Florida GOP Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has urged "the unequivocal rejection of any involvement by the Muslim Brotherhood and other extremists" in the transition of power in Egypt. Egyptians should reject those who "seek to exploit and hijack these events to gain power, oppress the Egyptian people, and do great harm to Egypt's relationship with the United States, Israel, and other free nations," she said.
This is and ignorant and unfortunate stance. First of all, the last thing the United States should be doing is to be publicly telling Egyptians who should and should not be involved in their government. Second, every group with "Muslim" in their name is not evil. The Muslim Brotherhood officially opposes violence as a means to achieving it's goals. It has been criticized by more radical Muslims. It has said it would not force women to cover themselves in public if it were to take power. It has been working with groups across the political spectrum in Egypt. Thirdly, whether we like it or not, it will be a player in the transition in Egypt. It would seem smart to accept that fact and move on. Fourth, often the best way to deal with groups that may have more radical tendencies is to give them a share of the responsibility of governing.
Basically, the last thing we should do is unequivocally reject the involvement of the Muslim Brotherhood. That would be stupid. Frankly, I'd rather have the Muslim Brotherhood involved in shaping the future of Egypt than Rep. Ros-Lehtinen.
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