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The Iranian model of 1979 is
emerging in Egypt.
Recently several high-ranking
Iranian officials have visited Cairo under the pretext of improving relations
between Iran and Egypt.
President Morsi’s
political-religious acts and that of his party, al Hureyya wel Adala, as well
as the Muslism Brotherhood’s organization, reflect similar trends to that of
the 1979’s Iranian revolution. This similarity is reflected in the followings:
1.
Liberal-secular
and Islamic political groups protesting the corruption of the Shah regime,
Mohamed Reda Pahlavi, initiated the Iranian revolution. They succeeded in
removing the Shah from power. He was overthrown, and the first head of the new
revolutionary regime was a liberal and secular.
2.
The religious
leader in exile in France, Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran. He was received
as a Mahdi. A year later, 1980-81, the Islamists stole the revolution and
eliminated the secular political leaders who originally began the revolution.
3.
The Islamist
political leaders under the leadership of Khamenei began the Islamization of
all governmental institutions. The opposition was accused of being atheists,
enemies of Islam who deserved to be killed!
4.
The Islamist
government began to develop a military group known as the Iranian National
Revolutionary guards. This step was taken to prevent any attempts from the regular
army to interfere in the policy of the emerging Islamic regime.
5.
The opposition
consisting of liberal groups began to vociferously oppose the Islamic regime.
This opposition has been going on for more than three decades.
6.
The highest
spiritual religious leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameni, is the real power in Iran.
His authority is higher than that of president Ahmad Najad. This political
authority is shaped in a pyramidal form with the religious authority
established at the top of the pyramid.
It is clear the emerging
Egyptian political structure has many similarities with that of Iran. Is this
intentional? Or, is this a typical model of any religious group interested in
gaining political power?
1.
Young liberals
sparked the Egyptian revolution of January 25, 2011. They were supported by
millions of Egyptians. The Muslim Brothers were later joiners of the
Revolution.
2.
The Mubarak regime fell on February 11, 2011.
The Egyptian Higher Military Council and the Muslim Brothers united in order to
prevent the realization of any further demands from young, liberal revolutionaries.
However, the young revolutionaries continued to call for “Freedom, Social and
Economic Justice.” They further insisted on the punishment of those behind the
killings of many young protesters. Actually, they have not been brought to
justice until now.
3.
The Muslim
Brothers, as Egyptians maintain, stole the Revolution. Morsi was elected
president in June 2012. He was able to abolish the original Higher Military
Council and to nominate a new and young Defense Minister, El Sessi. There was
more than one Prime Minister who consequently resigned. President Morsi finally
nominated Hisham Kandeel as prime minister. The later is a young man who lacks
experience and above all lacks presence and political savoir-faire.
4.
The different
political groups were excluded from sharing in the new government. The Egyptian
press is continually referring to the power behind the throne, which is that of
the Murshid, leader of the Muslim Brothers, and his deputy Khayrat el Shater.
Neither of the two men was elected!
5.
The Egyptian
president, Morsi, issued in November 2012, a constitutional decree giving
himself unlimited power. Such decree allowed him to neutralize the power of the
Higher Egyptian Constitutional Court. He then dismissed 7 outspoken judges who
have asked for dissolving the Egyptian Parliament on the basis that the election
of its members was in violation of the Constitution. Furthermore, those judges began to investigate
the election of the new magliss el shoura as well as the Committee appointed by
the dissolved Parliament to draft the new constitution. Morsi then removed the
General Prosecutor, el guindi, replacing him by a sympathizer to his policy.
6.
The Morsi regime,
similar to the Iranian religious regime, created its own militia. According to
the Egyptian newspaper, al wafd (1/31,2013) the Minister of Interior, Mohamed
Ibrahim, allowed this Militia to join the police in order to suppress any
revolt by the demonstrators. They were violent in their tactics, many were
killed. This violates the new
Constitution, article 109!!
7.
The unfortunate
further strategy of president Morsi was his trial to destroy the freedom of
press. He appointed a Minister of Information, a member of the Muslim
Brotherhood. It should be stressed however the fact that until now the Egyptian
media is still quite defiant toward any government pressures.
Anyone familiar with the
history of the Iranian revolution (1979) cannot but see the similar steps the new
Egyptian regime is undertaken. Is this intentional? It remains to be seen.
The Muslim Brotherhood, for
the past 80 years, has been dreaming of assuming power. It will be very hard to
remove such regime!
However, I would like to
stress here, during the past two years and since the election of president
Morsi and his negative policies, the Muslim Brothers have lost credibility
among a large number of Egyptians.
It is an interesting time to
be in Egypt and to follow the trend and development of events.
