Cross-posted at The Smoking Room
Could the greatest threat to the Syrian regime be an odd coalition of seculars and fundies?
In April, the outlawed Islamist organization Muslim Brotherhood issued a statement calling for free and fair elections and an end to the state of emergency, effectively martial law, in place since 1963. The Brotherhood warned the government that it would bear “sole responsibility” for the deterioration of the country if it ignored its call.
The declaration from the Brotherhood encouraged two Syrian secular opposition groups to set aside their misgivings about the Islamists and issue statements of support, setting in motion a potential alliance.
“Any reform process, to be successful, must have all forces, without exception, including the Muslim Brotherhood,” says Mohammed Sawan, secretary-general of the Gathering for Democracy and Unity.
The Islamists potentially represent a powerful opposition to Baathist rule, which is why, more than two decades after its campaign of bombings and assassinations against the state, the Muslim Brotherhood remains banned in Syria and membership is punishable by death. …
“The Islamists are not involved in politics but they have the street,” says Ibrahim Hamidi, a political analyst and writer for the Arabic Al Hayat newspaper. “The [secular] opposition is very weak; [it] has no legitimacy and no popular support. The threat [to the government] comes when the opposition works with the Islamists…”
I have no idea what to think of any of this. Cooperation between opposing groups usually leads to moderation in both, but what happens if one – in this case, the Islamists – decides it’s powerful enough after toppling the government? Whatever happens, there’s little doubt Assad’s regime will blame it on America and try to raise its public support (short of that messy democracy thing) by bashing America (apparently unaware it didn’t work for long with Schroeder). Let these early discussions about cooperation also dispel the myth popular among some old-line conservatives and peace activists that Islamists would never cooperate with secular leaders to bring down a regime both consider an enemy. (The paleos and the peaceniks are an odd coalition themselves…)
I’m a tech journalist who’s making a TV show about a college newspaper.