EGYPT'S PRESIDENT: A benevolent dictator?

In my last blog on Egypt and the power grab by its president Morsi, I left room for “doubt” as to his intentions when I said that “benevolent” dictators have existed in history for a reason and the main reason was when political progress could not be made because parties were just too far apart to ever resolve their issues and a stalemate was the only result possible.

Morsi said that his dictatorial powers would only last until a constitution was written but he needed the powers to actually get the constitution written because the judiciary keeps dissolving the group writing the constitution.

Why do they keep doing that? Because they do not like the fact that the group writing the constitution has an Islamic majority which will obviously influence the tone of the constitution and may even make the constitution an Islamic Law constitution.

The problem is that the Islamists were democratically elected to the constitution writing body.

History shows us that once an Islamic majority is elected to power, they democratically toss democracy out and establish an Islamic state and ban elections or at least control the electoral process.

President Morsi, who was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, can see that a constitution will never be written if the minority keeps dragging their feet until what?

I suppose if the deadlock continues, the army will have cause to step in and establish order as has happened in Turkey in years past. I don’t think Morsi wants that and is just trying to get a constitution written and approved.

We can also see the other side and their fear of a constitution that basically establishes an Islamic state. I will have to point out that the Islamists have rejected the way more conservative Muslim Sufis who would just kill all non-Muslims especially the Coptic Christians so on the surface the Muslim Brotherhood is trying to stay “moderate”  BUT can you trust them to stay moderate and all inclusive?

Why does this fascinate me? Well this is a birthing of democracy in a Muslim country and I think the whole world is watching the outcome here.

I have a gut feeling that Morsi is legitimately concerned about his country and ALL Egyptians and wants to do what is best for all but that is only my gut feeling…

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