The Islamists control the Egyptian parliament.

"The People’s Assembly speaker Mohamed Saad El-Katatni has declared the results of the internal elections for the parliamentary committees on Tuesday, in the eighth session of the new parliament. So far, the results for 10 parliamentary committees have been announced, dominated by the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood"  Ahram

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The MB party will run the new parliament.  "Nur," the slafist party will run the education committee.  Is there any real doubt as to where this is headed? 

What sort of constitutution do you thiunk these "squirrels" are going to write?

The president to come had better have a very big ego and want this a lot.  They need someone like Romney.  Ah!  Amre Moussa.  pl

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/33333/Egypt/Politics-/Freedom-and-Justice-Party-heads-most-of-Egypts-par.aspx

Comments

[turcopolier]

Matthew

I am "shocked, shocked." If you were not such an ernest person I would think you were mocking me. I am not a graduate of "The Citadel, the military college of South Carolina." My alma mater, VMI, is the third highest rated public college in the US. No, I learned it from Riebling. My favorite aphorism of this kind was learned from a Laotian sergeant of irregular troops. "Softly, softly, catchy monkey..." pl

[Matthew]

Sorry, Colonel. It was VMI.

[Redhand]

What sort of constitution do you think these "squirrels" are going to write?

I am reminded of my Dad's commentary on John Wayne Bobbitt during that gentleman's five minutes of fame: "The guy has the mind of a squirrel."

I wish I could add more to this debate, but it seems that there is no good democratic model for countries where Islam is the predominant religion. They all appear to be either: (1) dictatorial kingdoms; (2) military dictatorships; or (3) repressive theocracies.

The one possible exception I can think of--at least for now--is Turkey, where the jury is still out on what will happen with the current Islamist party in power and its "historic" suppression of army plots to keep the country on a "secularist" path. But, is Turkey a desirable model for the Middle East, or even a form of regime other countries there would care to adopt? I just don't know: the Middle East just doesn't seem to me to have the basic societal ingredients for democracy based on the Western parliamentary system.