More lies from Brother Tariq Ramadan

Now that President Mubarak has gone, all eyes are on what happens next in Egypt. Some are wildly optimistic that we will see the first flowerings of Egyptian democracy. Others warn darkly that the Muslim Brotherhood, the best organised and most effective opposition grouping, will sooner or later make a bid for power.

It is almost fashionable for the western media to play down the Muslim Brotherhood's extremism, and for some to say it is moderate and non-violent. Antisemitic manifestations in the street protests of the last 18 days in the Brotherhood's time-honoured Jew-hating tradition have been curiously downplayed in the western media (see picture).

Apologists for the Muslim Brotherhood have been given a platform. Take Tariq Ramadan, who wrote an op-ed in The New York Times.

'Tariq Ramadan is a liar', proclaims Yaacov Lozowick at his blog, and Barry Rubin has done a fine job fisking Ramadan's NYT piece. You don't need me to labour the point that Professor Ramadan, slick and silver-tongued grandson of the Muslim Brotherhood's founder, Hassan al-Banna, is a master of doublespeak and obfuscation. I'll just remind you of a few facts, as contained in Matthew Kuntzel's fine work, Jihad and Jew Hatred.

Lie no.1: The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in the 1930s as an anti-colonial and non-violent movement.Kuntzel points out that the MB's top priority was Jew-hatred, not anti-British feeling.

Lie no.2: Al-Banna strongly criticised fascist governments in Germany and Italy. Nothing could be further than the truth. Al-Banna was a fervent admirer of Hitler. The Islamist movement was subsidised by German funds. The MB distributed Mein Kampf.

Lie no.3: the Muslim Brotherhood rejected the use of violence in Egypt, though it was legitimate in Palestine: nonsense. In 1939, the Muslim Brotherhood placed the first bombs in a Cairo synagogue and Jewish private homes. These acts could hardly be called 'resistance' to the Irgun and Stern Gang, who came much later. The violence followed calls for the boycott of Jewish businesses and incitement in the MB press against the 'Threat of the Jews in Egypt'.

Anyone who claims that the MB believes in democracy should note that the Brotherhood only believes in democracy as a vehicle to get itself into power. Once firmly entrenched, it will kill its opponents (a la Hamas) and never hold an election again.

Anyone who thinks that the Muslim Brotherhood believes in Turkish-style secularism is deluding themselves. The Muslim Brotherhood has always believed in Islamic theocracy.

Anyone one believes (like The Guardian) that the MB is a progressive force should be aware that it is a reactionary, anti-modern, misogynistic movement with its roots in fascism.

Barry Rubin 'fisks' Ramadan's NYT article