This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/4790

Muslim Brotherhood To Form Electoral Party - Constitutional "Reform" Takes Ugly Turn, Ikhwan Now In Control

February 16, 2011

February 16, 2011 - San Francisco, CA - PipeLineNews.org - In a move that probably surprised no one even marginally informed about Middle Eastern politics, TeamObama's little democratic experiment in Egypt, has already borne fruit.

According to a statement appearing on the Muslim Brotherhood's website [see, http://www.ikhwanweb.com/article.php?id=28023] "The Muslim Brotherhood's media spokesman Dr. Essam El Erian has stated that...gradual reform must begin now...Hence the MB confirms that the group stands firmly behind the demands of the Egyptian people as a whole and in moving forward, envisions the establishment of a democratic, civil state that draws on universal measures of freedom and justice, with central Islamic values...Mohsen Rady an MB leader agreed adding once an official legitimate committee has been formed it will apply to become an official party..."

In another piece carried on the Ikhwan's website, we note some of the initial changes which the group is demanding during the process of constitutional "reform" now underway.

"...the constitutional reform panel has been commissioned by the military council to change the same six articles in the Egyptian Constitution...The abolition of Article 179 which restricts people's freedoms and rights in the name of security will be considered along with amendments to articles 76, 77, 88, 93, and 189. Article 76 restricts the ability to nominate presidential candidates; article 77 does not set a limit for presidential terms; article 88 limits judicial oversight of elections; article 93 grants parliament sole authority for determining the legitimacy of MP memberships and article 189 gives the president and the People's Assembly exclusive rights to amend the constitution..." [source, http://www.ikhwanweb.com/article.php?id=28032]

From the same article we find that, "the military appointed panel members selecting former judge Tariq Al-Bishry..." [variously, Tarek al-Beshry] "...as chairman...Constitutional scholars have advised the military to create an interim constitution and Muslim Brotherhood lawyer Sobhi Saleh has been chosen to be part of the panel..."

An editorial at the excellent national security compendium, Family Security Matters identifies Tariq Al-Bishry as follows, "... (Hizb) Al-Wasat, or "The Center (party)", the group to which al-Beshry is associated, was founded in 1996 by Muslim Brotherhood members. There had been arguments between the Ikhwan and Al-Wasat, but in April 2009 the group joined the "Egyptian Coalition for Change," an anti-Mubarak alliance which included individuals from the Muslim Brotherhood. This multi-party alliance had formed in 2005 and gained approval from the Ikhwan...."

As we and numerous sources predicted at the start of this process, Egypt is now rushing into the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood, the world-wide driver of Islamic jihad.

We expected no less and unfortunately were correct in our assessment.

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This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/4790