I’m back from a delightful trip to Britain. A million thanks to my good friend, our own Roger Kimball, whose essential magazine, The New Criterion, put together our conference, along with our gracious British hosts from the Social Affairs Unit (which publishes the UK’s best magazine on politics and culture, Standpoint). After spending a few revitalizing days in the cradle of modern democracy, I figured I was ready to take a deep breath and reconnect with the goings on of “Islamic Democracy” (the subject of my new book, Spring Fever). I should have given it another few days. This from Al-Arabiya:
The Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt may be praising righteousness, but their communication is anything but right. The party has encountered recent cringe-worthy moments over the past month, the following would prove to be examples.
Australia’s Channel 10 program, the Project, shows a clip of Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi adjusting his private parts while seated next to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Another incident involved the Information Minister Salah Abdel-Maksoud, who was conducting an interview with Dubai television anchor Zina Yazji. As she asked him questions, he told her, “I hope your questions aren’t as hot as you are,” a remark to which both the presenter and Information Minister laughed nervously.
A few days after the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya @Ikhwanweb re-tweeted a message from the group’s deputy head, Khairat al-Shater: “We are relieved none of @USEmbassyCairo staff were harmed & hope US-Eg relations will sustain turbulence of Tuesday’s events.” This heartfelt tweet, however, was posted at the same time as the Muslim Brotherhood’s Arabic -language Twitter account and its official website were actively praising the protests.
A clear contradiction between the two accounts was highlighted by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo when it tweeted the sardonic response: “Thanks. By the way, have you checked out your own Arabic feeds? I hope you know we read those too.”
While Mursi may be new at his presidential post, these brotherhood bloopers show that even the holiest of men engage in the occasional social gaffe.
Yes, indeed, the holiest of men.
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