EGYPT UNDER JIHADI GROUPS?

EGYPT UNDER JIHADI GROUPS?

KK Seenivasan

At last, Egyptians are in jubilant mood. The autocratic ruler, Hosni Mubarak, has already been overthrown from the power. It is not regarded as Islamic Revolution but Face book/twitter Revolution. Internet has been a weapon against the autocratic/authoritarian rulers who have been the supreme commander of the national army with all sophisticated arms and ammunition. Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia has also manifested as an outcome of cyber world. In the wake of uprisings both in Tunisia and Egypt, the most of the Arab/Islamic autocratic regimes have been undergoing unrest. Yes, the might of autocrats has become futile in front of internet as a weapon of social networking media. Thanks to the cyber world.

What will be the state of post-uprising Egypt? As an interim arrangement, the army has been authorized as the power center. Election is expected to be held in this year itself. Power transition is expected to be taken place through the democratic process. However, no guarantee has been given in this regard. Needless to say the dictators must be thrown out not only in Egypt but entire Muslim/Arab world. At the same time, it has to be seriously taken into account the background combined with the religious and political interest of the ruler/leader next.

There is strong reason to believe that Muslim Brotherhood (MB), an ultra-Islamic organization founded in 1928 by Al Hussain Banna (1906-1949), is going to be detrimental factor or force in regards to the political future of Egypt. It is known that MS has been maintaining close connection with various jihadi groups like Al-Jihad, HAMAS and Islamic terrorist groups in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. It is a fact that the MB’s view on power is meddling with the religion. And it has been a strong proponent of Jihad, brooding on an ultimate goal of global Islamic rule.

Overwhelming resentment against the dictator or ruler must not be a cause to pave an easy track for the Jihadi groups who have been keen on establishing global Islamic rule. Since the MB has been deadly against the westernization and secularism, the role of MB in post-Mubarak Egypt will be highly critical. Participatory/liberal democratic system is being debated and discussed well in the post-uprising Egypt. In this juncture, the MB’s perspectives on religion and power have to be scanned thoroughly. And this may check the Egypt from the possibility of becoming fertile land for Jihadi groups.

Under the current global situation, Afghanistan and Pakistan may not be a heaven of Jihadi groups anymore. Even international media has reported that the secret reconciliation talk between US administration and Taliban has been underway. It is fact that Taliban was sponsored and promoted as part of the US’s policy of containment, a strategy to limit and prevent Soviet expansionism, namely communism, during the cold war between USA and USSR. Since the cold war got concluded and USSR got declined, the US administration is hardly concerned over the containment of communism but containment of Islamic terrorism, especially thereafter 9/11.

The NATO, moreover, especially Obhama administration, is almost fed up with the Hameed Krzai government of Afghanistan owing to its inefficiency in countering the Taliban and the rampant corruptions in the country. US’s foreign policy in regards to Afghanistan has also drawn sharp criticism even from the American think-tanks. This ominous situation may be the reason to taping the possibility of reconciliation with Taliban. So it will not be a surprise if US administration and Taliban get reached an agreement sooner or later. In the given circumstance Jihadi groups are desperately needed to have an alternate safe place to bring up their jihadi ideology further. It is needed to be noticed that even though Hosni Mubarak was a dictator, his Egypt was forbidden to the Jihadi groups. Will it be kept up anymore? What’s more, it is apparent that Obhama administration and ohter western rulers are groping in the dark in this regard.

The embattled Libyan leader, Col.Ghadafi, says that the unrest in Libya is sponsored by the Al-Quida. This revelation may be his tactics to confuse the rest of the world, especially western world, with regards to ongoing oppression against the agitators. Needless to say Ghdahfi regime wants to justify their brutal repression. At the same time the possibility of involvement of Jihadi groups like Al-Quida in Arab/Islamic unrest ought to be looked into by the UN and other international agencies.