U.S. FAILURE TO OBEY LAW AGAINST AID TO MILITARY THAT OVERTHROWS A DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED GOVERNMENT SETS BACK CAUSE OF RULE OF LAW IN THE MUSLIM WORLD
(Bethesda, MD, 8/9/13) Speaking at a press conference called by Egyptian-Americans for Democracy and Human Rights (EADHR) at the National Press Club, Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, Ph.D., the president of the Minaret of Freedom Institute (MFI) said that the United States was setting a poor example for the Muslim world by slipping away from the rule of law by failing to apply section 508 of the Foreign Assistance Act, which states unambiguously that the United States must cut aid to any country “whose duly elected head of government is deposed by military coup or decree.”
"Claims that enforcement of the law would constitute an endorsement of the Mursi regime are absurd. One can think a president has been a poor leader without justifying a military coup against him. The current president of France has made many mistakes, but no one calls for his replacement by a military coup. Obama’s fiercest critics among the Republicans do not call for a military coup to displace him.
"Egyptian liberals have made a huge mistake in turning to the military to shortcut the democratic process for reform. The military is deeply embedded in both the Egyptian economy and the 'deep state' (a term meaning the ruling elites as opposed to the formal rulers) and it is more interested in preserving its privileges than in implementing liberal reform.
"During its ‘Golden Age’ the Muslim world was the premiere civilization on earth, largely because of its commitment to the rule of law. During the past century the United States has been the premiere civilization largely for the same reason. The Muslim world must return to the rule of law if it wishes to escape the backwardness in which it has wallowed in recent centuries. The U.S. must not abandon its commitment to the rule of law if it wishes to retain its leadership role among the nations of the earth. The biggest favor the U.S. can do for Egypt now is to demonstrate its commitment to the rule of law by obeying its own law.”
The Minaret of Freedom Institute is an Islamic think-tank based in Bethesda, MD that promotes liberty and the free market as well as being dedicated to countering distortions and, misconceptions about Islamic beliefs and practice.
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| Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, Ph.D. |
