Yesterday, it was reported that the Pakistani Minister for Minorities (a Cabinet-level position in Pakistan’s government) was shot by gunmen yesterday thought to be Muslim extremists. This follows the assassination of a Pakistani governor in early January, also by Muslim extremists. In the first case, the Minister was a Christian and in the case of the governor, a Muslim. They both had criticized the country’s blasphemy laws and suggested their removal or amendment. These killings follow years of harassment, persecution and violence against those accused under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. [Read more...]
Jan
25
The Hizbullah Takeover Begins
New Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati
Today, we read that Najib Mikata was chosen as Lebanon’s Prime Minister, instead of the previous leader of the Sunni Lebanese parliamentary bloc and previous Prime Minister, Sa’ad Hariri. Mikata was chosen by a majority of the Parliament, led by the March 8 (Hizbullah-allied) group. In response, Sunnis across the country were encouraged to protest in a “day of rage” against their perceived slight.
(NOTE: for those that aren’t familiar with Lebanese political rules, the law mandates that the President must be a Christian, the Prime Minister–where the power lies–a Sunni, and the Speaker of the Parliament a Shi’ite. This arrangement dates from the 1943 National Pact in an attempt to avoid sectarian strife over political appointments).
Jan
19
Hizbullah Ups the Ante
In a recent post, I discussed what I thought were Hizbullah’s goal(s) in pulling out of Lebanon’s government. While I was unsure of whether this was grab for power (a thought shared by most analysts), I did think that Hizbullah was making a grab, legally, for more power.
Today, we discover that Hizbullah members were seen around Beirut in recent days, unarmed, carrying radios and talking to each other (called “practicing for a coup? by Ha’aretz). CNN reports that in some cases, these gatherings had up to 30 people. This comes after Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned his political opponents against acting against the movement and officials in the organization claimed that “the next steps” in Hizbullah’s political plans were already underway. Furthermore, also according to the CNN report, this “drill” came during a meeting between Turkish, Qatari and Lebanese government officials aiming at relieving the tension in Lebanon. [Read more...]
Jan
13
Hizbullah’s Moves in Lebanon: Future Implications for Islamist Movements
In a recent blog post about Hizbullah’s intentions in withdrawing from the Lebanese government and thus causing its collapse, I argued that this might be their attempt to institute the Islamic order they advocate in their ideology.
However, beyond the intentions and implications for Lebanon, it is also important to consider what Hizbullah’s moves might mean for the greater Middle East and for Islamist movements throughout the Middle East (and arguably the entire Islamic world). [Read more...]
Jan
13
The Collapse of Lebanon’s Government: The Start of an Islamist Future?
Lebanese Cabinet ministers resigning 12 Jan. 2011 (BBC News)
As many of us have now read, the Lebanese government collapsed yesterday with the resignation of the Hizbullah-led bloc’s ministers. With the impending release of the findings of the U.N. tribunal’s report on the 2005 assassination of former P.M Harik al-Hariri, Hizbullah and its allies felt it was time to leave the government. Also, the resignation came while Lebanese Prime Minister Sa’ad al-Hariri was in Washington meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama.
The New York times article downplays the move by Hizbullah and its allies, saying “In practical terms, however, the turmoil will have little effect, as the government has been paralyzed for months.” [Read more...]
Jan
02
The Leaders of Islam: According to Daniel Pipes
According to a recent post by Daniel Pipes, there are 4 countries that really determine the future of Islam in the modern nation-state system:
1) Turkey: According to Pipes, Turkey “leads the way to Islamism 2.0, a more democratic and sophisticated version of the supremacist and totalitarian ideology forwarded by Khomeini and Osama bin Laden.” What he is describing here is the gradual movement of Turkey’s government to a more-Islam-centered emphasis, in constrast to their staunchly secular posture of the last 80 years. [Read more...]
Dec
19
The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood: Return to Fundamentalism?
Sayyid Qutb in Egyptian prison
The topic of the Muslim Brotherhood’s place in Egypt is always a contentious issue, especially for the Egyptian government. Since the 1930s, the Brotherhood has served as the regime’s main opposition, capable of massing considerable popular support. As a result, the Brotherhood has undergone considerable changes, adapting to the political realities of Egypt and trying to ensure their survival but also grow as an organization. [Read more...]
Apr
24
Egypt and Hezbollah at Odds
In a strange twist of events, Egypt and Hezbollah have recently been at odds with each other, following the discovery of Hezbollah plots to subvert the Egyptian government and possibly overthrow the Egyptian regime. The following links detail these developments:
- Egypt accuses Hezbollah of planning coup
- Egypt: Hezbollah and the Confrontation
- Cairo accuses Hezbollah of planning Egypt attacks
An interesting development to say the least. While Egypt and Hamas have a tense relationship, as seen in such things as their unwillingness to open the border crossings between themselves and the Gaza Strip and their general unwillingness to put any pressure on Israel to lift the blockade of Gaza, now Egypt and Hezbollah appear to be in open conflict. While Egypt has never been a strong supporter of any radical Islamist group (even against Israel) due to its own internal difficulties with the Muslim Brotherhood, it never seems to have had open hostility with other groups.
It seems this could be for a variety of reasons. The first was mentioned above–the problems with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. The Egyptian government has always had problems with extremist Muslim groups, dating to the days of Nasser, and it could be that they think that showing any favoritism to such a group and allowing it to operate with Egyptian support would further encourage the Muslim Brotherhood.
On the other hand, this could be part of a larger Hezbollah gripe against Egypt. For a number of weeks now, they have had an ongoing argument, with Egypt calling Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah a “monkey sheikh.” Hezbollah, meanwhile, has been smarting about Egypt’s lack of action during the recent war in Gaza, leveling considerable criticism at them. Thus, this could also been seen as Hezbollah potentially leveling the score with the Egyptians.
What this means for the future remains to be seen. Either way, it seems like a new chapter in the relationship between Egypt and the radical Islamist groups.