ikhwanweb.com/
- http://muslimbrotherhoodinamerica.com/
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/…
- http://www.timesofisrael.com/topic/mohammed-morsi/
- http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/syrias-muslim/…
- http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/06/…
- http://icitizenforum.com/discussion-topics/arab-spring/…
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