Speak to members of the Muslim Brotherhood and you get a sense of just how imperilled they feel. Ever since Mohammed Mursi was overthrown, members of the group have come to believe they’re engaged in a fight for the Muslim Brotherhood’s existence. Indeed, there is a popular perception among Brotherhood members that the entire movement’s trajectory will be determined by what transpires in Egypt now.
Western governments have traditionally indulged themselves with the fantasy of a stratified Brotherhood consisting of ‘extreme’ and ‘moderate’ elements. This view confuses strategic pragmatism with ideology. Focus on the group’s core beliefs and what you’re left with is a unified movement striving for the same Islamist endgame.
Yet, a more stratified and diffuse movement is precisely what is likely to emerge following this morning’s draconian crackdown on pro-Mursi supporters in Cairo. It’s too soon to know how many protesters were killed after the army forcibly dispersed protesters but it’s clear that live rounds were used and that a significant number of people have died.
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