THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Political and economic instability are now the order of the day in Egypt, says Praveen Swami - and the highly motivated Muslim Brotherhood are most likely to be the beneficiaries
On the morning after tens of thousands of protesters first began to gather in the streets of Egypt’s cities to voice their rage against the regime, the state-owned newspaper al-Ahram ran a banner headline on the crisis enveloping the Middle East: “Demonstrations in Lebanon,” it announced.
More than a week later, daily demonstrations have ripped away the veil of denial represented by that farcical front page. It is becoming increasingly clear that continuing protests, and mounting international pressure, will force out Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s president. It is much less clear, though, what will come next: a democratic era that might transform the Middle East or a descent into chaos that could see the rise of an Islamist order that will undo Egypt’s relationship with the West, threaten Israel and give new life to radical movements across the region.
Has a grim sunset been mistaken for a glorious dawn? For days now, articulate, English-speaking members of Egypt’s middle class have been reassuring the world that their protests are not about to be hijacked by Islamists. But the secular middle class, which has thrown its weight behind Nobel peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei is disorganised and lacks a wide social base. Egypt’s political future will, instead, likely be decided by the Muslim Brotherhood, which has the assets needed to conduct mass politics effectively: a million-strong membership, deep organisational roots across small-town Egypt, and a nationwide network of schools, hospitals and charities. >>> Praveen Swami | Wednesday, February 02, 2011
