Egypt's Muslim Brothers - a weak or careful opposition? (Feature)

By Yasmin El-Rifae Nov 27, 2010, 4:06 GMT

Cairo - Egypt's largest opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, is facing an internal crisis, a government crackdown, and public skepticism over its agenda and its competence.

The divides became increasingly apparent in the run-up to Sunday's elections for the lower house of parliament.

Some of the Brotherhood called for a boycott of the polls, while others insisted participation was essential for its political survival.

The group, which was founded in 1928, has traditionally found broad support among the poor, who rely on many of their grassroots social services. But they also enjoy popularity among some of Egypt's deeply religious Muslims, a growing section of the population.

'I think if we all stood behind the Muslim Brotherhood, they could change the country for the better,' said Sarah Abdul-Rahman, a 22- year-old medical student in Cairo.

'We would have less corruption, more dignity, and be protected by Islam's laws,' she said.

The Brotherhood, officially banned but generally tolerated, participates in politics by fielding 'independents' and maintaining a tense peace with the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), led by President Hosny Mubarak.

'The call for a boycott is escalating the crisis in the relationship between the Brotherhood and the ruling party because the boycott attacks the legitimacy of the election process,' prominent member Mohamed Habib told the German Press Agency dpa.

Even so, the Islamists have accused the government of violating electoral laws and using excessive force to ensure the success of the ruling party in the vote for the People's Assembly.

This came after hundreds of Brotherhood supporters were arrested following the group's announcement last month that it would be fielding candidates.

'When it comes to real politics, the Brotherhood will compromise and work with the government in order to get certain positions,' said Kareem Abdullah, who is studying for a master's degree in political science at Cairo University.

'That's why they're not boycotting,' the student said, expressing a popular view in Egypt.

In a country where only 22 per cent of voters went to the polls in the last election in 2005, Abdullah said he was determined to vote and would support an NDP candidate.

The Brotherhood is not entirely submissive, directing candidates to use the campaign line 'Islam is the solution,' despite the legal prohibition on the use of religious slogans in elections.

'The group's grassroots leaders and supporters are unaccustomed to dealing with conflicting positions among its leaders or sharp divisions in its ranks,' Amr Hamzawy and Michele Dunne of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace wrote in a recent article.

Hamzawy told dpa he suspects the group may only succeed at securing 15 per cent of the seats this time compared to 20 per cent five years ago.

'The real problem is the violence on the streets, which will interfere with people voting as they will be too afraid to leave their homes on election today,' Habib said.

Internal divisions also seem to have sullied the once refined public image of the Brotherhood.

'They are disorganized, they can't agree on anything, and all they are looking after are their own interests and political positions. They don't care about the people,' said Mahmoud Amr, a 35-year-old shopkeeper in downtown Cairo.

But the group is also feared by some, including secular Egyptians and the Christian minority, who worry it is more radical than it may appear on the surface.

'It's against the constitution to mix politics and religion. If a Christian group was competing for seats in parliament, do you think society would let that go in peace?' asked one Christian engineer speaking on condition of anonymity.

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