This Is The Moderate Platform Of The Muslim Brotherhood?

Of course, the Brotherhood’s representatives also used their time in America to deny their theocratic aims. “As our name indicates, we are the Freedom and Justice Party,” said Asem, the Brotherhood website editor, on CNN. “And what we would like to achieve in Egypt is actually a civil democratic state that is based on the rule of law.” But the Brotherhood’s presidential candidate, Khairat al-Shater, recently promised to give clerics a legislative role—an undemocratic structure if there ever was one.
Eric Trager

In uncovering The Muslim Brotherhood's Mendacious Charm Campaign in Washington, Eric Trager reviews the positions that The Muslim Brotherhood has publicly taken--despite the fact they have turned around and claimed the opposite during their recent visit to Washington.

Aside from the above denial of their intent to form a Islamist government, the Muslim Brotherhood has also been deceptive with the media in regards to other of its positions:

• The Muslim Brotherhood has state that it intends to repeal the law that criminalizes sexual harassment
• They have called for a ban on beach tourism
• The Muslim Brotherhood endorses conspiracy theories about 9/11--denying the very existence of Al Qaeda
• The Muslim Brotherhood has publicly called for the Egyptian peace treaty with Israel to be put to a referendum (a fact they have denied to the US media)
• While the Muslim Brother has claimed they "working to improve the situation of women in society, getting to the root causes of the problem of the marginalization of women," the fact remains the Muslim Brotherhood oppose legislation banning female genital mutilation, a position a Brotherhood member of Parliament recently repeated.

Unfortunately, it appears that all the media cares about is that the Muslim Brotherhood pays lip service to democracy.

Once having said that, the media--and the Obama administration--is more that happy (eager?) to give the Muslim Brotherhood a clean bill of health.

Which leaves Egyptian minorities and those Egyptians who took to the streets last year in Tahrir Square to fend for themselves--a familiar position for US allies these days.

Technorati Tag: Egypt and Muslim Brotherhood.