Do you know who Edward Djerejian is? He is a famous American diplomat, a leading specialist in Middle Eastern Studies, the advisor to the Secretary of State in Clinton’s administration. This diplomat has defined a brilliant, in my opinion, formula how Islamists destroy democracy, “One man, one vote, one time.” The matter is that the Islamic movements come to power through an election, after which they do whatever they can, in order that that election is the last one, because the country, according to them, should live under sharia law and from the latter’s perspective, parties, elections, parliament and other tricks of the “satanic West” are, if not completely unnecessary, then secondary and unimportant. The first session ofEgypt’s parliament convened on Monday showed that that country is very close to carrying out Djerejian’s formula. This the first parliament elected democratically after toppling down Mubarak’s authoritarian, but absolutely secular regime. I should say “semi-toppling”, because the real power inEgyptis in the hands of the military until now. Whom have Egyptians elected, so to say, “dictated by heart.” Liberal and leftist parties comprised the absolute minority of that parliament. The Justice and Development Party, which is one of the wings of the Muslim Brotherhood, won 230 out of 498 seats. The fundamental Islamist Light Party won the second place with 120 seats. That party members are the representatives of the traditional Islam, Salafis, who call for returning to the religious origins and preach the life style arising out of it. It is hard to say what it has to do with the Western parliamentarianism. Anyway, one of the main ideas of their political platform is the slogan “Democracy is infidelity”. The Salafis are blamed for attacks on Christians and their churches. They think that the Christians, according to sharia law, must pay jizya, a per capita tax, or leave the country. Against that background the Muslim Brotherhood seems more moderate, there were even two Coptic Christians in their pre-election list. However, from political perspective, that movement has dangerous articles. In particular, one of their program articles provides for a referendum on breaking the peace treaty withIsrael. It is not hard to guess what it means.
Perhaps, it would have been better, if Mubarak’s dictatorship had remained.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
