Why Do Americans Love the Brotherhood?

Now that America has stuck its nose in the internal matters of the world’s nations and is itself suffering from terrorist hives, it searches for the root of the problem. Only yesterday it labeled the Libyan and Tunisian Jamiat Ansar al-Sharia a terrorist organization. Why, you Westerner?!* Is it because the group posed a serious threat to American interests, participated in the attack on the United States consulate in Libya and was involved in attacks against the American school in Tunis? Is this why you named it a terrorist organization? Does it, therefore, deserve to have its funds and those of its leaders frozen? Is this why it is prohibited for companies, citizens and governments all over the world to deal with it and why those who do are punished?

This ban effectively prohibits words and peace. Speaking with Jamiat Ansar al-Sharia merits punishment and annoys the vicious beast that is America. Dialogue and idle talk are not acceptable. Instead, America has plainly announced the terrorist leaders’ names, assuring the world that they are on blacklists and that it will pursue them to the ends of the earth!

OK, did America obtain legal authority from a court to do this? What court? The State Department issued the decision to pursue these individuals based on information received from the CIA. In other words, the decision came from an intelligence service and is not open to debate.

Furthermore, did America obtain authorization from any countries to track down, punish and assassinate these individuals? What authorization? America acted and the countries of the world had to listen and obey!

OK, and the [Muslim] Brotherhood, you Westerner? No, the Brotherhood is a special case. The Brothers were permanent guests at the embassy in Cairo. They attended ceremonies and parties, served as consultants and participated in negotiations. The Brotherhood protected American interests; for that reason, Obama was furious when the Egyptian state banned the Muslim Brotherhood’s political activities.

Never forget that the Muslim Brotherhood did not expose the lives of American to danger, but rather the lives of Egyptians. As you see, an Egyptian life is not equivalent to that of an American. To be blunt, the American price is higher than that of the Egyptian, African or Asian on the human stock exchange. If an American sneezes, Uncle Sam declares a state of emergency; this would never be the case for other nationalities!

They deceived you by saying that America has double standards. It has one standard: its interests. The Brotherhood did not infringe on American interests. So why would America classify it as a terrorist organization?

It is profoundly disappointing that we did not learn from the events happening around us. America does not wait for a court ruling to make a decision. When a matter concerns American interests, it adopts the decision and then searches for moral cover. Did America wait for a decision from the United Nations Security Council the day that it struck Iraq? No, it cobbled together an alliance with its friends and that was it. Did America obey a clear judicial order to close Guantanamo Bay prison camp? Well, there remains no answer to this question.

The message here is as clear as daylight for our brothers in Egypt. The Noor Party, for example, states plainly that it opposes classifying the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization because this decision came from a minister rather than a judge. In fact, Yasser Borhamy, the Noor Party’s spokesman, refuses to dissolve the Freedom and Justice Party until the court — not the administrative justice system — makes a final ruling on the case. This means that this situation is unlikely to be resolved even after the referendum and eons of contesting, challenging and debating!

Now the conditions have changed and our government is a reactionary institution that never initiates the fight, but rather receives the first, second and tenth blows before striking back. Still, this is the law and that’s all right** because forgiveness is a noble principle. The terrorists, however, take advantage of this dynamic to serve their own interests. For that reason, it is disappointing that members of the Egyptian political and social elite believe these terrorists and repeat their arguments!

We are not calling for the application of American standards in dealing with terrorism. We write these words only in merely to foster conversation and for our own amusement. We will never depart from our general course and, for better or worse, we will never abandon Egyptian culture and our inherited traditions. How lucky is he who has what he needs in his hands.*** The enemy that you know is better than the friend you don’t know!

*Translator’s Note: Translated from khwagah, a mildly derogatory term for “Westerner” or “foreigner” in Egyptian Arabic.

**Translator’s Note: Contractions used to signify the writer’s use of colloquial Arabic.

***Translator’s Note: Egyptian idiom that expresses gratitude for one’s circumstance.