An edited version of this article was first published by me on my Facebook page
on the 15th of August, 2013 it has now been updated.
As with all articles dealing with current affairs, with rapid turn of
events, they become outdated very quickly.
Anyways, here it is for the record.
It is in response to an article “Is Obama An Enabler of Tyranny in
Egypt?” by Jacob Heilbrunn
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/jacob-heilbrunn/obamas-coldblooded-egypt-policy-8889So far Jacob Heilbrunn, in my view, as this article shows, comes closest to understanding the situation in the Middle East. American foreign policy fronted by President Obama promised to be the arbiter between rival interests to ensure that at some stage democratic policies take hold in that part of the world. This idea looks more in the distant now than it has ever been; a fictional notion and at best rhetorical one. In Egypt as in Iraq America encouraged the institution of democracy and as in Iraq relinquished it the moment they were confronted with difficulties. We find instead only violence and sectarianism taking hold with increasing rapacity inflicted throughout the region with,very probably, more to come. In the meantime America on the side-lines murmuring a return to the conference table rather than its normal carrot and stick foreign policy which is in desperate need now more than ever. President Obama's strongest condemnation today “force was not the way to resolve political differences”. Wow, you don’t say! This was after 14th of August 2013, a day of violence when some claim about 2000 people were killed.
We see evidence of the old shell of the Egyptian state which
has, for many years, provided a framework of working political despotism. A working framwork that continued but changed its colours into a democratically elected government that was to be an example of political reforms for much of the Middle East but has since been abused. Egypt, the sick man of the Near East, is witnessing its
power as well as its culture being assaulted by religious zealots having been denied their
democratic rights. The country is disintegrating
into anarchy while the landmark squares of Cairo are burning; lighting up the
differences and intolerances that seem so irredeemable for so many. In the face of, and in common with, an endemic lack of compromise in
the Middle East especially where religion has much to influence; we see in
Egypt exposing, without mercy, religious visible vindictiveness on all those who do
not wish to share in all of its doctrines.
For now Islam's consideration of tolerance and obedience within its ideology must be the traction that can or should bring
compromises from all sides to consider the duality of peace and reason.
The present situation in Egypt will not last as it is but indeed it will
get worse. With such weakness exposed by
the state it has become fertile ground for the Al-Quaida to infiltrate with all its
fire power. Al –Quaida will undermine
any effort for democracy or reconciliation and indeed the Muslim Brotherhood provides soft ground
for their cause. Egypt will be of
strategic importance for Al-quaida’s
geo-political interest. If it cannot
claim it by democratic means through a proxy party, it is quite likely to claim it
through subversion and violence. The
ease with which it has proved it can penetrate a confused or a politically
disorientated Arab country thus far, Egypt does not hold for it any impossible
barriers. America you must act now
before it is too late.
