The Muslim Brotherhood.

Editor,

The Muslim Brotherhood! The Muslim Brotherhood!

This is the latest bogeyman with which the American right wing is trying to scare the American public into yet more continuation of American anti-democratic policies in the Middle East.

Every scholar or reputable journalist I have heard interviewed on Pacifica radio or Al Jazeera English says that the Muslim Brothers:

--- a) constitute a minority, approximately 20%, of the Egyptian population,

--- b) have forsworn violence -- the radical wing that murdered Sadat 30 years ago has long ago spun itself off into its own organization,

--- c) perceives itself as an opposition party and wants to participate in government,

--- d) wants Egypt's government to be based on "Islamic values" -- which to uninformed Americans means stoning women to death but to the vast majority of Muslims across the globe means dignity and respect for one's fellow human beings,

--- e) are Sunni, not Shia, and therefore are not organized in a hierarchy with a supreme ayatollah at the top.

No, the Muslim Brothers do not like Israel. So? Israel is quick to drop bombs on Arabs and seems not at all willing to negotiate with Arabs in good faith.

So is the American foreign policy now that in order for us to allow self-determination and not prop up murdering, torturing dictators in the Middle East every minority political party must love Israel? Not every American loves Israel. Who in the United States is dictating this policy?

Re: "Protesters Vow to Escalate Pressure on Mubarak" (2/7/2011)