Muslim Brotherhood joins Egyptian politics

Long banned from politics, the Muslim Brotherhood have worked behind the scenes of Egyptian politics for decades. But now it’s official. The Christian Science Monitor reports that the Muslim Brotherhood are getting into Egyptian politics:

Egypt’s interim government this week officially recognized the group’s new political party, the Freedom and Justice Party, clearing it to participate in September parliamentary elections. The party has pledged to contest about half the seats, leading to predictions that the Brotherhood will be a dominant force in the new political landscape.

But it may be less formidable than it appears. The organization’s response to the new freedom in Egypt is exposing cracks in its facade. In particular, it has alienated some young members who participated in the uprising to overthrow former President Hosni Mubarak, only to turn around and discover their own leaders wielding heavy-handed tactics.

It was only a matter of time.