Ikhwan

Three high ranking members of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt were arrested over the weekend, including Dr. Abdel-Moneim Abu el-Fotouh, Member of the Executive Bureau of the Muslim Brotherhood, and Secretary-General of the Arab Doctors’ Federation, a notable reformer and strong voice of moderation within the party. The Arabist notes:

Aboul Fotouh in particular is one of the MB’s most popular figures, respected well beyond their ranks for his intellectual calibre and moderation. Considering all [three] of these people were involved in the fundraising drive and aid effort to Gaza, and the Egyptian government has just reopened the border, one wonders whether there’s any connection... I should add that several companies close to those arrested and other prominents MBs have been shut down, dealing a further financial blow to the group.

However, 13 members were released yesterday after a court declared them innocent of money laundering. Official statements by the Ikhwan characterizedthe new arrests not only as a continuation of the regimes oppression of the group's at "reform, coordinating with all the political and national powers in Egypt, and forming a coalition with the Egyptian masses."

Additionally "Detentions emphasize the failure of the existing regime in various fields, whereas its inability to bring security to the nation as these deeds are directly in the service of our US-Zionist enemies tarnishing Egypt's reputation internally and abroad." Given the language of the statment and the arrested man's connection to Gaza relief efforts that is mentioned in several of the statements, its seems fairly clear that the Brotherhood is inclided to agree with teh Arabist about the reasons for the arrests.

Events both in Gaza and in Egypt have positioned the Brotherhood to wield more electoral cout then they have in quiet some time, and in many cases they are calling for democratization. I wonder if events in Iran, where many in the west have strongly supported a coalition of protesters that includes moderat Islamist parties, might shape events in Egypt, eccelerating the formation of a coalition to demand Mubark steps down in the coming years.