Life Is Precious

"The world cannot sit back and watch while innocent men, women and children are being indiscriminately slaughtered. The world must stand up to the military junta's crime before it is too late."
Muslim Brotherhood statement, London

How utterly ingenuous. But how supremely effective. The Muslim Brotherhood may have been averse to exercising a democratic mandate when its primary candidate for the Egyptian presidency, Mohammed Morsi achieved power for them through a celebratory democratic vote that more than satisfied the wishes of the critical West, but though it failed spectacularly to rule in good faith in favour of a true theocracy, it has managed to recognize the huge benefits attained through public relations.

And public relations is what it flawlessly manipulates to assure its international critics and backers alike that it is dedicated to democratic rule. Truly, truly it is. Obviously the flaw in that ointment was that when it had the opportunity to do just that, the heady atmosphere of power led it to fall back on precedent. Their parliamentary majority convinced them it was time to push through an illiberal constitution and foist Islamism on the country.

Because, they thought, they could. They had, after all, won 62% of the popular vote. Their superb organizational skills had paid off handsomely; they had ample time over the past close-to-a-century to preach what they practised. And then change gears and steer into the careful lane, portraying themselves as, after all, moderates. As opposed, for example, to the extremism of the government of former President Hosni Mubarak.

The greater balance of Egyptian society that could happily dispense with fanatical Islam hadn't the time or the opportunity to produce leaders, form parties, build memberships, plan agendas, promulgate their plans for the future of the country; the election that took place with the removal of Mr. Mubarak was too precipitate, so much so that even the Brotherhood hesitated, promising it had no intention of fielding candidates - then realizing that they could, did.

That was then, this is now. Now, no longer will Egyptian law be interpreted by the Cairo al-Azhar religious school through the piety of religious scholars, nor religious freedoms be restrained for the unapproved, and sex discrimination be installed, nor "insults" to the prophets of Islam be countered by severe punishment. The article that required the state to "safeguard and protect morality and public decency" now moot, and nor do the governerates reflect Brotherhood henchmen.

Simply put, they blew it.

But there is no intention of going back to where they once were, operating clandestinely, carefully, covertly, mindful of not bringing undue attention to themselves, their plans, their intentions. They are calling in all their IOUs from their faithful, bellowing their loss, demanding reinstatement and redress. And if sacrifices must be made to attain that end, why then, sacrifices will be made. For the faithful are not averse to responding to the just demands of the religion of peace.

And they declare themselves prepared to be sacrificed. Martyrdom is a blessed state, after all, a beatific symbol of all that matters, a final surrender to the faith that demands utter surrender. And, as far as the Brotherhood is concerned, that old adage of breaking eggs to make an omelette is as functional here, on the political scene as it is in the kitchen. One must eat, after all, and one must meet one's destiny. If martyrs are called for, then let there be martyrs.

Six hundred is not a bad start, for it is a number that startles the international community and begs their attention. Let the guilt fall upon them for whatever happens to the faithful of Islam obeying the call of the Muslim Brotherhood to stand their ground, oppose the false government and the country's military that has betrayed the Egyptian people. The greater the numbers the greater impetus for the foreign arbiters of right and wrong to condemn the new Egyptian authorities answerable to the military.

That the military is determined to restore order and peace, to tidy up an unfortunate experiment gone awry appears to have eluded the attention of many standing on the sidelines wringing their hands, demanding a cessation to the violence. But General Sisi must break eggs too, to obtain the desired goal; he must break open and beat the eggs to produce nicely cooked scrambled eggs, in the process of which some semblance of sanity may return.

While the Muslim Brotherhood continue to agitate for the faithful to turn out and keep marching, assembling, sitting-in, defying the orders of the military and the interim government in their efforts to restore a measure of civility and order and reason, the sacrifices of the thousands injured along with the bloody carnage has given second pause for thought to Brotherhood supporters whose enthusiasm to swarm in their hundreds of thousands appears to have shrunk to tens of thousands.

Life is, after all, precious.