The Muslim Brotherhood

Sayyid Qutb, an Egyptian philosopher who laid the foundation for radical Islam, was sentenced to death for plotting against Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1966. This symbolic event was in contrast to the Arab nationalism represented by Nasser. After Qutb was executed, he was succeeded by Maulana Maudoodi in Pakistan and Ruhollah Khomeini in Iran. The three people turned an Islamic vision into today’s political movement.

Qutb was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. Founded when Egypt was under British colonial rule in 1982, the group created an ideology that fit the changed political situation after Egypt gained independence. Qutb was at the center. His books “In the Shadow of the Quran” and “Signposts on the Road” were bestsellers in his country. When Nasser seized power via a coup d’etat in 1952, the Muslim Brotherhood welcomed this as the ascension to power by a son of the Egyptian people. Nasser, however, thought that the group’s popularity would threaten his power and banned its activities in 1954. Since then, Cairo and the Islamist group have been at odds with each other.

After last year’s Arab Spring took down the military government, Mohammad Mursi from the Muslim Brotherhood was elected Egyptian president. His victory can be considered an event that reversed the defeat of radical Islam, which lost to Arab nationalism, or Qutb’s execution in 1966. Though the Muslim Brotherhood said it would not intervene in politics when anti-government protests occurred last year, it reversed its position and became the majority party through the general elections in March this year. Immediately after the vote, the group ruled out taking part in the presidential election. Yet it fielded a candidate that won Egypt`s top post.

The Egyptian military is showing strong reluctance toward the Muslim Brotherhood. It disbanded parliament, of which more than 60 percent are part of the Islamist group and radical Salafis, and implemented an interim constitution that deprives the president of military command. President Mursi and the military are expected to butt heads going forward. He could limit the anachronistic practice of reflecting religion in politics, economy and society while the military could interrupt the democratic process through force. Only can the Egyptian people can balance both extremes.

Editorial Writer Song Pyeong-in (pisong@donga.com)