A Christianity Today guest columnist has a surprising take on Egypt's future and how the nation's Christians might be better off if the Muslim Brotherhood takes a major role in the next government. That seems unexpected in the same online CT edition that features a different article on Copts, the major Christian group and victims of recent deadly attacks, who are watching developments with fear. Their reporter in Cairo thinks lovely pictures of last week of Copts and Muslims arm in arm are an anomoly.
But the more controversial opinion piece comes from Bob Kubinec, identified as a "consultant" who has researched "religious and political issues in Egypt and Jordan, and has an M.A. in Middle East Studies from George Washington University."
Kubinec wants to take the Muslim Brotherhood at their word (on their English website) that they support religious liberties for all. His idea for the Christian response:
The gospel demands us to view the Brotherhood differently than we might wish. The most basic desire of the Brotherhood is to be able to practice Islam as they want to without interference from the state.
Currently, the government has the ability to appoint many of the leaders of mosques, and regularly monitors and censors Islamic scholars and preachers. This type of control disgusts devout Muslims and raises a groundswell of support for the Brotherhood. This desire -- that religion should be free from state control -- is similar to American evangelicals' desire to protect their religious liberties against growing secular intolerance of genuine expressions of faith.
As the next Egyptian regime takes hold, the Muslim Brotherhood should be held accountable to its promises to provide religious liberty to all Egyptian citizens. Yet it would also make quite an impact -- and make a statement about true Christlikeness -- if American Christians refrained from knee-jerk criticism of the party.
So far, comments on Kubinec's post are far from agreement, one poster, Roger McKinney, calls him "gullible!"
THINK ABOUT IT: Could you wait and see on the Muslim Brotherhood? Given that any new Egyptian government will be Muslim, can Americans dictate which Muslims are acceptable? How would that work in supporting democracy?