EGYPTskí MUSLIMNÍ BRATIA: KONFRONTÁCIA ALEBO INTEGRÁCIA?

The Society of Muslim Brothers’ success in the November-December 2005 elections for the People’s Assembly sent shockwaves through Egypt’s political system. In response, the regime cracked down on the movement, harassed other potential rivals and reversed its fledging reform process. This is dangerously short-sighted. There is reason to be concerned about the Muslim Brothers’ political program, and they owe the people genuine clarifications about several of its aspects. But the ruling National Democratic

Party’s (NDP) refusal to loosen its grip risks exacerbating tensions at a time of both political uncertainty surrounding the presidential succession and serious socio-economic unrest. Though this likely will be a prolonged, gradual process, režim by mal podniknúť predbežné kroky na normalizáciu účasti moslimských bratov na politickom živote. Moslimskí bratia, ktorých spoločenské aktivity boli dlho tolerované, ale ktorých úloha vo formálnej politike je prísne obmedzená, vyhral nevídaný 20 percent parlamentných kresiel v 2005 voľby. Urobili tak napriek tomu, že súťažili len o tretinu voľných miest a napriek značným prekážkam, vrátane policajných represií a volebných podvodov. Tento úspech potvrdil ich pozíciu mimoriadne dobre organizovanej a hlboko zakorenenej politickej sily. Zároveň, podčiarkol slabé stránky právnej opozície aj vládnucej strany. The regime might well have wagered that a modest increase in the Muslim Brothers’ parliamentary representation could be used to stoke fears of an Islamist takeover and thereby serve as a reason to stall reform. If so, the strategy is at heavy risk of backfiring.