On the day we celebrate our freedom, perhaps it’s apropos to remember just how fleeting freedom can be.<\/p>\n
A recent news headline indicates “concern democracy will be fleeting in Egypt<\/a>” after the recent takeover by the Muslim Brotherhood.\u00a0 IMO, there is damn good reason to be concerned.<\/p>\n Many TAH readers might be too young to remember the details – but the Iranian Revolution did not begin with the pro-American Shah leaving Iran in early 1979 and Khomeini’s subsequent return.\u00a0 Rather, the Iranian Revolution derived from what had been an “under the radar” anti-Western Islamist opposition movement for years – a movement which objected to the Shah’s modernization efforts as being “against Islam”.\u00a0 In Khomeini, it had a charismatic (if exiled) leader, and also had democratic allies within Iranian society. In late 1978, those directing the Iranian Revolution made a play for power by disrupting Iran’s society through public demonstrations. The attempt was successful, and the Shah was forced to depart. Khomeini then returned.<\/p>\n However, the Iranian Revolution did not immediately install Khomeini as a theocratic dictator on his return to Iran.\u00a0 The Iranian military at first opposed giving Khomeini and his allies political control of Iran.\u00a0 After a brief struggle the Iranian military relented, and an interim government was formed.\u00a0 Elections were soon held and a regime led by democracy advocate Mehdi Bazargani was installed.\u00a0 Hardline Khomeini supporters subsequently isolated Bazargani, neutralized him politically, and then systematically eliminated all non-radical elements from the “Revolution”.\u00a0 Within a few months, they’d succeeded – and had also pushed through a new constitution making Iran effectively a theocracy.<\/p>\n We’re still feeling the effects 33 years later.<\/p>\n Fast forward 33 years.\u00a0 In Egypt, we’ve seen a long-term, anti-Western Islamist opposition movement – the Muslim Brotherhood – oppose a pro-American government for years. The Muslim Brotherhood finally took to the streets and forced a longstanding US ally from power.\u00a0 The Egyptian military at first opposed giving control to the Islamists.\u00a0 However, after a brief period of unsettled violence, an interim government was formed. Elections were held; and the Muslim Brotherhood has now been elected elected to lead the Egyptian government.\u00a0 It is now in the process of installing it’s own leadership as the Egyptian government. And that leadership is also calling for the return of the charismatic mastermind of the 1993 WTC bombing<\/a>, Omar Abdel Rahman – who is currently in a US prison for that crime.<\/p>\n I swear I’ve seen this film before.\u00a0 And in terms of the United States’ interests and national security, it kinda sucked the first time around.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"