Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, Take Note: The Revolution is Inter-Religious
While the future of Egypt is not clear, we have to avoid hasty, fear-mongering speculations which are preparing people to dislike what comes out of all the civil unrest. Some pundits are making this appear as a purely Muslim uprising, seeking to turn Egypt into an Islamist state. What they do not tell you is that the Coptics are actively working with and are among the protesters, as this article from The Catholic Review points out:
“To date, you had Muslims guarding the Christian churches. You had Christians surrounding the mosques on Friday (Jan. 28) to keep the police from storming them,” said James Zogby, author of “Arab Voices: What They Are Saying to Us, and Why it Matters.”
“As folks used to say in the labor movement: ‘On the line, allies get made.’ I think there is a public coming together of at least some elements,” he added. “We don’t know enough, because America doesn’t listen enough and isn’t engaged enough in following the public discourse (in Egypt). So we don’t know yet who the key players and what the key elements of this movement are going to be.”
You can see Christian involvement with the protests in this Daily Mail article; it points out that many of the non-Coptic, Protestant Christians are acting in solidarity with Muslim protesters. The revolution, if it comes to that, is inter-religious. During the current regime, Christians have had little protection given to them by the state. Coptic Christians living outside of Egypt have been warned to stay away from Egypt. Yet, it seems that something is changing. Muslims, not the state, protecting Christians during Christmas seems to have been the beginning of something good. Christians are responding in kind. They are getting to know each other. They are helping each other. Instead of all the fear-mongering, warning of a takeover in Egypt by radical Muslims, pundits should be looking to the real story, the story of how Christians and Muslims have learned that they need to help each other if they want a better future.
Comments are closed.
Great post, Henry!
Thanks, Michael. I had heard Rush speaking out about Egypt, and it was clear he was following the typical meme — Muslims are bad, and will make things worse in Egypt.
I think we who are liberals should appreciate how the larger segement of the GOP is standing with the President and speaking with one voice on this matter.
Speaker Boehner, Rep. Cantor, Sens. McCain and Lugar and many others in the Republican Party have been very responsible. Even Palin has gone into a rare silence. Limbaugh, Beck and the 2012 presidential candidates might be beyond hope, but so far I am impressed with those ending partisanship at the water’s edge.
Kurt
Very true, though I thikn the GOP think of this as proof that Bush’s work in Iraq has been effective. Obviously, I don’t think they are connected.
I pray that continues to be true Henry. Thanks for always bringing sanity to the discussion.
Ronald
Yes, it could stop especially if pressure is put on from outside to cause internal fighting. But this shows, it doesn’t have to be, and I pray not only this continues, but it is the start of a new cooperation in the Middle East
I’m surprised Mr. Limbaugh isn’t looking at this as Bush’s prediction coming true: that US actions in Iraq would result in establishing democracy in the region that would spread. Of course, it seems to be coming from Iraq only back-handedly from the Al Jazeera effect, but AJ made their bones off of Bush’s wars…
Maybe God’s writing straight with crooked lines?
Sorry to rain on everybody’s parade, but there’s no change in U.S. policy here. As is our standard practice, we support “our boy” until we realize there’s no chance for him to retain power, at which point we immediately switch sides and begin pretending as though we support the democratic movement. All the while, of course, working behind the scenes so as to ensure that the transitional government can be managed according to our interests: Enter Suleiman, director of intelligience, master torturer, and good supporter of Isaeali and U.S. policy. He will take over the transtional government, and in the next few months work to splinter the opposition. Then he, or a candidate chosen by him, will run in an “election” and win, and the U.S. backed military will continue to run the country. Do you really think that the Egyptian military would consider losing the aid and support they get from the U.S. by submitting themselves to the will of the Egyptian people, the majority of whom are against the Gaza blockade and Egyptian military support of Israel? Not a chance.
Where’s my umbrella?
Zogby’s quip says it all: “We have as much role in Egypt right now as Hugh Hefner would be giving Marriage Encounter classes.”
Every conservative I know is hopeful but nervous. The Iranian Revolution (that came to be known as the Islamic Revolution) included different ideologies coming together for a common cause. Khomeni appealed to the moderates, and was welcomed into the new government.
It’s easier for moderates to attract broad support for the revolution. It’s easier for organized extremists to take over the revolution once it starts rolling. Consider 1789 and 1917.
As much as I hate to admit it, WJ’s analysis has the backing of history. So long as Israel is in place as a Jewish state, and so long as big oil greases the wheels of the world economies and lards the portfolios of the global plutocrats, an Egypt whose populace is kept in chains by police state tactics and a military elite, will be the shadow agenda of the U.S. power structure, regardless of what is spoken aloud for public consumption.
I think this revolution will succeed due to the genuine vigor and desire displayed by this newest generation of young people – qualities that are actually great for any dynamic society AND for successful businesses – local and global. Thus if one chooses to be ‘pessimistic’ – one can certainly rest assured that the global plutocrats will find plenty creative ways to smooth over the pain of their short term losses.
Revolutions and Wars are after all great for business.
Israel by the way would ‘play’ upset about loosing the old friendly dictator one way or the other.
It would actually be the death kiss for this democratic movement if any Israeli official ( and most Americans besides Obama for that matter too )would voice something overly positive regarding the prospects of a change in government.
They all play their parts for the most part to perfection – in the end I trust that plenty of influential leaders – political and business that is – are as genuinely excited by what we see transforming in front of our eyes as most around here.
But in the meantime Americans, Europeans, Israelis et al. will voice concerns and pin for a the desired smooth transition and are against the thing until they within a couple of short days/weeks will be all for the thing.
All will be good.
Every conservative I know is hopeful but nervous
As is every liberal I know. Let’s hope, pray and try to speak our values with one voice.
Excellent post. My hope is that the voice of reason drowns out the much louder voices of a tiny minority. While that is not normally the reality, we can at least pray that for once, it becomes so.