Will the Muslim Brotherhood Take Over?

Wikileaks reveals that two years ago the Tunisian president predicted in a conversation with a senior US diplomat that the Muslim Brotherhood would eventually take over Egypt .

The general consensus was that the situation in Egypt is explosive and that the present rulership’s time is limited; so, the natural alternative to the rotation of power would be the MB.

While being the only viable alternative to the ruling regime, the Muslim Brotherhood is facing government crackdowns, as it seeks to instill a spirit of hope and motivation – to achieve peaceful change – into Egyptian society.

The Muslim Brotherhood has traditionally found broad support among the poor, who rely on many of their grassroots social services like medical care and financial support. But the MB also enjoys popularity among some of Egypt 's deeply religious Muslims, a growing section of the population.

It would take a national show of solidarity to change the country for the better by standing behind the Muslim Brotherhood, but it would be worth the effort as they would bring about less corruption, more dignity and justice.

The Egyptian regime has officially banned the Brotherhood thereby excluding it from participation in parliament but the MB participates in the political arena by fielding 'independents' and maintaining a tense peace with the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP).

By boycotting the 2010 parliamentary election the MB escalated the tension in the relationship between the ruling party and the MB because the boycott called the legitimacy of the election process – orchestrated by the regime – into question.

The Brotherhood has accused the Egyptian government of violating electoral laws and using excessive force to ensure the success of the ruling party. As soon as the Brotherhood announced it would field candidates in the 2010 elections, hundreds of their members and supporters were arrested by state security forces.

The Brotherhood does not simply submit to arbitrary rules and orders from the ruling regime; they insist on using ‘Islam Is the Solution’ as their slogan despite the legal prohibition on the use of religious slogans in elections.

There is a sense of solidarity between the group’s grassroots leaders and supporters and they are unaccustomed to dealing with conflicting positions among its leaders or sharp divisions in its ranks.

The government has labeled the MB a radical group, trying to deflect attention away from its own flaws; the problem of violence on the streets, mass poverty, bureaucratic corruption and illiteracy are strong reasons that call the ruling regime’s ability, and right, to manage the country, into question.