MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

The Islamist Ennahda Party may be described as ‘moderate’, but don’t let that term fool you.  As I wrote here back in September regarding Libya, Western ears often hear the word ‘moderate’ and think ‘peaceful’ or ‘free’ or ‘democratic’, so in the minds of the naive and the willingly ignorant there is therefore no need for worry.

We’ll often envision Indiana Jones chasing after lost relics throughout Egypt governed by a ‘moderate’ Islamic government.  Or we’ll think of a moderate country like Indonesia with its beautiful beach resorts.  Or a moderate society in Malaysia and the marvelous Petronas Twin Towers.  Or even a ‘moderate’ state such as Turkey and the St. Sophia ‘Church’ Museum.  Yet Egypt is where Christians have been persecuted and killed for centuries, before and during Mubarak, and now at an increasing pace post-revolution.  In Indonesia Islamic teachers are attacked for speaking against violence, and a television station is forced to pull a film promoting religious tolerance because some Muslims were offended and threatened to riot.  In Malaysia the government can now charge non-Muslims with ‘blasphemy’ for simply quoting from the Qur’an ‘insincerely’.  It’s also where at least one Muslim group has declared jihad against Christians simply for disagreeing with them.  And Turkey is responsible for — and continues to deny — the genocide of over one million Armenian Christians.  And the examples don’t end there.

The ‘Arab Spring’ isn’t giving birth to freedom.  It’s giving birth to a whole new Beast …

“TUNIS, Oct 23 (Reuters) – Tunisian voters poured into polling stations to vote on Sunday in their country’s first free election, 10 months after vegetable seller Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in an act of protest that started the Arab Spring uprisings.

The leader of an Islamist party predicted to win the biggest share of the vote was heckled outside a polling station by people shouting ‘terrorist’, highlighting tensions between Islamists and secularists being felt across the Arab world.

Bouazizi’s dramatic suicide, prompted by despair over poverty and government repression, provoked mass protests which forced President Zine al-Abidine to flee Tunisia. This in turn inspired revolts in Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria.

Rachid Ghannouchi, leader of the moderately Islamist Ennahda party, took his place in the queue outside a polling station in the El Menzah 6 district of the capital.

‘This is an historic day,’ he said, accompanied by his wife and daughter, both wearing Islamic headscarves, or hijabs. ‘Tunisia was born today. The Arab Spring was born today.’…

‘Islam should be respected again in Tunisia,’ said Hasna Ben Zid, a 38-year-old woman wearing a hijab, ‘That’s why I’m going to vote for the only Islamic party.’

But the party’s rise worries secularists who believe their country’s liberal, modernist traditions are now under threat…

‘I’m not so optimistic about the result of the vote,’ said Ziyed Tijiani, a 26-year-old architect who had just cast his vote. His forefinger was stained with the blue ink used in polling stations to stop ballot fraud.

‘I think the Islamists could win. It’s not want I want. They may try to change the way I live,’ he said, accompanied by a young woman in jeans and T-shirt.” Read more.

Post-Revolt Tunisia Wrestles with Resurgent Islam, ‘We Want Islamic Schools All Over the Country’ – “For Walid, Tunisia’s revolution is an opportunity to turn one of the Arab world’s most secular countries towards Islam. ‘We paid a heavy price for the revolution so we are not ready to let secularists and supporters of the Zionists control our destiny,’ said the young man, with a beard and a long white robe, after prayers in the Omrane district of the capital. ‘We want to respect our religion and to apply Islamic law in our country.’ ‘We want Islamic schools all over the country.'” Read more.

Obama praises Tunisians on first post-revolt vote – “US President Barack Obama congratulated Tunisians Sunday on casting ballots in their country’s first election since the revolt that started the Arab Spring, calling it ‘an important step forward.’ ‘The United States reaffirms its commitment to the Tunisian people as they move toward a democratic future that offers dignity, justice, freedom of expression, and greater economic opportunity for all,’ Obama said in a statement.” Read more.