Egypt Protests Continue, Mohamed ElBaradei and Muslim Brotherhood Rising Up

Mohamed ElBaradei

Protests are continuing in Egypt:

CAIRO — Egypt was engulfed in a fifth day of protests on Saturday but an attempt by President Hosni Mubarak to salvage his 30-year rule by firing his cabinet and calling out the army appeared to backfire as troops and demonstrators fraternized and called for the president himself to resign…

Cellphone service, cut off by the government on Friday, was partially restored although other elements of the communication shut down remained in force. The army moved to secure the Cairo International Airport on Saturday as the Associated Press reported that as many as 2,000 people flocked to the airport, many without reservations, in a frantic attempt to leave the country. International carriers reported delays and cancellations…

But the city remained on edge as tens of thousands of protesters gathered in central Cairo and army vehicles rolled through the streets. It remained unclear what new orders the army might receive as the government declared a new curfew for 4 p.m. on Saturday, or how its soldiers and officers might respond.

One of the protesters leaving a mosque near Cairo was Mohamed ElBaradei, an Egyptian who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work with the International Atomic Energy Agency and has since emerged as a leading critic of the government.

“This is the work of a barbaric regime that is in my view doomed,” he said after being sprayed by a water cannon. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/world/middleeast/30-egypt.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Mohamed ElBaradei seems to be rising up:

VIENNA, Jan 29 (Reuters) – It’s no surprise to those who have worked with Mohamed ElBaradei that the former International Atomic Energy Agency chief has reinvented himself as a campaigner for reform in Egypt.

But whether the veteran diplomat and Nobel peace laureate can be an effective force for change in his home country after so many decades working abroad is a huge unknown.

A possible candidate in Egypt’s presidential election this year, ElBaradei, 68, flew to Cairo on Thursday, putting himself at the centre of whirlwind of unprecedented protests against President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule….ElBaradei has said Mubarak should step down and has offered to help in a transitional government…

ElBaradei also did not shy away from criticising leaders in Arab states and said they had to take responsibility and reform rather than blaming other countries for their ills.

“The Arab world has introverted upon itself and has failed to identify its priorities. It denies the existence of serious problems,” he told Al-Hayat newspaper in 2008. http://af.reuters.com/article/egyptNews/idAFLDE70S07R20110129

I have looked at Mohammed el Baradei before as he has been a player in Egypt for the past couple of years. As a Noble prize winner and because of his IAEA work, if he survives, I believe he could be an interesting one to negotiate a future deal with the Europeans (cf. Daniel 11:27; Psalm 83).

Could Mohamed ElBaradei become the King of the South? It is too early to tell. He seems to be a bit more of a behind the scenes player, but that could change. It would seem that whatever actions he will take and any actions that the government of Egypt may take against him could be factors in the rise of the King of the South. Things are changing in the Middle East.

The Muslim Brotherhood is rising up:

January 29, 2011 5:29 PM EST

The Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas are collaborating and seeking to increase their roles in Egypt…

The Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic opposition party in Egypt, is picking up the pieces left by President Hosni Mubarak’s police force by forming committees to protect public property…

Moreover, there are unconfirmed reports that as Egypt’s border with Palestine becomes unpatrolled, “Hamas armed men are entering into Egypt” and seeking collaboration with the Muslim Brotherhood. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/106617/20110129/muslim-brotherhood-and-hamas-seek-to-increase-role-in-egypt-stratfor.htm

CAIRO Jan 29 (Reuters) – Protests that have rocked Egypt will not abate until President Hosni Mubarak steps down or announces immediate reforms, a lawyer representing the Islamist opposition group Muslim Brotherhood told Reuters on Saturday. http://af.reuters.com/article/egyptNews/idAFLDE70S0K820110129

A group like the Muslim Brotherhood has the potential to unify the Arab states under the coming King of the South. I suspect that the King of the South will promise to appoint governors/presidents of various states or regions from a group that he is part of (and let some individuals in charge of various nations to keep their titles if they support him).

Interestingly as the Middle East has problems, the EU and Saudi Arabia have taken what seem to be opposite positions on the crisis:

CATHERINE ASHTON, EU FOREIGN AFFAIRS CHIEF

“I reiterate my call on all parties to exercise restraint and calm and I urge the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all peaceful demonstrators from detention.”

“I also reiterate my call upon the Egyptian authorities to urgently establish a constructive and peaceful way to respond to the legitimate aspirations of Egyptian citizens for democratic and socioeconomic reforms.”

KING ABDULLAH OF SAUDI ARABIA

“No Arab or Muslim can tolerate any meddling in the security and stability of Arab and Muslim Egypt by those who infiltrated the people in the name of freedom of expression, exploiting it to inject their destructive hatred.” http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/29/us-egypt-world-idUSTRE70S2B920110129?pageNumber=2

Western “meddling” may certainly be something that the King of the South will claim requires greater unity in the Arab World (King Abdullah seems to be referring to US President Obama and/or the EU). While the EU is now commenting on what is happening in Egypt, because of its increasing Muslim population, Europe itself needs to prepare to deal with its own disenchanted Islamic population.

ICG’s Mark Armstrong mentioned:

Islamist radicals have determined that the time is now to try to overwhelm moderate governments with Iranian revolution-style tactics, and they’ve already achieved some success. The conventional wisdom that radical Islamic ideology is in retreat, that the vast majority of the Muslim world is populated by moderate peace-loving Muslims is going up in flames before the eyes of the world.

How far will this uprising go? Will it ultimately see Egypt, perhaps Jordan or (perish the thought) even some of the oil-rich gulf kingdoms succumb to radical revolutionaries? We’d better hope and pray not. The price of oil is already on the incline, and with our domestic resources having been effectively placed off limits by the politicians, all bets are off on the ultimate effect these events half a world away may have on our domestic economy.

The next concerns will be whether large Muslim populations elsewhere, in Europe and in the UK may follow suit and start their own “demonstrations.” What a time we live in. These developments couldn’t be any more crucially to the point along the lines of Bible prophecy. If Egypt should end up going the way of Iran, which is suddenly a legitimate prospect, then the whole Middle East equation will change dramatically.

Let me go on record and again state that I firmly believe that there will be civil unrest in Europe, and that Islamic protests will be part of some of that unrest–the King of the North must rise up and civil unrest and religious issues are most likely going to be factors. (There will also likely be riots, etc. in the USA, though the results will be different there.)

If protests continue in Egypt, and if even more Middle Eastern nations face unrest, this could trigger other events in the Middle East (like Iran deciding to try to show “leadership” through provoking/attacking Israel) which will lead to the King of the South gaining power.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi? What does the Bible say?
The Arab and Islamic World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam? What about the Imam Mahdi? What lies ahead for Turkey, Iran, and the other non-Arabic Muslims?
Africa: Its Biblical Past and Prophesied Future What does the Bible teach about Africa and its future? Did the early Church reach Africa? Will God call all the Africans?
Is There an Islamic Antichrist?Is Joel Richardson correct that the final Antichrist will be Islamic and not European? Find out.
Barack Obama in Islamic Prophecy? There is actually a 17th century Shiite prophecy that some believe that Barack Obama will fulfill that will lead to a rising up of Islam.
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach?
Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North? Is the German Defense Minister one to watch? What do Catholic, Byzantine, and biblical prophecies suggest?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?