2021 Chairman’S Message

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

2021 Chairman’S Message 2021 Chairman’s Message For a diverse nation like India, to thrive and progress the most essential values required are freedom, justice, and equality before the law, and tolerance towards those who are dierent from us in terms of faith, culture, language, or customs. Immediately after we were relieved of the brunt of colonial occupation, our ancestors envisioned making our country a secular, democratic republic with a constitution that guarantees fundamental rights and equality before the law regardless of all these dierences. Though we were a struggling democracy all through, we had the hope that striving together, we could create a bright future. However, it is no secret anymore that we have long abandoned what our ancestors had envisaged and have embarked on a journey in the opposite direction. The idea of O. M. A. Salam hatred that designated fellow citizens as aliens or Chairman, Popular Front Of India enemies was not something unexpected or instantaneous. But whoever preached such ideas were kept at bay in the early days of our republic. Later on, in their pathetic attempt to preserve their power and privileges, the so-called secular leaders who ruled us colluded with the right-wing Hindutva forces and allowed them to make inroads into the system. There were times, as a citizen, you could fearlessly criticize the government, which now gets termed as ‘anti-national’. You go to jail for the jokes you cracked and even for the ones you didn’t. Laws hang over our heads that say people might lose their citizenship on account of their religion. People get killed on allegations of eating the food they want, jailed for reading the book they like or falling in love with a person from another community. When you seek help from the police in the face of a racially motivated attack and then somehow manages to survive it despite the police apathy, there are chances of yourself getting send behind bars on draconian charges. Here you will see the ones who unleashed the violence go scot-free, and again the ‘religion’ decides it. We saw this happening recently in North East Delhi and this continued in various Muslim localities during the ongoing Ram mandir fundraising rallies, reminding us of the traumatic Ratha Yatras of the past. Needless to say, fascist forces have destroyed us in more ways than one. The hatred they created has_crippled us from working collectively towards our greater national goals. The crony capitalist policies of the BJP government have drained our country economically and bankrupted us to the extent of having to use the reserve money, and created mass-scale Fascist Terrorism getting free hand unemployment unprecedented in Indian history. Our mainstream parties have all proved themselves ineectual in checking the onslaught of fascism and Indians are now For a diverse nation like India, to thrive and progress slowly waking up to that reality. Only a new the most essential values required are freedom, movement that is neither tempted nor justice, and equality before the law, and tolerance intimidated by Sangh-Parivar can resist this towards those who are dierent from us in terms of tyranny. Proudly, Popular Front is the social faith, culture, language, or customs. Immediately movement that stood rm and tall before the after we were relieved of the brunt of colonial RSS-led Modi regime and the BJP ruled state occupation, our ancestors envisioned making our governments, who were hell-bent on country a secular, democratic republic with a strangling us by all means possible. In the constitution that guarantees fundamental rights and Fascist Terrorism against marginized society following pages, we will take you through our equality before the law regardless of all these credentials of the past year, to which your dierences. Though we were a struggling democracy support and love have been invaluable. Insha Allah, forward we will walk with the grace of almighty. all through, we had the hope that striving together, Alhamdulillah. we could create a bright future. However, it is no secret anymore that we have long abandoned what our ancestors had envisaged and have embarked on a journey in the opposite direction. The idea of hatred that designated fellow citizens as aliens or enemies was not something unexpected or instantaneous. But whoever preached such ideas were kept at bay in the early days of our republic. Later on, in their pathetic attempt to preserve their power and privileges, the so-called secular leaders who ruled us colluded with the right-wing Hindutva forces and allowed them to make inroads into the system. Popular Front Of India: There were times, as a citizen, you could fearlessly criticize the government, which now gets termed as Cadre Based Mass Movement ‘anti-national’. You go to jail for the jokes you cracked and even for the ones you didn’t. Laws hang over our heads that say people might lose their citizenship on account of their religion. People get killed on allegations of eating Popular Front Of India (PFI) is a social movement which strives for the total empowerment of the food they want, jailed for reading the book they like or falling in love with a person from another community. the marginalised sections of the society. As a people's movement, Popular Front of India When you seek help from the police in the face of a racially motivated attack and then somehow manages to rmly believes that the issues before the Indian masses are very complex. Popular Front survive it despite the police apathy, there are chances of yourself getting send behind bars on draconian focuses on various areas through programmes, projects and campaign. charges. Here you will see the ones who unleashed the violence go scot-free, and again the ‘religion’ decides it. We saw this happening recently in North East Delhi and this continued in various Muslim localities during the This movement is based on dedicated cadres and masses that support and promote social ongoing Ram mandir fundraising rallies, reminding us cause. Discipline is the main characteristic of this cadre based network that enables this of the traumatic Ratha Yatras of the past. Needless to movement to be more eective in any intervenion that we take up. The success of our say, fascist forces have destroyed us in more ways intervention is also because of our clear understanding of people's problems. PFI enjoys an than one. The hatred they created has_crippled us impressive support among masses who are not merely passive supporters but they also from working collectively towards our greater actively collaborate and partner with us on various campaigns and programmes. The national goals. The crony capitalist policies of the BJP amazing blend of disciplined, committed cadres and collaborative people's support has government have drained our country economically enabled us to quickly become one of the most prominent social movement in India. and bankrupted us to the extent of having to use the reserve money, and created mass-scale unemployment unprecedented in Indian history. Our Focus Areas Legal Defence Corona Hate Propaganda: Legal interventions While the country was struggling to survive the deadly pandemic, forces of hate found it an opportunity to open the ood gates of disinformation against Muslims. Soon the right-wing media and Sangh Fascist media were lled with propaganda that Muslims were the disease carriers. Intending to combat the rising tide of Islamophobia in the country, the Popular Front of India started ling cases against hate-peddlers resulting in the arrest of 19 people including few prominent people belonging to the Hindutva fold. The organization has so far led 1376 complaints against hate-mongers, propagators of fake news, a few “mainstream” media outlets and social media accounts in eight states across the country. 82 Total Complaints Memorandum against hate speech Memorandum submitted to Memorandum submitted to 06 DM / DC 04 Police CP / SP During Lockdown 2020 Legal Awareness Programme Popular Front through its cadre network is trying to nurture a culture of legal defence among masses. Our organization conducts Legal Awareness Workshops for ordinary people to make them aware of their constitutional rights and equip them for legal defence. We have been conducting such workshops in various districts of Maharashtra. Protection of Civil Rights Solidarity with Hathras Victim We stood rm in the face of the witch-hunt carried out against us while seeking justice for our Dalit sister in Hathras, who was raped, brutally murdered and was even denied a proper funeral by the Yogi government. The UP Police went on to the extent of cremating her body overnight, away from her family, to bury any pieces of evidence left behind that would incriminate the upper caste Thakur men aliated to Sangh-Parivar. Protest Against ED The year 2020 saw the BJP government using agencies like Enforcement Directorate (ED) to witch hunt Popular Front of India, by raiding its oces and homes of its leaders across the country. Outraged at the politically motivated ED raids on the oces and houses of its leaders, members and supporters of Popular Front of India took out massive rallies at various parts of the country. Protest for Babari Masjid This year Popular Front held protest against Babri Masjid Demolition Case Verdict. Popular Front declared it a Shameful Act, A Challenge to the idea of India. Protest were held across many districts of Maharashtra. Protest Against Delhi Riots There were riots in Delhi before its assembly election. These riots happened from 23rd Feb to 1st Mar 2020. During investigation, Delhi & UP police proved their bias by targeting student activists, leaders and groups which were actively involved in anti-CAA protests. Many of these peaceful and at times even pregnant women protestors were charged under drawnian laws like UAPA and sedition.
Recommended publications
  • Rise of Muslim Political Parties
    Rise of Muslim Political Parties Abhishek M. Chaudhari Research Fellow Political parties created of, by and for Muslims in India has all the potential to become the defining trend of the current decade. The politics of the last 30 years was defined by the creation of caste-based parties comprising various strands of OBCs and Dalits – which branched out from mainstream political parties in many states. The 21st century may see Muslim parties seeking to discover their own power of agency. The all Muslim political party isn’t a new idea. Indian subcontinent partitioned on the same plank. The Jinnah led Muslim League wanted separate nation for Muslims and they had it. After independence, the Muslim League wasrenamed as the Indian Union Muslim League.Its objective of becomingan all India party never receivedcountry-wide acceptance and it managedto exist only in the state of Kerala. In 1989, politician Syed Shahabuddinattempted to form the Insaf Party withthe same aims. His idea was to mobilise Muslims, other religious minorities,SCs, STs and the backwardclasses under oneoverarching umbrella. But it ended in failure. Post 2000, there is strong debate in the community about the political formations for Muslims. A section of Muslim elites favoured a formation of political party catering to ‘Muslim cause’ at the regional level. This is contrary to earlier attempts to have such formation at a pan-national level.Others section is still sceptical about such ventures. It is of the opinion that Muslimsneed not form any political party fortheir “own”, as regional parties are pushing their case. Amidst such political churning in the community, some political formation took birth at regional level.
    [Show full text]
  • Kerala – CPI-M – BJP – Communal Violence – Internal Relocation
    Refugee Review Tribunal AUSTRALIA RRT RESEARCH RESPONSE Research Response Number: IND34462 Country: India Date: 25 March 2009 Keywords: India – Kerala – CPI-M – BJP – Communal violence – Internal relocation This response was prepared by the Research & Information Services Section of the Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT) after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the RRT within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. This research response may not, under any circumstance, be cited in a decision or any other document. Anyone wishing to use this information may only cite the primary source material contained herein. Questions 1. Please provide brief information on the nature of the CPI-M and the BJP as political parties and the relationship between the two in Kerala state. 2. Are there any reports of Muslim communities attacking Hindu communities in Kerala in the months which followed the 1992 demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya? If so, do the reports mention whether the CPI-M supported or failed to prevent these Muslim attacks? Do any such reports specifically mention incidents in Kannur, Kerala? 3. With a view to addressing relocation issues: are there areas of India where the BJP hold power and where the CPI-M is relatively marginal? 4. Please provide any sources that substantiate the claim that fraudulent medical documents are readily available in India. RESPONSE 1. Please provide brief information on the nature of the CPI-M and the BJP as political parties and the relationship between the two in Kerala state.
    [Show full text]
  • Post-Sachar Reservation Politics Problems of Identity, Security and Equity Are Uniform, and There Is No Marked Dif- Ference
    COMMENTARY a homogeneous community – the Muslim Post-Sachar Reservation Politics problems of identity, security and equity are uniform, and there is no marked dif- ference. The Sangh parivar too took ideo- Manzoor Ali logical positions vis-à-vis the fi ndings and suggestions of the two commissions. The The recent attempt to pass a 4.5% n 5 March 2013, Jamiat Ulama-i- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the political sub-quota for Muslims under Hind held an Insaaf march to face of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, backward classes has drawn the Opress for reservations for the argued that the Sachar Committee fi nd- Muslim community. The social, educa- ings have been manipulated for electoral community into the reservation tional and economic backwardness pro- gain and it could sow the seeds of another framework. In this light, it is vide the context for such a demand. The Partition. The Communist Party of India important to recognise castes community has evolved its position (Marxist) – CPI(M) argued that vis-à-vis reservation in educational insti- within Muslims that are poor and the Sachar Report has blown the myth of tutions and government jobs and now mino rity appeasement by presenting scienti- socially downtrodden. A change believes that without progressive quotas fi cally collated evidence, which shows that in our understanding of the upliftment of Muslims would not be minority communities, especially Muslims, face deprivation and discrimination in myriad possible as they face discrimination at homogeneity of the Muslim forms (People’s Democracy 2007). community is the key to every level. The two commissions designed to map the socio-economic status of However, the Muslims’ educational understand the issues at hand.
    [Show full text]
  • INDIA the Constitution and Other Laws and Policies Protect Religious Freedom And, in Practice, the Government Generally Respecte
    INDIA The constitution and other laws and policies protect religious freedom and, in practice, the government generally respected religious freedom; however, some state-level laws and policies restricted this freedom. India is a secular republic, with all religions offered equality under the law. There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom by the government during the reporting period. Some state governments enforced existing "anticonversion" laws, and some local police and enforcement agencies in certain instances were not swift to counter communal attacks, including attacks against religious minorities. The country is the birthplace of several religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, and home for thousands of years to Jewish, Zoroastrian, Muslim, and Christian communities. The vast majority of citizens of all religious groups lived in peaceful coexistence and were conscious of religious freedom and minority rights; however, at times, violence between religious groups and organized communal attacks against religious minorities occurred during the reporting period. The Ministry of Home Affairs published in its Annual Report 2009-10 that 826 communal incidents occurred in 2009, in which 125 persons died, compared to 943 incidents in 2008 in which 167 persons died. State governments also reported communal incidents. The country's democratic system, open society, independent legal institutions, vibrant civil society, and free press actively provided mechanisms to address violations of religious freedom when they occurred. The U.S. government discusses religious freedom with the government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights. During meetings with senior government officials, as well as state and local officials, and religious community leaders, senior U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • The Idea of Popular Front of India.Indd
    2 The Idea of Popular Front of India The Idea of Popular Front of India are enough reasons for us to be proud of being Indian citizens. India is a democratic and secular nation. Our constitution and legal Theresystem guarantee equal justice to all citizens and reject all kinds of discrimination. We the people of India vote for governments at the centre and states hoping that they will fulfil this constitutional obligation. But unfortunately around 70% of people in the country do not enjoy fruits of development or growth. Even after 66 years of independence Muslims remain most backward and underprivileged along with tribals and Dalits. In fact they are victims of purposeful discriminations by those who have monopolized the centres of power - the ruling class constituted by the corporate capitalists, upper castes and political families. When basic rights are denied to any class of citizens, it is the duty of the concerned to stand up and raise their voice for justice. Self initiative only can bring empowerment to any deprived community. This is the idea of Popular Front of India. It was evolved two decades ago. It has spread its wings throughout the length and breadth of this vast country because of this very simple reason. It remains to be the right answer to the longings of hapless masses. Thus Popular Front has right now become the pioneering neo-social movement with a cadre network and quite a large number of sympathisers, from Tamil Nadu to Delhi and Rajasthan to Manipur. This people’s movement stands for freedom, justice and security of all sections of the society.
    [Show full text]
  • The Islamic State in India's Kerala: a Primer
    OCTOBER 2019 The Islamic State in India’s Kerala: A Primer KABIR TANEJA MOHAMMED SINAN SIYECH The Islamic State in India’s Kerala: A Primer KABIR TANEJA MOHAMMED SINAN SIYECH ABOUT THE AUTHORS Kabir Taneja is a Fellow with the Strategic Studies Programme of Observer Research Foundation. Mohammed Sinan Siyech is Research Analyst at the International Centre for Political Violence & Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. ISBN: 978-93-89094-97-8 © 2019 Observer Research Foundation. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission in writing from ORF. The Islamic State in India’s Kerala: A Primer ABSTRACT With a Muslim population of over 200 million, the third largest in the world next only to Indonesia and Pakistan, India was thought of by analysts to be fertile ground for the recruitment of foreign fighters for the Islamic State (IS). The country, however, has proven such analysts wrong by having only a handful of pro-IS cases so far. Of these cases, the majority have come from the southern state of Kerala. This paper offers an explanation for the growth of IS in Kerala. It examines the historical, social and political factors that have contributed to the resonance of IS ideology within specific regions of Kerala, and analyses the implications of these events to the overall challenge of countering violent extremism in India. (This paper is part of ORF's series, 'National Security'. Find other research in the series here: https://www.orfonline.org/series/national-security/) Attribution: Kabir Taneja and Mohammed Sinan Siyech, “The Islamic State in India’s Kerala: A Primer”, ORF Occasional Paper No.
    [Show full text]
  • The Students Islamic Movement of India : the Story So Far Anshuman Behera
    Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses No.1, Development Enclave, Rao Tula Ram Marg Delhi Cantonment, New Delhi-110010 Journal of Defence Studies Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.idsa.in/journalofdefencestudies The Students Islamic Movement of India : The Story So Far Anshuman Behera To cite this article: Anshuman Behera (2013): The Students Islamic Movement of India: The Story So Far, Journal of Defence Studies, Vol-7, Issue-1.pp- 213-228 URL: http://www.idsa.in/jds/7_1_2013_The Students Islamic Movement of India_AnshumanBehera Please Scroll down for Article Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.idsa.in/termsofuse This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re- distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IDSA or of the Government of India. The Students Islamic Movement of India The Story So Far Anshuman Behera* The Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) continues to pose serious threats to the national security of India. Despite having been banned for 12 years, SIMI, it has been alleged, works through radical outfits like the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its front organizations. It has also been charged with having links with terror outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B), and the Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) of Bangladesh. At the same time, the government’s decision to ban SIMI has been questioned by one section of its members.
    [Show full text]
  • CTC Sentinel 3 (10)
    OCTOBER 2010 . VOL 3 . ISSUE 10 COMBATING TERRORISM CENTER AT WEST POINT CTC SENTINEL OBJECTIVE . RELEVANT . RIGOROUS Contents The Strengths and Weaknesses FEATURE ARTICLE 1 The Strengths and Weaknesses of Jihadist Ideology of Jihadist Ideology By Nelly Lahoud By Nelly Lahoud REPORTS 4 The Role of Lashkar-i-Islam in Pakistan’s Khyber Agency By Syed Manzar Abbas Zaidi 6 The Torkham Border Closure and Attacks on NATO Supply Convoys in Pakistan By Tayyab Ali Shah 9 Mitigating the Further Radicalization of India’s Muslim Community By Luv Puri 11 From Iraq to Yemen: Al-Qa`ida’s Shifting Strategies By Ryan Evans 15 Indonesia’s Case Against Abu Bakar Bashir By Arabinda Acharya and Fatima Astuti 18 Recent Highlights in Terrorist Activity 20 CTC Sentinel Staff & Contacts The site of a suicide bomb attack in Quetta on September 3, 2010. - Photo by Banaras Khan/AFP/Getty Images he central argument espoused human rights and liberties as long as such by jihadist ideologues and singing serves and benefits its interests.2 leaders is that the Muslim Jihadists have thus determined that world is plagued by grievances jihad is the only path toward genuine Tand injustices, many of which are caused change in this world and divine reward by the West. According to their logic, the in the hereafter. Their jihad, they claim, United States and corrupt, oppressive is to fight to make God’s Law supreme on Muslim regimes are two sides of the same earth. Only then can all Muslims, rulers coin. Jihadist leaders warn Muslims not and citizenry, be equally accountable to About the CTC Sentinel to fall for Western “deceptive” ideas God’s Law.
    [Show full text]
  • CTC SENTINEL Objective
    OCTOBER 2010 . VOL 3 . ISSUE 10 COMBATING TERRORISM CENTER AT WEST POINT CTC SENTINEL OBJECTIVE . RELEVANT . RIGOROUS Contents The Strengths and Weaknesses FEATURE ARTICLE 1 The Strengths and Weaknesses of Jihadist Ideology of Jihadist Ideology By Nelly Lahoud By Nelly Lahoud REPORTS 4 The Role of Lashkar-i-Islam in Pakistan’s Khyber Agency By Syed Manzar Abbas Zaidi 6 The Torkham Border Closure and Attacks on NATO Supply Convoys in Pakistan By Tayyab Ali Shah 9 Mitigating the Further Radicalization of India’s Muslim Community By Luv Puri 11 From Iraq to Yemen: Al-Qa`ida’s Shifting Strategies By Ryan Evans 15 Indonesia’s Case Against Abu Bakar Bashir By Arabinda Acharya and Fatima Astuti 18 Recent Highlights in Terrorist Activity 20 CTC Sentinel Staff & Contacts The site of a suicide bomb attack in Quetta on September 3, 2010. - Photo by Banaras Khan/AFP/Getty Images he central argument espoused human rights and liberties as long as such by jihadist ideologues and singing serves and benefits its interests.2 leaders is that the Muslim Jihadists have thus determined that world is plagued by grievances jihad is the only path toward genuine Tand injustices, many of which are caused change in this world and divine reward by the West. According to their logic, the in the hereafter. Their jihad, they claim, United States and corrupt, oppressive is to fight to make God’s Law supreme on Muslim regimes are two sides of the same earth. Only then can all Muslims, rulers coin. Jihadist leaders warn Muslims not and citizenry, be equally accountable to About the CTC Sentinel to fall for Western “deceptive” ideas God’s Law.
    [Show full text]
  • WORKING PAPER 21 – Popular Front of India- Understanding the Propaganda and Agenda
    WORKING PAPERS WORKING PAPER 21 – Popular Front of India- Understanding the Propaganda and Agenda By Soumya Awasthi 17 June 2020- ISSN 2506-8202 Soumya Awasthi is a doctoral fellow at the Centre for International Politics Organisation and Disarmament (CIPOD) in the School of International Studies (SIS), at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Her PhD is on Religion and Geopolitics – a Case study on the Deoband School of Islam. Her areas of interest are Islamic Studies, Terrorism, Counter Violence Extremism, and De-radicalisation. Abstract There is an understanding that political views in the world are increasingly polarised - one dominant idea will be considered far right and those who are not on that side of the fence will get attracted towards the far left. The first evident indication of this phenomenon in India came soon after the country announced the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The nation was divided into two factions and opposing forces joined various protests. Some took it to social and print media, and some took it to streets with the support of certain organisations whose preamble is against India’s Constitution. One such organisation which is under investigation is the Popular Front of India (PFI). Since the beginning of the year 2020, the PFI has been vocal as concerns its contestation against the various decisions taken by India’s judiciary. The PFI has been found to be involved in Anti- Citizenship Amendment Act protests. The PFI is registered at Delhi under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860. The organisation has been using passive methods to attain larger goals and objectives which run against India’s social fabric.
    [Show full text]
  • 12 Kerala Radical Turn-April-2011.Pmd
    India Foundation Paper-12 April 2011 Kerala's Radical Turn T. G. Mohandas Girish P. India Foundation New Delhi Published by - India Foundation New Delhi e-mail:[email protected] Kerala's Radical Turn T. G. Mohandas Girish P. for private circulation only Editor's Note Muslims constitute 24.7 % of the total population of Kerala. According to 2001 census, Muslims are in majority in Malappuram district and they constitute the second largest community in Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Palakkad and Kollam districts of Kerala. The growth rate in 2001 census showed that while the population of Hindus and Christians declined by 1.48 and 0.32 percent respectively, the population of Muslims increased by 1.70 percentage points in the state since the last census in 1991. There is a possibility that Muslim have become a majority community in last ten years in a further couple of districts where they were just behind the Hindu community. Apart from these demographic trends a major social trend is being witnessed among the Muslims of Kerala of late. Numerous instances of violence and terror- mongering in the name of religion witnessed in the state in the last couple of years point to the rapid communalization and radicalization of sections of the Muslim population. Incidents like brutal chopping off of the hand of Prof. T.J. Joseph and attack on an engineering girl student Rayana for wearing jeans are just a few examples. Organisations like the Popular Front of India (PFI) are mainly responsible for these incidents. Intelligence reports insinuate that the leaders of these organisations have direct and indirect links with the dreaded terror outfits like the Al Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba; and these organisations receive massive funding from the Arab world.
    [Show full text]
  • Asian Conflicts Reports Spotlight on the Arab Uprisings
    Asian Conflicts Reports Spotlight on the Arab Uprisings Democracy, Islamism & the Muslim Brotherhood Why Pakistan Won’t Follow Egypt Echoes of Egypt in South Asia Tunisia and Egypt: An Opportunity for Introspection Also Evolving Threats from the LeT Fundamentalism in Kerala Issue 15 January-February, 2011 Democracy, Islamism and the Muslim Brotherhood Carl Ungerer The recent events in Egypt and in other parts of the Arab world raise important questions for western foreign policy in the Middle East and the promotion of democracy as a central strategic goal. Much of the commentary to date has focused on the broad-based and largely peaceful nature of the protests against President Hosni Mubarak’s regime. Many see the public demonstrations as a soft-left, liberal uprising against Mubarak’s three decades of authoritarian rule. Indeed, President Obama has praised the protesters, calling them an ‘inspiration’ for freedom loving peoples around the world. But less attention has been given to the role that Islamists have played in this current drama and the potential consequences of a political revolution in Egypt and across the region which would elevate the status and power of organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood. There is no doubt that the Muslim Brotherhood has had its hand in these events. As the largest and most influential Islamic organization in Egypt, it has participated directly in the rallies and has called for the immediate overthrow of the Mubarak government. The group’s key message has been ‘Islam is the solution’. However, so far their involvement has been relatively low-key. They have tentatively sided with the former UN nuclear disarmament official Mohammed El-Baradei in what looks like a strange and probably temporary union of convenience.
    [Show full text]