The Muslim Brotherhood..A Real Threat?

The Muslim Brotherhood..A Real threat? Or a threat to Western Capitalism

Have right wing media and conservative pundits spread their hysterical paranoia from Obama and Liberals to a Brotherhood they know nothing about? Nearly every report from CNN to Fox News has a slew of blue eyed, blond haired commentators widely speculating on the impact of The Muslim Brotherhood and Egypt. Besides the fact that they are barely 20% of the opposition force in that particular country their values and doctrine mimic that of the Catholic Church. They both claim to want peace, righteous living, righteous behavior, freedom from religious persecution etc etc. Before I go any further let me please note I am not of the Islamic faith. Raised in a Christian country I am more familiar with Catholic/Christian doctrine than any other religion but I am well read and educated on the 2nd largest world religion, Islam. To insult a religious party whether the Muslim Brotherhood or the Christian Church is to assume that every member of the respective faiths follow the negative histories or controversial doctrines, practices and beliefs. However listening to western media pundits and their fear that a radical Islamic radical group will rise to power highlights the truth which is that they are scared the Egyptian people will rise up and reject the US and our sister country Israel. By broadcasting unfounded hysteria “The Extremists are coming” caused undue Islamic fear, hate and most importantly confuses the issues at hand in Egypt in the first place. 1) Egyptian people deserve freedom, primarily the freedom to choose how their Nation is run as a basic human right. 2) Who rises to power is up to the millions of Egyptian people and not the US or any other nation with no authoritative power over Egypt.

What is alarmingly clear is that the disagreement between Islam and Eastern civilizations and philosophies stand in contrast to those beliefs, principles and practices of Western civilizations and cultures. Western civilization and cultures define freedom as the notion that persons have the innate right to essentially do what they wish within rational boundaries and social expectations. For many western cultures, religion plays a relatively small role in social conduct, laws and expectations preempting a variety of beliefs, practices and doctrines amongst its masses. In Eastern civilizations primarily those dominated by state or national religions have a differing view of freedom, many times viewed through the lens of their national beliefs, practices and legal doctrines. To say either system is better than the other is to deny the violent, turbulent histories of both halves of the world. To spread fear and hysteria throughout the West and non Islamic countries just continues to contribute to the divide between human beings, all which have the right to worship and live in freedom and the method in which they see fit. To continuously slam an entire faith, or group belief which happens to be Islamic or Muslim in nature is an insult to hundreds of millions of people who do not support terrorism and violence of any sort.

Nina Davis

Images courtesy of :louaysafi.blogspot.com, self-ownership.org