In the name of Allah, the Most-Merciful, the All-Compassionate

 

"May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon You"

 

Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah

                As-Salaam Alaykum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakaatuh

             ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1) Why Islamists are better Democrats

If the Arab Spring was seeded by a liberal insurrection, the Arab Fall has brought a rich harvest for Political Islam. In election after election, parties that embrace various shades of Islamist ideology have spanked liberal rivals. In Tunisia, the first country to hold elections after toppling a long-standing dictator, the Ennahda party won a plurality in the Oct. 23 vote for an assembly that will write a new constitution. A month later, the Justice and Development Party and its allies won a majority in Morocco's general elections. Now, in perhaps the most important election the Middle East has ever witnessed, Egypt's Islamist parties are poised to dominate the country's first freely elected parliament.

In the first of three rounds of voting, two Islamist groups won a clear majority between them: a coalition led by the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) got 37% of the vote, while the al-Nour Party won 24.4%. The Egyptian Block, a coalition of mostly liberal parties, was a distant third, with 13.4%. The FJP is the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, a mostly moderate Islamist group; al-Nour represents more-hard-line Salafis. With momentum on their side, the Islamists are expected to do even better in the second and third rounds, scheduled for Dec. 14 and Jan. 3. (See pictures of Egyptians flocking to the polls.)

Why have the liberals, leaders of the Arab Spring revolution, fared so poorly in elections? In Cairo, as the votes were being counted, I heard a raft of explanations from disheartened liberals. They were almost identical to the ones I'd heard the previous week, in Tunis. The litany goes like this: The liberals only had eight months to prepare for elections, whereas the Brotherhood has 80 years' experience in political organization. The Islamists, thanks to their powerful financial backing from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, outspent the liberals. The generals currently ruling Egypt, resentful of the liberals for ousting their old boss Hosni Mubarak, fixed the vote in favor of the Islamists. The Brotherhood and the Salafists used religious propaganda — Vote for us or you're a bad Muslim — to mislead a largely poor, illiterate electorate.

These excuses are all plausible, as far as they go. But they don't go very far. After all, the Salafis had no political organization until 10 months ago, and they still managed to do well. The liberals were hardly penurious: free-spending telecom billionaire Naguib Sawiris is a leading member of the Egyptian Block. Even if you buy the notion that the generals — themselves brought up in strict secular tradition — prefer the Islamists to the liberals, international observers found no evidence of systematic ballot fixing. (See photos of the recent clashes between police and protesters in Cairo.)

And to argue that voters were hoodwinked by the Islamists is to suggest that the majority of the electorate are gullible fools. This tells you something about the attitude of liberal politicians toward their constituency. And that in turn may hold the key to why they fared so badly.

The Islamists, it turns out, understand democracy much better than the liberals do. The Ennahda and the FJP were not just better organized, they also campaigned harder and smarter. Anticipating allegations that they would seek to impose an Iranian-style theocracy in North Africa, the Islamists formed alliances with some secular and leftist parties and very early on announced they would not be seeking the presidency in either country. Like smart retail politicians everywhere, they played to their strengths, capitalizing on goodwill generated by years of providing social services — free hospitals and clinics, soup kitchens — in poor neighborhoods. And they used their piety to assure voters that they would provide clean government, no small consideration for a population fed up with decades of corrupt rule. Even the Salafis, who openly pursue an irredentist agenda and seek a return to Islam's earliest days, benefited from the perception that they are scrupulously honest.

Having shown themselves adept at winning elections, will the Islamists now prove to be good democrats? There's reason for hope. Ennahda and FJP leaders have for the most part sounded conciliatory rather than triumphal: they have sought to broaden alliances and bring more liberals into their tents. Critics say this is all a ruse, but Tunisian and Egyptian voters have insured their democracy against ruses by leaving Ennahda and FJP well short of absolute majorities. (Read "In Egypt, Will Democratic Legitimacy Trump Military Legitimacy?")

Having proved themselves poor campaigners, will the defeated liberals now play by the rules? These require them to play a constructive role in parliament's opposition benches rather than undermine the elections by returning to street protest. They also must prepare for elections expected in 2012 and '13. They still have time to learn to be better democrats — like the Islamists.

http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,2101903,00.html

 

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May Allah allow us to SEE things as they TRULY are and not as we PERCEIVE things to be.
I send this email of my own and not representing any jamaah or group. Only Text of Quran is perfect, so please read others with filter. E&OE

 

TIME MAGAZINE, Monday, Dec. 19, 2011

By Bobby Ghosh

 

 

2) A Life Experience in the Land of Pharaoh and Moses

Extreme wealth on one end and unimaginable destitution on the other told me more about the inequality with which Egyptians had to bear daily.

Having struggled a long way through my high school years, I chose Egypt as the destination for my medical studies – a decision I never regretted. Despite odd remarks about Egypt I had received from friends around, following my heart was my way of doing things.

The six years spent in the 'land of prophets' was a crucial point in my life as a young adult, which brought about a big paradigm shift, making who I am today. Though I had been blessed with the sight of many other countries, Egypt was most desirable and incomparable for its unique combination of people, history, culture, natural beauty and national aspirations.

First Encounter

Putting my feet on Cairo as a typical Malaysian nineteen-year-old girl with previous exposure to the western world only, I was shocked to learn what 'Egypt' meant by the first impression: overcrowding, noise, dust, dirt, no traffic lights on the road, flats built so closed to each other that people could barely breath, and  daily street fighting.

Equipped with complete ignorance about Africa and the Arab world, its culture, geography and language, I had enormous difficulty to adapt. Part of me was quick to judge my early decision, but part of my heart was so full of curiosity and confidence that there was more than what my eyesight could grasp at that point.

I moved to Alexandria after spending roughly a month in Cairo, a vibrant city packed with 20 million inhabitants (equal to almost the entire Malaysian population!), and there was a sense of temporary relief within me. Alexandria was a relatively calmer city of four million people, smaller, and much more beautiful. It is the second most important city after Cairo, and the former capital of the country.

Since Alexandria is a city along the beach, one can never get enough of the beautiful Mediterranean sunset and its cool breeze. What made me happier were the newly built 13-storey Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the biggest library in the Arab world and only 200 meters away from the apartment building where I was staying. Hundreds of tourists from all over the world flock to the spot daily.

Miseries

The relief was temporary. As time went by, things began to unfold before my eyes, disturbing me deeply. I saw poverty on the streets of Egypt, a strong current of westernization against a defenseless, oppressed people, economic injustices, prejudice against the so-called Islamists and blatant hypocrisy and limitless corruption in the ruling elite.

Extreme wealth on one end and unimaginable destitution on the other told me more about the inequality and sufferings with which the Egyptians had to bear on a daily basis.

Any heart with unaffected simplicity would be equally torn as mine. However, the strong will and determination of the Egyptian people reassured my belief that Egypt was not only destined for, but deserved something great.

In the 4^th year of my medical studies there, food prices doubled and house rent increased by almost forty percent. Panic gripped the country. Drastic increase in crime rates was obvious.

Reports of arrests and torture on political activists as well as Islamists who dared to reveal the rampant corruption taking place within top officials became more regular.

My daily trip to the lecture hall was greeted by groups of demonstrators at the University main gate, mainly comprised of students and young people who were confronted by robotic policemen in black, big trucks.

Knowing the local language helped me communicate with people and understand many topical issues. My regular Arabic classes in Mandara, a small town 40-minute of driving distance from the campus area, and my involvement in discussions within the University circle shaped my understanding of this great country and strengthened my knowledge of Egyptian and regional issues.

Mixing with mainly the middle class people who were both educated and lively, I was deeply fascinated by their sense of unity as Muslims and Egyptians, positive minds and high aspirations despite the despicable condition of their country. Egypt at that time may have appeared dead, but Egyptians were full of dreams and hopes.

Praying for Change… Strike of a Revolution

In 2009, I graduated from Alexandria University and left Egypt with tears, leaving so many meaningful memories behind. I hugged my tearful Arabic teacher, Egyptian friends and neighbors and waved them goodbye, not knowing whether I would ever return to the blessed land. I kept to myself the thought that something great would happen and that Egypt would fulfill its destiny, fearing I might be wrong.

God Almighty had His own plan and His will triumphed over all. On 25 January 2011, I was shocked by news of chaos and mass protests in Egypt. My family and I prayed to God so that common people were protected as they were generally the most vulnerable victims in such situations.

Mixed emotions hit me day and night; part of me wanted the tyrant regime to be defeated mercilessly and face justice, but part of me feared public safety and foreign intervention. In eagerness to oust Mubarak and his ruling party, no one wanted another Iraq or Afghanistan.

Eighteen days of sacrifice was worth making. Precious blood was shed and struggle continued; until victory became imminent. A tyrant dictator who once seemed invincible was defeated forever. The world watched in silence and awe. Perhaps to cover up their decades of complicity and hypocrisy, big powers which were once allies of Mubarak hastily congratulated the revolution and hoisted the flag of democracy. One lesson which was not perhaps learnt yet was: hypocrisy does not remain hidden.

The road to success is not short and easy. As what the country is facing now, with Mubarak gone there will be many challenges and obstacles ahead to build a new and better Egypt. But again, sacrifice will be proven worth making.

I feel proud to have been part of Egypt, now a free nation. And I have full confidence that for this blessed land will use its resources proficiently and will become truly prosperous.

After all, it is both the land of Pharaoh and Moses. When Pharaoh is gone, Moses rules. When falsehood is defeated, truth stands supreme.

 

 By Raudah Mohd Yunus

Freelance Writer- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tuesday, 27 September 2011 12:32

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"Say (O Prophet!): The evil and the good are not equal even though the excess and abundance of the evil may impress you. So, O people of understanding, be mindful of your duty to Allah that you may succeed." Al-Qur'an, 5:100

Compiled, edited and adapted by Khalid Latif,

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