In Egypt there are reports that the infamous Muslim Brotherhood is forming a coalition with "liberal and secular parties".
I have always been fascinated by the weird alliance that seems to have formed between secular progressivism and radical Islam in the USA. On the surface, the two would seem to have little in common. Radical Islam is a 7th century barbarism that promotes the persecution of women and homosexuals. Secular progressivism supposedly champions reason and human rights over religious faith. Far from being friends, the two would appear to be natural enemies.
But both secular progressives and radical Muslims are deeply hostile to religious pluralism and basic liberties such as freedom of speech. Both hold totalitarian philosophies that see the State as supreme to the individual, and believe that the State should control every aspect of the lives of its citizens. Both have an especially strong antipathy towards Christians and Jews. For these reasons, secular progressives and radical Muslims have common interests. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" is the operating principle motivating both sides to link up with each other.
No one forms a political alliance unless they think they will benefit, and I believe that is what is going on in Egypt. If these secular and liberal parties in Egypt are anything like their American counterparts, they share the same basic totalitarian longings and beliefs as the Muslim Brotherhood does. The only quarrel will be over the exact form of the police state to come: which "enemies of the people" get tossed into the dungeons or tortured to death. In other words, a marriage of convenience is taking place.
UPDATE: It occurred to me after I made my initial post that I was guilty of an "Americanism" - that is, I looked at the political situation in Egypt through an American lens. It is quite possible that these "liberal and secular" parties may have another reason for joining the Muslim Brotherhood: self-preservation. Right now the Muslim Brotherhood is the most powerful political force in Egypt, and after the upcoming elections they are likely to be even more powerful. They are certain to use the levers of government to punish the "infidels" who stood in their way.
