Response to my post

Submitted by Imad Al-Sukkari (Canada), Feb 5, 2011 at 23:41

I don't believe that you have read my post carefully. The main point I was trying to get at is simply that one cannot predict the outcomes of revolutions. From a historical perspective, revolutions have often produced surprising outcomes to say the least. The French revolution is a good example of this, as the toppling of the monarchy led to the creation of five Republics, in the process leading to the reign of terror. What is unexpected is that the machine behind the current Egyptian revolution is not the Muslim Brotherhood but rather the educated secular youth of Egypt (who by the way, mostly graduated from the American University in Cairo) where Dr. Pipes studied Arabic and Mohammed El Baradei the former UN Chief for the IAEA. The Muslim Brotherhood stated on a number of occasions that they are not going to have one of their candidates run in the Presidential Elections. Again, I am not a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood nor am I sugar-coating their aspirations to have the country Islamicized in the future.

As for your laundry list of what an 'Arab Revolution' should look like, I think you omit a great deal of historical analysis and focus entirely on the negative impacts espoused by exteremists both on the Ultra-Left and Islamist parties in the Middle-East. Just remember the Arab world for the most part during the 9th to the 13th centuries has been a safe haven for the Jewish population that were oppressed in Europe, and this comes from ethnographer and historian Shelomo Dov Goitein. Your claim about Israel being the only country accepting Christians is false, given that countries like Syria, Jordan and Lebanon fully accept their Christian bretherns. Besides, Israel current coalition government consists of radical right-wing parties like Shas founded on 'Apartheid' principles, calling for the marginalization and the eventual deportation of the 'Arabs' from the Holy Land. Just look at the actions of current Mayor of Jerusalem (plans to expanding the settlements) and the Minister of Housing (belongs) to Shas.

Where I will agree with you, is the fact that the Arab world has a long ways to go in reforms. But as Dr. Pipes pointed out in a later article, reform will take time and only the Egyptian people have the capacity to change it by themselves. How long will it take? Only time will tell. You are entitled to your opinion, but I refute your laundry list of reforms as it is easy for one sitting at their comfort of their own home to look at the various problems that still linger. Again, I challenge the Right to support the toppling of the brutal and the autocratic regime of Hosni Mubarak.

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