Egypt uprising: Islamists lead Tahrir Square rally

**Rome101** · July 29, 2011, 06:48 AM

Tens of thousands of people have packed Cairo's Tahrir Square, after the first call by Islamist leaders for nationwide demonstrations since President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in February.
The demonstrators - dominated by Muslim Brotherhood supporters - are calling for an Islamic state and Sharia law.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14341089

So, eehh.... told you so?

**Watchman** · July 29, 2011, 06:54 AM

ANY kind of basically functioning and fairly applied legal system - even if it's pulled out of a book well over a thousand years old - tends to be preferred to one that is neither (which AFAIK is still very much the case in Egypt). Which would essentially be what they're after there - considering the past fifty plus years there, a certain lack of confidence in purely secular law and authorities is excusable don't you think? Doubly so as AFAIK the Islamists have been the most consistent dissenters against the police state for approximately as long as it has existed, which gives them a certain degree of "street cred" much the same way La Resistance earned the Communists a lot of popular kudos back around WW2.

**Sir Pignans** · July 29, 2011, 06:56 AM

Originally Posted by Rome101

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14341089

So, eehh.... told you so?

It's a democracy, the people get what they ask for. If they want it, they should get it. End of story.

**Rome101** · July 29, 2011, 07:00 AM

Originally Posted by Sir Pignans

It's a democracy, the people get what they ask for. If they want it, they should get it. End of story.

You did a degree in politics or something, right?
Then in that case, you ought to know that democracy needs to be protected. A democracy electing a called-out tyranny is making an illegal move. You can't say it's okay to run over other peoples' human rights just because the majority wants to.

**Sir Pignans** · July 29, 2011, 07:03 AM

Originally Posted by Rome101

You did a degree in politics or something, right?
Then in that case, you ought to know that democracy needs to be protected. A democracy electing a called-out tyranny is making an illegal move. You can't say it's okay to run over other peoples' human rights just because the majority wants to.

A level, one step below a degree.

Tyranny of the majority is what I'm assuming your talking about, and your right, it is a problem in a liberal democracy, but unfortuanty, as long as the MB are elected consistantly, they can bring in whatever laws they want (As long as those laws don't restrict democracy without referendums). They have the mandate to rule.

This can be turned the other way around of course, I could argue that Israel has a tyranny of the minority due to your (no offense) awful voting system in which a small number of the country can hold the rest hostage.

**Erebus Pasha** · July 29, 2011, 08:42 AM

Originally Posted by Rome101

You did a degree in politics or something, right?
Then in that case, you ought to know that democracy needs to be protected. A democracy electing a called-out tyranny is making an illegal move. You can't say it's okay to run over other peoples' human rights just because the majority wants to.

The BBC article states this:

"Although the Muslim Brotherhood - Egypt's oldest political party - can turn out huge crowds by rallying its supporters at mosques, it does not necessarily represent the majority of Egyptians and is predicted to win around 20% of the vote in an election, our correspondent says."

So it looks like the Muslim Brotherhood wouldn't have the support of the majority if it wished to create an Islamist state in Egypt.

**Rome101** · July 29, 2011, 06:58 AM

True, right now things aren't great, but an Islamist state aiming for a caliphet is just bad.
Maybe it's an improvement in terms of stability, but in terms of human rights and the fine balance of powers in the ME, it's the worst case scenario.

**~~Yosemite~~** · July 29, 2011, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by Rome101

True, right now things aren't great, but an Islamist state aiming for a caliphet is just bad.
Maybe it's an improvement in terms of stability, but in terms of human rights and the fine balance of powers in the ME, it's the worst case scenario.

so you're surprised that the people sides with the brother hood

why? you knew that the support they give to the population is all good service that the secular dictator failed to deliver

don't be surprised, they are winning the hearts of the people

Originally Posted by Erebus26

The BBC article states this:

"Although the Muslim Brotherhood - Egypt's oldest political party - can turn out huge crowds by rallying its supporters at mosques, it does not necessarily represent the majority of Egyptians and is predicted to win around 20% of the vote in an election, our correspondent says."

So it looks like the Muslim Brotherhood wouldn't have the support of the majority if it wished to create an Islamist state in Egypt.

brother hood sounds like the front national from france, in terms of popularity

**Sir Pignans** · July 29, 2011, 07:00 AM

The balance of power changes all the time.

**Watchman** · July 29, 2011, 07:04 AM

Because Egypt ATM has such a glowing record for respecting human rights. Also the last I checked an waful lot of Western states had some kind of state religion thing going, so yeah.

As for "Caliphate", hot air is cheap. No such thing has existed in any meaningful sense for well over a thousand years now, and good luck getting say Syrians and Turks nevermind now Shiites lite the Iranians into the deal. (The Sunni-Shia split was a major factor in the original specimen coming apart, though it was really just one nail in the coffin.)
Hell.
Egypt's immediate next door neighbours would laugh themselves sick at the prospect.

**~~removeduser_487563287433~~** · July 29, 2011, 07:06 AM

People have opinion.

**~~Basil II the B.S~~** · July 29, 2011, 07:22 AM

Good, we should now suspend any form of aid given to Egypt, make an embargo, and whenever they'll start another war against Israel, occupy Suez.
They are free to elect all the crap they want, we are free to make our own choices and decide not have relations with them.

**~~removeduser_487563287433~~** · July 29, 2011, 07:23 AM

Originally Posted by Basil II the B.S

Good, we should now suspend any form of aid given to Egypt, make an embargo, and whenever they'll start another war against Israel, occupy Suez.
They are free to elect all the crap they want, we are free to make our own choices and decide not have relations with them.

We should attack Egypt because of the right to demonstrate? Do you want to embargo Saudi Arabia, or Nigeria, and destroy our own economies over night because they actually have Sharia Law?

**PointOfViewGun** · July 29, 2011, 07:22 AM

Originally Posted by Rome101

So, eehh.... told you so?

What did you tell us exactly?

**~~Basil II the B.S~~** · July 29, 2011, 07:24 AM

Did I say that? No. Another boring disruptive posting by Ferrets, I should ignore you from now on.

**The excited one** · July 29, 2011, 07:26 AM

i hope egypt is not in a path of theocracy and turning itself in to Iran in i mean they got the suez canal

**~~removeduser_487563287433~~** · July 29, 2011, 07:31 AM

Originally Posted by Basil II the B.S

Did I say that? No. Another boring disruptive posting by Ferrets, I should ignore you from now on.

No you didn't say that, my mistake, shouldn't assume your views are consistent.

**pajomife** · July 29, 2011, 07:46 AM

Originally Posted by Basil II the B.S

Did I say that? No. Another boring disruptive posting by Ferrets, I should ignore you from now on.

Don't you mess Up with him,he barley have any doubt and are always right.

**pajomife** · July 29, 2011, 07:28 AM

That's normal or anyone expect a truly democratic uprising in the region? And supported by this liberal UE. Another country who will flourish under the sharia law.