Politics & Religion:
One would
hardly conceive consulting a chapter on state reforms without having separate
rooms for religious and political analysis and recommendations, yet with an
elected president formed and nurtured under the auspice of the Muslim
brotherhood in Egypt, it is becoming harder to distinguish between political
agendas and religious commandments even though glorious empires and successful
state management has once been led by fervent prophets and religious apostles.
Political
Islamism nowadays has bridged the divide between state management and religious
theology, and the Muslim brotherhood fashion has embodied such philosophy
following the recommendations of its founder AlBanna. A legacy which, though
inspired revolutions and ignited incidents, is still at the center of
interrogation by both the public opinion and the centers of powers worldwide.
Far from being compared to the Turkish Gullen movement who advances an Islamic
agenda through education and business, the Muslim brotherhood embraces a full
political approach directed towards the control of key positions inside the
government, thus implementing its vision through state organs.
This being
said, the mischievous game of politics can easily put the current government
under stress and recurrent test, especially that the social, religious and
geographical features of Egypt allow malicious schemes to take effect without
much planning. Whether a plot to blow up a church, or a furtive attack on
border patrols near the Rafah crossing point, the blames of state mismanagement
or blind and reckless compassion with Hamas are
common currency in Pharaoh’s land, a currency too easily manipulated by
the political lack of regulation.
The
Egyptian government needs to act quickly and efficiently to reverse the power
flow and to assert the will of the public opinion as main source of legislation
instead of induced and forced actions prompted by the Military council and allies
of the former regime. This can be achieved through greater representation,
active engagement of the civil society and formation of key political
alliances. The greater representation has already been upheld by president
Mursi when nominating Coptic Christians in key positions in the government, yet
the increase of the female representatives in the government has not been as
much secured. Nominating females for senior posts in the state will not only
draw support and appreciation from the public opinion, but will also clear the
doubts about the approach of the Muslim brotherhood indoctrinated president
about women rights and representation.
Moreover,
representation ought not only to give justice to women, but also to the generation
Y without which a revolution could not proceed. The inclusion of the young
individuals in the ministerial cabinet and state offices is a priority and an
ethical imperative to pay tribute to the effort of the grassroots youth
movements who came to the streets and scarified lives and wealth for the nation’s
welfare. With a 71% literacy rate and a an almost 63% of population aged 15-64[1],
the young generation is not only abundant, but is also educated and well-endowed
to uphold responsibilities in the political spheres of the country. Relevant
fields of state legislations cannot be competitive, visionary and innovative
unless under the guidance of a young official. Such fields comprise the
ministries of new technologies and higher education and scientific research.
On another
note, political alliances are crucial for healthy political performances both
due to its effectiveness in channeling efforts towards consensual goals and
preventing political confrontation which undermines state efforts in most cases.
The political offspring of the Muslim Brotherhood, the freedom and justice
party, ought not to indulge in ideological quarrels with the secular and
liberal movement in order not to alienate itself amid a growing critical base
in the Egyptian street. The alliances can be policies-specific and thus would
neither endanger the ideological integrity nor identity of the Muslim
Brotherhood representatives. The policies pertinent to the nations’ economy,
for example, can be drafted in coordination with the liberal movement which
abides by the market oriented principle of economy. Their inclusion in the
process of establishing a liberal, market oriented vision for Egypt will indeed
strengthen the image of the current government as an inclusive institution
meant to represent the entire ideological and political spectrum in an effort
to incrust a political democratic offset to the leading Freedom and Justice
party.
Finally,
sound state management in a democratic society ought to empower the civil
society and uphold it as a crucial partner in elaborating the domestic
policies. The civil society in Egypt has proven to be an illuminated
establishment with unequal human resources, yet the attention required to
recognize the work of the numerous associations and equip them with the
necessary financial and logistical needs has been overlooked. Joining the
different NGOs in state building is not only a matter of democratic exertion
but is a point pertinent to national security concerns. Several NGOs in
Egyptian and foreign territory acquire funding and expertise from foreign
government to promote an agenda which sometimes threatens Egyptian interests.
Given the political circumstances which put Egypt on a sensitive position in the
world chess board, and the disturbances which populate the relationship between
Egypt and several governments amongst is Israel, allowing the civil society to
be infiltrated by foreign agendas because of certain political alignments or
plain negligence is a fatal error which endangers the homeland security at the
highest levels.
This being
said, these set of recommendations and opinions are to be observed and
implemented, and timing in state management is a crucial feature which alone
can determine whether a government can indeed succeed or fail dramatically
regardless of the nature of its policies. Egypt is in a historical turnout, and
recalling the losses in human and financial resources makes it clear that
enough has been suffered and scarified, and time has come to do the right
things at the right moment.
Mohamed Amine Belarbi
[1] The CIA World Factbook, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/eg.html
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