A Modern Woman's Perspective On The Kingdom of God on Earth


August 14, 2012

Is Egypt The Key?

     Many would say we have enough problems at home; what could Egyptian politics possibly have to do with our welfare?  Well, in case you've had a case of the "Rip Van Winkles" lately, let me attempt to explain.  When Mohammed Morsi was elected as Egypt's President recently, there were those who expressed concern that his Islamic leanings were a little on the radical side; they feared an eventual takeover by the Muslim Brotherhood, an increasingly radical organization, whose stated credo is,  "Allah is our objective; the Quran is our law, the Prophet is our leader; Jihad is our way; and death for the sake of Allah is the highest of our aspirations."  Their desire for a global Islamic Caliphate is not a stretch of the imagination.
     "Awww, you're over-reacting," said those who believed that Morsi was more moderate than extremist.  "Besides, the Military, who hung on to considerable authority in Egypt, would be a counterbalance to any radical movement by the Brotherhood."  It was hoped that the new President would work with the Military Council towards establishing democracy in the strife-ridden country. Well, over the weekend, any stability that the Military might have brought to the table is gone.
     On Sunday, Morsi ordered the “retirement” of the country’s top military officials, replacing them with his own appointees.   In addition to this thorough house-cleaning, the president also ordered the "retirement" of the commanders of the navy, air defense, and air force.
     All this came on the heels of increased tension with Israel, as, on the same day, Jihad terrorists stole an armored car, killed 16 Egyptian border guards, and crashed through the Israeli border on the northern Sinai.  Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) quickly destroyed the invaders. Up to 20 terrorists were killed.
     This situation represents a challenge to Egypt's new president.  Morsi openly opposes Israel, but realizes he must maintain basic agreements with Israel (like honoring their peace treaty) for his government to have legitimacy internationally.   In addition, the Jihadists pose a threat to Morsi's sovereignty within his own nation.  It doesn't look good that he's unable to control them.  This crisis in the Sinai gave him the perfect opportunity to rid himself of his rivals in the Military and assert his authority.
     But ridding himself of his political rivals wasn't all Morsi accomplished this weekend.  He also cancelled the military-declared Constitutional addendum (which gave the generals wide powers) and amended another; the results being that he has full executive and legislative authority, as well as the power to set all public policies in Egypt and sign international treaties.  The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party applauded his actions, calling the moves “the second wave of the revolution.”   They say there was no secret deal between themselves and Morsi, stating that the Egyptian President's recent decisions were autonomous and reflected the power of his civilian office.
     But is the Muslim Brotherhood jsut playing their hand close to the vest; suggesting that perhaps Morsi just staged his coup against the Military Council before they were able to instigate their own?  What is the truth?  It's hard to know and the question still remains.... will true democracy reign in Egypt, or will there by a hardline Islamic theme to the future of Egyptian government?
     One thing that we do know is that only five out of the 36 ministers appointed by the President and his Prime Minister are affiliated with the Brotherhood or its Freedom and Justice Party.  They are the higher education, youth, housing, information and manpower ministers.  So, doesn't seem like much of a threat, right?
     But consider this .... don't think it's as innocent or non-threatening as it appears, warns American University in Cairo political science professor Manar al-Shorbagy.  “This is their goal; they want to start change through education and youth.”  Sound familiar?  It's the same strategy we've seen in our own country.   And what will they offer the youth of Egypt?  Why, hope and change, I'm sure.  It's the easiest path to moving a country in a different direction; begin by educating your idealistic youth of the superiority of a new and better model of government.  It worked for Hitler, it worked for Stalin, and it worked for Mao ---- until those perfect governments enslaved the people and their hope was snuffed out.  Evil cannot allow freedom to exist.  And so it just puts on another disguise and masquerades as a new ideology.
     I can't help it; I picture the Middle East teetering on the edge of a precipice.  Between the battle for power in Egypt, the revolution in Syria, and the hatred for Israel fomented by Iran, there doesn't appear to be any hope for peace in this region of the world.   It's as if it is all spiraling out of control, and there are so many fronts on which hatred and Evil are growing.  You can feel it .... the West is despised; fundamentalist radicals are growing in popularity and power; and our leadership appears weak, impotent and inadequate..... which only emboldens those who seek to exploit our vulnerability.
     So while what goes on in Egypt alone will not change the future and the fortune of our great nation, it is just one more brick in a wall that is becoming a solid barrier to world peace.  We better pay attention or that wall could easily surround us.   The United States has been a defender of man's Liberty and Freedom since its inception.  And we can't let our guard down now!
   
2 Peter 3:17-18       "Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.  But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever!"

5 comments:

  1. You are right to be worried about Egypt. And it will come sooner than a few years when the youth become (even more) indoctrinated in Jihadist ideology. This threat is what I consider to be the most probable WTSHTF scenario in the next 2-3 years.
    Mohammed Morsi is Muslim Brotherhood, through and through. So is Ayman al-Zawahiri. Both trace their ideologies to Sayyed Qutb, who was executed by Gamal Nasser. Zawahiri was in the Brotherhood (Ikwan) since the mid-60s, served in the Egyptian Army's medical corps, became part of the even more radical Islamic Jihad, and was pushed out of Egypt after they assassinated Sadat in '81.
    The purge of Islamic Jihad members from Egypt saw many flee Saudi Arabia. That's where Zawahiri met and mentored Bin Laden. They formed al-Qaeda and attacked America (and many others). Since Bin Laden's unlamented demise, Zawahiri is now the leader of al-Qaeda.
    The Muslim Brotherhood was prevented from entering openly into Egyptian politics by Mubarak largely because of their extremist views and their continued association with Islamic Jihad. Now that we have aided in Mubarak's removal, we have re-opened the door for the Ikwan to bring their Islamic Jihad brothers home.
    Additionally, al-Qaeda is flooding into Syria, and one more country will be under Jihadist control. The previous governments of Egypt and Syria were certainly not ideal, and certainly oppressed their populations, but regime change doesn't necessarily mean good things for America. I told a colleague who was happy to see al-Assad on the ropes (because of his long-standing anger for Syrian support of the Marine barracks bombing and to Saddam Hussein in Iraq) to be careful what he wished for.
    There will be war in the Middle East. Whether it will be a Lightning War with Israel starting first, or a Yom Kippur War with the Arabs starting, it will still be war. And the Iranians have even more opportunity to work their evil through surrogates.

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  2. I lived and worked for a year in Saudi Arabia, spending all my time with Saudis, Pakistanis, Kuwaitis, Bahrainis, and an occasional Iraqi. Every single one of them, no matter how pro-western they were, had a pathological hatred of Israel. From their points of view, EVERYTHING wrong in their countries would be made better if Israel was destroyed.
    When I traveled in Israel, I once asked why there were so many golf driving range nets all around the villages...and was stunned to learn these nets were to "catch" the Kassam rockets launched by Palestinians. No kidding. And when I asked why certain sections of the Israeli security fence were solid walls where others were just big chain-link, I learned the solid sections were set up to disrupt line-of-sight angles between hill tops in the Palestinian areas for snipers shooting into Israeli farms, highways, and villages.
    In describing my experiences to the Saudis I worked with, they all tried to justify why launching rockets at houses and shooting at Jews was legitimate "Holy War." Any Israeli man, woman or child was a justifiable target. One of my most educated, most thoughtful Saudi associates spent over 30 minutes justifying attacks on Israel and shocked me at his readiness to do violence himself. Oh, and I had to describe my "experiences" in Israel as the stories of a friend, not my own because having visited Israel can be grounds for deportation from Saudi Arabia. Really. If my thoughtful Saudi associate had been confronted with my having visited Israel, I doubt he would have ever spoken to me again.
    Most Americans and Europeans have no clue about the depth of irrational hatred that virtually every Muslim in the Middle East has toward all Israelis. And once the Arabs (of ANY fundamentalist nation) have enough balance of power to attack, they will.
    Israel knows this and will defend themselves to every extent required. If America stands as a strong ally to Israel, the possibilities drop rapidly. The current American support for the "Arab Spring" has the opposite effect.
    If/when war comes to the Middle East, oil prices will jump sharply and our fragile economy will be injured terribly. The secondary effects of an Arab-Israeli war could spiral out of control in too many ways to predict.

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  3. I hope everyone reads your insightful comments! I am so discouraged at the lack of understanding by most Americans. The hatred of the nation of Israel is centuries old and encouraged by Satan. Somehow he (Satan) thinks if he can wipe Israel off the face of the map, he will thwart Jesus' Second Coming. As if that's not reason enough to be concerned about the rising radicalism and threats toward Israel, most Americans remain ignorant of the pieces being moved on the chessboard of the Middle East. Your experience and understanding of the mindset over there should scare the hell out of every US citizen! If anyone thinks we will not be affected by this insane hatred, your explanation should certainly wake them up. I have long believed many of the things you speak about, but did not have the facts to back it up. You have provided the reality and the truth. THANK YOU!

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  4. I respectfully disagree with your take on Israel. The Middle East seems so complicated to me that I find it hard to find just one side at fault. I do however, appreciate your concern for our country and our rights. I hope that we Americans can stick together despite our differences of opinion when we really need too. We seem so divided lately it worries me. I thank you for your thoughts.

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  5. I appreciate your respectful comment, and this is exactly how we should discuss our differences. I am a Christian, so I see things from a Biblical perspective, and this enmity between the land of Israel and the rest of the Middle East is as old as Ishmael and Isaac. Man will never be able to fix it---- only God has the solution. Without that perspective, I can understand how the landscape of this problem might look. But you are absolutely correct that we need to pull together as Americans and work to turn this country around. The division in this country worries me, too, and I'm afraid it's only going to get worse.

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