Column: Class with the Muslim Brotherhood

CAIRO — I had never seen a teacher look so nervous.

Then again, when you’re bringing in Dr. Mohamed Gouda, one of the head members of the Muslim Brotherhood’s political branch, the Freedom and Justice Party, you’ll probably worry things might get a little tense.

My teacher’s fears proved valid, because let me assure you, things did get tense.
The timing of Gouda’s visit was uncanny given everything going on in Egypt.

It had been intended for weeks that he come talk to us, but he happened to come on the heels of President Mohamed Morsi’s recent controversial decree and the release of the new constitution, which Egyptians will vote on via referendum Dec. 15.

Many Egyptians believe the constituent assembly was rendered completely corrupt after nearly all minorities and non-Islamists left in protest to the Islamic slant. They believe the constitution is therefore invalid.

Because of this, Egyptians have taken to Tahrir Square in the hundreds of thousands to demand Morsi relinquish his recent power grab and rewrite the constitution with a new assembly.

As all of this happened, Gouda sat down to talk to our class and answer questions.

The entire session was conducted in Arabic, with a student translating to English for us six international students. It was the most uncomfortable class period of my life.

He didn’t veer much from the script.

He started with an introduction in which he praised the new constitution, saying it is an amazingly fair and balanced portrayal of the Egyptian peoples’ desires.

He boasted that 6 million people had turned up at Cairo University to support Morsi and his constitution. He emphasized that Morsi’s essentially dictatorial powers are temporary.

He argued that the liberals in Egypt are divided and want chaos and that they do not appeal to anyone outside of Cairo.

He called them “elitist” for not going to the rural areas.

As he talked, our translator stopped at one point, shook his head, looked at us and said, “This is all complete bullshit.”

Most of the class was devoted to questions. Students didn’t hesitate.

One girl, near tears, asked him about women’s rights in the constitution. One clause as currently stands — clause 41 — is designed to protect women’s rights, and she said it’s not enough. Women in Egypt are not equal.

Gouda’s response was, essentially, “We are taking that article out. Women are just like any other citizens in this country, and to reinforce this, we don’t want to have any separate section for them.”

In Egypt the idea of protecting the minority from being crushed or ostracized by the majority apparently does not exist.

Gouda said the Muslim Brotherhood hopes to bring Egypt up in world rankings and double its GDP in the next six years, to which another international student said, “Because that’s attainable.”

The discussion went on and got more heated, until students could barely contain themselves from pointing out the disparities between things he was saying and things everyone else was thinking.

How can a ruling party be so out of touch with what the rest of the country is thinking?

We complain about that in America, but let me assure you, the discrepancies in America are like holes in the ground compared to the Marianas Trench that is the misunderstanding in Egyptian politics.

Gouda denied reports that Morsi will step down if the constitution does not pass.

He also said without hesitation that Morsi will not bend or compromise on his latest decree. He can’t for fear of being seen as flaky or easy tomanipulate.

He will not compromise, although, according to the Muslim Brotherhood member, the liberals don’t want to talk anyway.

That’s not how you build the foundation of a country for a diverse populace. That’s how you create revolution.

We will be here for the referendum, and more mass protests are scheduled for the upcoming week.

They’re going to have to figure something out.

­— hannsmit@indiana.edu