Between Religion and Politics Nathan J. Brown & Amr Hamzawy (Ch 2.) *Pre-Arab Spring
In this entry, I will briefly and generally discuss both Hamas and the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood's political history and present stances according to the readings.
HAMAS: Behind the Mask part 2
The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement--Hamas--is a political group that has its origins in the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, since Gaza was administered by Egypt until 1967. It, historically, considered the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood the "mother movement," basing most, if not all, its tenets on this movement. The "resistance" in the group's title is referring to resistance against Israel, which the organization has espoused since it's inception. Roots of Hamas lie in both the Jordanian and Egyptian Muslim Brotherhoods. This shared history extends back to the decline and cessation of the British Mandate in Palestine, the creation of the state of Israel, and the subsequent war in 1948 in which Palestinian resistance fighters, which was considered (and to some, still is) an Islamic cause. After this war the movement remained underground and did not seek political participation. After the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, Hamas still refused to acknowledge Israel as legitimate and stepped up violence by targeting Israeli settlers.
Hamas became and is part social movement, part military organization, part political party based simultaneously in West Bank, Gaza, and the diaspora. In the 1980s Hamas became the Islamic alternative to leftist and nationalist groups throughout Palestine, and did not reject cooperation with other groups. It's "Founding Ideological Document" is the 1988 Hamas Charter. According to the readings, it is infused with religious references, liberation of Palestine as an Islamic cause, contains invocations of resistance, and uncompromising positions on national issues. From the time of this charter until 2005, when Hamas entered elections, their positions have evolved. The organization still defines itself as an Islamic movement, plight of Palestinians as an Islamic cause, use of religious symbolism and rhetoric in politics. During this time Palestinian observers described Hamas as a nationalist party in religious garb, as Hamas has never repudiated the position that an Islamic state should be constructed in all of Palestine, presumably to include the areas comprising Israel.
After winning elections, divided over whether to pursue an Islamist agenda, an emphasis on resistance, or good governance, meaning making the best policies for its people. Hamas tried to do both, but these usually pull in opposite directions. Hamas has used its armed wing to handle internal political dissent, including against Salafi-Jihadists in 2009.
Short history of Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood internal divisions
The Muslim Brotherhood is an Egyptian (although there are groups in other Middle Eastern states) political Islamic movement that remains "one of the most successful social and political movements in modern Arab history"(p. 11). It was initially founded by a man named Hasan al-Banna and is a group that remains stigmatized in the eyes of many Westerners because of its supposed lack of "commitment to democracy, stance on liberal values, and attitude towards violence"(p. 11). It was never intended to be a political party, because the movement maintained that party politics were divisive and undermined the interests of the entire community, which took precedence.
Yet, what do most of us really know about the Muslim Brotherhood? Why is it such a popular movement?
Until the step-down of Mubarak in Feb 2011, Egypt had a type of government that can only be described as semi-authoritarian, which was not conducive to political organization or political dissent. This disillusioned many Egyptians about their current system and made the idea of political reform much more appealing. The Brotherhood provided just that. It was founded to pursue a broad reform agenda, yet has shifted and evolved its positions on what exactly that means. The Muslim Brotherhood's reform initiatives center around three main issues:
Shari'a:
The party platform both reassures that a religious agenda and the current, secular system of government are compatible, as well as calls for the creation of a council of religious scholars (elected by a compliment of religious scholars) to advise the legislative and executive branches in matters pertaining to Islamic law. This portion of their stated platform will be omitted, however, if the Muslim Brotherhood formally adopts a platform.
Copts & Women:
The Muslim Brotherhood has made its position clear that both women and Coptic Christians be excluded from "senior political positions in any state governed according to Islamic principles" (p. 21). This position is adopted from traditional currents in Islamic thinking that since rulers in Islamic society held some religious functions, he must be Muslim; and since it this position would be in the public sphere, the ruler must also be male.
Economics:
The Muslim Brotherhood has spent most of its time dealing with this issue. This probably has to do with Egypt's low standard of living, and its desire to position itself as a serious competitor in the political arena. Their economic issues focused mainly on a vision for a just society, governed according to Islamic principles, with protections for both the poor and the weak. Ironically, it dislikes the "Nasserist experiment" which is represented with disdain for a socialist, centralized state. These competing viewpoints makes the Muslim Brotherhood's government seem all but impossible.
Other political parties, such as the leftist Unionist Party and the liberal Wafd party, are distrustful of the Muslim Brotherhood due to its ambiguous political platform. Groups such as the Egyptian Movement for Change defend their right to participate in politics, yet still distance themselves in elections. Alliances have been achieved, however, which have helped to shape and strengthen the Brotherhood's positions on social and economic issues, as well as political reform.
Those members of the Muslim Brotherhood in Parliament have focused on five pillars: Constitutional and legal amendments, political reform, social & economic legislation, religious & moral legislation, and women's rights.
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