Egyptian General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, A Wolf in sheeps clothing?
From Will at THE OTHER NEWS:
Make Public Egyptian General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s “Classified” 2006 U.S. Army War College Thesis.By Andrew Bostom.
At the beginning of this week, Sunday July, 28, 2013, Foreign Affairs published an alarming analysis of the ideology, and political ambitions of General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the man who orchestrated Egypt’s military putsch, which deposed President Muhammad Morsi.
Written by Robert Springborg, a professor at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, long recognized for his published expertise on the Egyptian military, the essay highlighted al-Sisi’s previously unrecognized (or dismissed) near term political aspirations—such as running for Egyptian President (also suggested here, here)—and of equal significance, his political ideology.
Although, as Springborg notes, innocuously entitled, “Democracy in the Middle East”, al-Sisi’s mini-thesis, “reads like a tract produced by the Muslim Brotherhood.” Indeed, within the very opening paragraph, according to Springborg,
Sisi emphasizes the centrality of religion to the politics of the region, arguing that “for democracy to be successful in the Middle East,” it must show “respect to the religious nature of the culture” and seek “public support from religious leaders [who] can help build strong support for the establishment of democratic systems.”
Al-Sisi’s thesis further argues that Egyptians and other Arab Muslims will only judge democracy in a positive manner if it “sustains the religious base versus devaluing religion and creating instability.” Moroever, al-Sisi, as per Springborg’s analysis remains openly and harshly critical of secular governance.
Secularism, according to Sisi, “is unlikely to be favorably received by the vast majority of Middle Easterners, who are devout followers of the Islamic faith.” He condemns governments that “tend toward secular rule,” because they “disenfranchise large segments of the population who believe religion should not be excluded from government,” and because “they often send religious leaders to prison.”
But what is al-Sisi’s ultimate vision for the appropriate place of religion in a so-called “Islamic democracy.”? Consistent with aspirations of 67% of Egyptians who recently affirmed their support for the eventual (re-)establishment of an Islamic Caliphate—a totalitarian, Sharia-based trans-national Muslim superstate, al-Sisi (per Springborg’s rendition of his thesis), states:
But Sisi’s thesis goes beyond simply rejecting the idea of a secular state; it embraces a more radical view of the proper place of religion in an Islamic democracy. He writes: “Democracy cannot be understood in the Middle East without an understanding of the concept of El Kalafa,” or the caliphate, which Sisi defines as the 70-year period when Muslims were led by Muhammad and his immediate successors. Re-establishing this kind of leadership “is widely recognized as the goal for any new form of government” in the Middle East, he asserts. The central political mechanisms in such a system, he believes, are al-bi’ah (fealty to a ruler) and shura (a ruler’s consultation with his subjects).
Springborg adds this apposite, if rather understated commentary on al-Sisi’s Caliphate dreams:
Apologists for Islamic rule sometimes suggest that these concepts are inherently democratic, but in reality they fall far short of the democratic mark.Hmmm.....Matthew 7:15.Beware of False prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.Read the full story here.
Written by Robert Springborg, a professor at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, long recognized for his published expertise on the Egyptian military, the essay highlighted al-Sisi’s previously unrecognized (or dismissed) near term political aspirations—such as running for Egyptian President (also suggested here, here)—and of equal significance, his political ideology.
During various interviews he granted in the immediate aftermath of Morsi’s overthrow (see here, here, here, and my own earlier blog), Springborg had forthrightly summarized al-Sisi’s core Weltanschauung as being essentially identical to that of the sacked Egyptian President, and Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Morsi.Now, Springborg’s 7/28/13 Foreign Affairs essay has provided irrefragable, hard evidence of the General’s, and potential Egyptian Presidential candidate’s, Sharia supremacist ideology: al-Sisi’s own written words, recorded in his 2006 U.S. Army War College mini-thesis.
Although, as Springborg notes, innocuously entitled, “Democracy in the Middle East”, al-Sisi’s mini-thesis, “reads like a tract produced by the Muslim Brotherhood.” Indeed, within the very opening paragraph, according to Springborg,
Sisi emphasizes the centrality of religion to the politics of the region, arguing that “for democracy to be successful in the Middle East,” it must show “respect to the religious nature of the culture” and seek “public support from religious leaders [who] can help build strong support for the establishment of democratic systems.”
Al-Sisi’s thesis further argues that Egyptians and other Arab Muslims will only judge democracy in a positive manner if it “sustains the religious base versus devaluing religion and creating instability.” Moroever, al-Sisi, as per Springborg’s analysis remains openly and harshly critical of secular governance.
Secularism, according to Sisi, “is unlikely to be favorably received by the vast majority of Middle Easterners, who are devout followers of the Islamic faith.” He condemns governments that “tend toward secular rule,” because they “disenfranchise large segments of the population who believe religion should not be excluded from government,” and because “they often send religious leaders to prison.”
But what is al-Sisi’s ultimate vision for the appropriate place of religion in a so-called “Islamic democracy.”? Consistent with aspirations of 67% of Egyptians who recently affirmed their support for the eventual (re-)establishment of an Islamic Caliphate—a totalitarian, Sharia-based trans-national Muslim superstate, al-Sisi (per Springborg’s rendition of his thesis), states:
But Sisi’s thesis goes beyond simply rejecting the idea of a secular state; it embraces a more radical view of the proper place of religion in an Islamic democracy. He writes: “Democracy cannot be understood in the Middle East without an understanding of the concept of El Kalafa,” or the caliphate, which Sisi defines as the 70-year period when Muslims were led by Muhammad and his immediate successors. Re-establishing this kind of leadership “is widely recognized as the goal for any new form of government” in the Middle East, he asserts. The central political mechanisms in such a system, he believes, are al-bi’ah (fealty to a ruler) and shura (a ruler’s consultation with his subjects).
Springborg adds this apposite, if rather understated commentary on al-Sisi’s Caliphate dreams:
Apologists for Islamic rule sometimes suggest that these concepts are inherently democratic, but in reality they fall far short of the democratic mark.Hmmm.....Matthew 7:15.Beware of False prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.Read the full story here.
1 comment:
I would take Asisi over Muslim brotherhood or Obama admin interference any day of the week. Call me crazy but Asisi is the lesser of two evils. No Asisi means more Christians are murdered. F*** that. I'm with Asisi for now.
Nicoenarg
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