Egypt's Islamists are claiming a decisive victory this week in the first elections since the fall of Hosni Mubarak. The well-organized Muslim Brotherhood captured roughly 40 percent of the vote, as expected, and ultraconservative Islamists finished a surprisingly strong second. Emboldened religious parties are already stepping up pressure on the military to hasten the transition to civilian rule, though there are two more election rounds to come. (This week, ballots were only cast in one-third of Egypt's provinces.) Will Islamists rule the new Egypt?
Yes. And that's a disaster: "It would be hard to overstate what a catastrophe the Egyptian elections are shaping into," says Andrew C. McCarthy at National Review. The Muslim Brotherhood and the even more radical Salafist Muslims of the Nour party can justifiably cement their power with a newly drafted constitution and the election of a new president. The Arab Spring, supposedly a victory for secular democrats, is increasingly looking like the start of a "grand jihad."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Wonsan-Kalma: North Korea's new 'mammoth' beach resortUnder the Radar Pyongyang wants to boost tourism but there won't be many foreign visitors to Kim Jong Un's 'pet project'
-
The 5 best TV reboots of all timeThe Week Recommends Finding an entirely new cast to play beloved characters is harder than it looks
-
Crossword: July 10, 2025The Week's daily crossword
