Sudanese academic claims nationalists meet Washington's goals in Egypt

Sudanese academic and prominent Islamist Professor Al-Tayeb Zain al-Abdin has said that Egyptian nationalists met the American government’s goals when they removed the Muslim Brotherhood from government in Egypt. Zain al-Abdin, who is professor of political studies at Khartoum University, said that despite the circumstantial reasons given for the coup, it is also based on a heritage of historical conflict between the nationalists and Islamists.

However, he does not believe that unity among the anti Morsi forces will last. “Removing the Brotherhood from the scene is the common goal among the political forces, it is not connected to extremism,” he said. He gave as an example the nationalists closeness to Salafists.

Professor Zain al-Abdin pointed out that the same nationalists launched dialogue in the past with the Muslim Brotherhood because they needed them as both sides were in opposition; today, they feel that they do not need them.

“The Brotherhood is a strong organisation and they might be affected temporarily by the pressures on them and by their mistakes during Morsi’s rule, but polarisation is still too strong. Although the army intervened on behalf of one side against the other, it did not end polarisation.”

Despite the fierce attempts to push the Islamic movement away from authority, the Sudanese professor ruled out their success. “The Muslim Brotherhood is a power on the ground and has a long history of facing conspiracies against them.” As such, he doesn’t expect an end to Brotherhood involvement in Egyptian politics, “but painful concessions will be needed from both sides in order to reach political reconciliation and get Egypt out of the current deadlock.”

He suggested that the nationalists might accept the Shura Council and Constitution in return for Morsi’s ceding of the presidency. “Nevertheless, the Muslim Brotherhood will continue to be the biggest parliamentary bloc because it is the biggest party in Egypt.”