MOSLEM BROTHERHOOD
January 15, 1954 | © The New York Times
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The Brotherhood is an evil flower of the days when fascism was coming to bloom between the World Wars. Its appeal was at first to urban workers, students and lower-middle-class youth of the towns. Soon it penetrated the countryside, the army and–with great effect–the clergy, or mullahs. It was as a fanatically religious Islamic movement that it gained force, turning naturally toward nationalism, xenophobia, anti-feminism, anti-Westernism, even anti-Copt, for the Egyptian Copts are Christians.
Being fascist, it soon raised paramilitary forces and went in for violence. It gained strength during World War II and claimed 2,000,000 to 3,000,000 members. That made the organization powerful and hence a political force. The Brotherhood helped General Naguib to execute his coup in July, 1952, but it stood to reason that a regime dedicated to peace, order and friendly relations with the West could not indefinitely get along with a fanatical, West-hating, semi-secret, semi-military organization like the Moslem Brotherhood.
To eradicate a movement with such ramifications and such an appeal throughout the Middle East will not be easy. The Brotherhood was banned once before, in 1948, and came back strong. It is one of those dark and evil forces that our disturbed century has made possible. If Premier Naguib succeeds in crushing the Brotherhood, he will have done a good deed for Egypt and for the free world.
January 15, 1954 | © The New York Times
This post contains selected excerpts from the original article. Archival material reproduced here for educational and research purposes under fair use. Original copyright belongs to the respective publisher.
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