Egypt: A new effort to define the political center: The "Mainstream Initiative"

By: Alaa Bayoumi, www.alaabayoumi.com

Some of Egypt's most prominent political Islamist intellectuals are organizing. They launched yesterday an initiative called "Egypt Mainstream," http://www.facebook.com/egyptmainstream. Their success could empower Egypt's political center in a profound and unique ways.

According to media reports and the group's Facebook page, more than 5000 people have supported the initiative so far including Essam Sharaf, Egypt's Interim Prime Minister, and Moataz Abdel Fatah, Sharaf's political advisor. It was also joined by some prominent political intellectuals, some of them are Copts.

The group issued a declaration of principles, http://alshaabyoreed.com/agreement.aspx, that emphasizes freedom and Egyptians' need to believe "in unity that is based on diversity" and that security is attainable in " a prosperous and coherent society and in a just state that fulfills the aspirations of its people."

The group wants to define the mainstream political values that bind Egyptians together with an emphasis on freedom, unity, justice, tolerance, and moderation.

They are basically trying to empower the center of Egyptian politics by redefining its core values in modern terms accepted by a large coalition of Egyptian political groups, which they are hoping to invite.

They are political intellectuals with good understanding of both Islamic and modern political ideologies. They stand politically on the "center right" of Egyptian politics. They are socially conservative, but open to leftist and capitalist political and economic ideas.

If successful, they could counter balance some Islamist groups, such as the Muslim brotherhood and the Salafis, who stand politically on the right of these intellectuals. They would also challenge some hardline Egyptian secular groups who take an elitist and exclusivist stand against any Islamist or conservative groups because of cultural reasons and regardless of practical political reasons.

In other words, the intellectuals could empower the center of Egyptian politics in unique ways. They could make it more attractive to more hardline conservative and secular groups by bridging the gap between the two camps. They could also make the political center and the center right more attractive to young Islamist and Egyptians youth who are becoming more politically active in an unprecedented way and who are looking for political ideas, guidance, and mentorship.

However, the intellectuals are idealists who want to build a political trend that transcends politics. They think of the mainstream initiative as declaration of principles that transcends narrow political interests and that should bring all Egyptians together.