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canno longer thepartythat says'Down be with this' alf, f trdffi; ' with that,"'says Essam el-Erian, topBrotherhood a leader. "The;
thing we stoodagainstis gone,sonow we haveto re-examinep what we standfor." 1 As the Arab Springturns to blazingsummer,Islamist I movementshavequickly formed political parties and mobi- i ' lized national campaignsdesignedto unveil their new image beforeelectionsin the fall and winter. Paranoidrhetoric about threats to Muslim identity havegiven way to political messaging that could havebeenlifted from the party platforms of any It's Western democracy: all about jobs,investments,inclusiveness. new broom to sweepcleandecades corruption.A A of new dawn of can-doIslamism. It's not easyto tell how this is playing outsidethe political [Link] Egyptians,especiallythe young, arenot thinking about their next government;they're still focusedon the one they've [Link] continue to organizeweekly demonstrapressuringthe military-led transitional tions in Tahrir Square, authority to prosecute Mubarak-era crimes."They'repermanently in revolution mode,"saysliberal politician Hisham Kassem."They'rejust not organizedfor politics." Organizationhasalwaysbeenthe Muslim Brotherhood's strongsuit. Founded r9z8to promoteIslamic law and values, in it hasenduredbrutal suppression a succession by ofEgyptian leaders. Estimates its membershipvary from roo,oooto many of times that [Link] the Mubarak years,openassociation with the Brotherhoodwas an invitation to policeharassment or [Link] group haslong beenfearedin the West asthe source and exporterofradical Islamist ideology: violent groupslike the PalestinianHamasaredirect offshootsof the Brotherhood. Some scholars tracethe origins ofterrorist groupslike al-Qaeda the to [Link] Egypt,however,the group long agorejected the rhetoric of violent jihad, and it is seenasa socialmovementas much asa political entity. Egypt'spoor havelong associated the Brotherhoodwith its socialservices, freeclinics and schools. like Now the Brotherhoodneedsto broadenits baseto include middle-class and affluent [Link] of the young men and women hanging out on the October6 Bridgeon aThursday evening-enjoying a coolbreezeoff the Nile and the chance for somemild flirting-seem comfortablewith the ideaof an Islamist-ledgovernment."We know [Link] go to school with them, eatwith them, play soccer with them," saysFadel, a zo-year-old university student."If they cometo power,we'll judgethem by their results, the sizeoftheir beards." not you Under the circumstances, might expectthe Islamists to be reveling in their ascendancy, seeingit asan endorsement of their [Link]'redoing no suchthing. Insteadthey areherding toward the political center,adoptingpositionsthat would be entirely familiar to Republicans and Democratsin the [Link] Egypt'sMuslim Brotherhoodand Tunisia's of Ennahda(Renaissance) about economicpriorities: creating talk jobs,reducing debt,attracting foreign investment,halting the little talk ofShari'a or ofrestrictexodusofskilled [Link]'s ing the rights of women or non-Muslim minorities. Toreassure critics who fearthat the Islamistswill seekto remake Egyptasa theocraticstate, Brotherhoodis enteringthe the ring with onehand tied voluntarily behind its back:its new political arm, the Freedom andfusticeParty,will contestonly half the seats inthe first post-Mubarakgeneralelections, expectedin the latefall, andwill not field a candidate the presidentialelecfor tionin early zorz.(When a Brotherhoodstalwart,AbdelMoneim Abou el-Fatouh, declaredhiscandidacyinMay,he wasexpelled)

ASWEWAITFORTHE SALAFILEADER KAMALHABIBATTHE CAIRO 'OURNALISTS'

Union, a suddenpanic comesoverme.I've just noticedthat my translator,ShahiraAmin, an Egyptianjournalist, is wearing a In sleeveless and that her hair is uncovered. my experience, top Salafis, adherents very strict schooloflslam, take a dim view ofa of suchdisplaysof femininity. I recall a time in Baghdad when a Salafipreacher cursedme for bringing a femalephotographer to in our interview, and an occasion the |ordanian city of Saltwhen from his chair and thwackedhis teenage anotherSalafileaped daughteron the arm when sheaccidentallyenteredthe room without coveringher facefrom my infidel eyes. I've heardreportsthat Habib is not the hard-liner he was in the r97os, when he co-founded radical Egyptian Islamic the or the r98os, when he was jailed in connectionwith the fihad, Anwar Sadat. gaveup politics after He assassination President of in a decade prison, but in the aftermath of the Arab Spring,he hasreinventedhimself asa leaderof a more moderateparty. He'sheld pressconferences the union, sopresumablyhe'shad at to make his peace with women who don't covertheir hair. But I fear he may draw the line at a sleeveless top. I needn'thaveworried. When Habib arrives,he shoutsa jolly greetingfrom across room and then [Link]'s the wearing a blue blazerand clutching a smart [Link] looks my translator straight in the eyeand extendshis hand to shake. They exchange complaintsaboutthe beastlyhumidity. Would Shahiralike a Pepsi? askssolicitously. he Only weeksbeforemy arrival in Cairo,Salafishad burned down Coptic Christian churchesin the Imbabaneighborhood, perhaps15minutes from where we're sitting. Salafimen had menaced women who strayedinto their neighborhoodwithout adequate [Link] houndedby the police and secret serviceof the dictator Hosni Mubarak, the Salafisseemed be to celebratingtheir newfound freedomwith an orgy of violence. But a few weeksarean eternity in post-MubarakEgypt. Several Salafileaders havedecided join the political fray,and to they can't afford to let a few thugs make them all look [Link] Habib has decided organizea big reconciliation meeting with to Coptic leaders, he wants me to know he hasno truck with and the reactionaries who burned churches."[Link]," he says, spreadinghis handsin a gestureoffinality. "The pastis the past,and the peoplewho did this terrible thing arefrom the [Link] time is over." I had to wonder if Habib'smessage custom-made was for a Westernjournalist or whether it offereda glimpseof a new [Link] next few days,in the incipient Arab democraciesof Egypt and Tunisia,I find that Islamistsof all stripesfrom extremist Salafisto membersof more orthodox groupslike the Muslim Brotherhood-say they arebreaking with the past and reinventing themselves the moderatemainstream."We as 44

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parliamentariansconnected the Islamiststhat the party will not haveanything like a to This guarantees But the Islamists'conciliatory gestures not majority in the new parliament,which will take on the highly are ela Western audience. their own countrymen, It's sensitivetask of rewritingthe [Link] parties,says (It's Tunisians,they want to reassure. remarkable Erian, will haveasayinframingnewlaws. Why is the BrotherEl-Eriansaysit's the [Link] Israelcomesup in my conversations) hood giving up a shot at political dominance? "we recognizethat it would createfear,and the absence The Islamistsmay haverecognizedthat their radical tune , because is playedout. They'veseenin Iran and Gazathe crippling of fear is goodfor us asmuch asit is goodfor Egypt." consequences extremist behavior:Western aid and foreign The liberals I meet arent buying this. Sometell me it's an of investmentwould dry up and possiblybe replaced economic empty gesture: Brotherhoodknows it can'twin a majority the by As [Link] al Aswany,Cairo'smost famousliving novelist and sanctions. much asthey desirepower,the Islamistsdon't want to inherit bankrupt states. a prominent liberal, claims that the Brotherhooddoesnt have It's also conceivable in that they areplaying for time to consoli broadsupport,pointing to recentwins by liberal candidates [Link] datetheir position, although there areother plausibleexplanabellwether student-unionelectionsat several For tions. One is that the Arab revolution unshackledthe moderate he is nonetheless apprehensive. all its vauntedpolitical prin"in majority within Islamist [Link] the decades oppresanything is allowed of ciples,al Aswany says, the Brotherhood, siverule, only the extremists daredspeakout, allowing the [in the pursuit ofl power,sowe cannevertrust them." Others rest of the world to believethey spokefor the entire movement. smell a ruse:the Brotherhoodwill simply haveproxiescontest gone,moderateIslamists arenow in the as and With their oppressors the rest of the seats independents will try to win a majority, allowing it to drown out liberalvoicesin parliament. ascendancy within the [Link] vastly outnumber The kids It doesn'thelp that liberal groupsarein disarray. this gives the extremists,and in the emergingdemocracy, them [Link] aresetting the agenda. who brought down dictatorsin Egyptand Tunisia haveshown prospect Then there's sobering little interestin forming political parties:Wael Ghonim, the the ofhaving to run a govyoung Googleexecutivewho became the ernment, perhapsasthe dominant most recognized faceof the Tahrir Square partner in a [Link]-Erianlooks positively gloomy ashe pondersthe revolution,hasdroppedout ofsight. Older liberal pols,who lack the revolutionary challenges that await."|obs,wherewill "We need credentialsofthe youth and the organithey comefrom?" he says. zationalskill of the Islamists,arestrugto [Link] needinvestments, gling to keepup. MohamedElBaradei, the not [Link] needbusinesses. We former [Link] Nobel needto export more. If we work very Peace laureate, can't seemto make up his hard,in five yearsEgyptwill be a great mind whether to run for President. market."In otherwords,this is no time The liberals arealsoshowing themto debatethe finer points ofKoranic jurisprudence. selves be poor democrats. to Several prominent liberals-ElBaradei among Thereis yet one other factor influencthem-have launcheda signaturecaming the Islamists to redefinethemselves: paign to forcepostponementof the parthe powerful political gravity of Tahrir -ESSAM EL-ERIAN, A TOP liamentary electionsand getan unelected Islamistsrecognizethat the Square. MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD LEADER panel of expertsto first remakethe constirevolution that liberatedthem was led tution. The Constitution First campaign,a by an iPadgenerationwith universal, jobs,justice,dignity. "The young people Western diplomat in Cairo tells me, "reflectsthe liberals'uncer- not religious,demands: tainty about how they will do in electionsand a desireto lock in havetold us all what they want, and our agenda should be close someprotections."Politically,too, the liberals' call for postpone- to theirs," saysel-Erian. ment is nakedly self-serving: would give them time to try and it As the Islamists stampede the political center,there'sstill to grass-roots match the Brotherhood's room for the outlier, the unreconstructedSalafi.I arrangeto organization. Can the liberals and the Islamistslearn to play fairlywith meetAbdelmajid Habibi at a caf6in [Link]'sa leaderof Hizb eachothef The questionis being askednot just in Cairo and ut-Tahrir,an extremist group that hasnot yet beengiven license Tunis but alsoin Damascus if and Sana'a: religious and secular to operateasa political party. By coincidence, Tirnisian my groupscan work togetherin Egypt and Tunisia,that would send translator,SalmaMahfoudh, is alsoa woman; sheis dressed in jeansand hasher hair uncovered. a powerful message Syria,Yemenand other Arab countries to Habibi is uncomfortablein where revolutionary winds areblowing. Western governments, herpresence his andkeeps eyes onme evenasshespeakswith too, havea stakein the [Link] fall of Mubarak, much him. It doesn'tmatter very much if he can t form a political of the discussionin the [Link] Europehasbeenabout whether party, he says, he's because not surehe approves ofan election his successors cometo terms with the West and maintain can or a constitution. "Why do we needa constitution?We already peace with [Link] the first and most important test of the havethe Koran,which hasall the laws we needasa society." He new Arab democracy may be whether its conflicting political doesnt believein modern bordersor nations either:the entire tendencies accommodate can eachother. Islamic world should submit to a singleenlightenedruler. Thus far, the Islamistshaveshown the greaterwillingnessto This is the Salafiworldview I've encountered nearly 15 for deal,and the ObamaAdministration seems think they can be [Link] wait. As we talk somemore, Habibi'sline softens. to expected behaverationally, not like reactionaries radicals. to or "We think peoplecan only be happy if they fgllow the Ko"But if they don't want it, we shouldn't forceit Secretary StateHillary Clinton confirmed reports in late |une ran," he says. of that the Administration will upgradeits interaction with the on them." As he risesto saygoodbye, smiles at us both. He he Brotherhoodfrom indirect communication-through Egyptian shakesmy hand. And then Salma's. I

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