ANALYSIS

When Gamal Abdel-Nasser seized power of Egypt through an army coup, he immediately threw the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna into a concentration camp.

It did not matter that the Brotherhood had backed his struggle, he just did not want to see Islam playing a role in governing his people.

So, he is probably turning in his grave as crowds in Tahrer Square and elsewhere greet Mohammed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood as the country’s first ever democratically elected President.

Sunday’s momentous declaration has of course to be treated with caution.

Egypt’s army has seized on a court ruling to curtail the outcome of parliamentary elections that had given the Muslim Brotherhood the majority share of the vote.

Of course, the whole system was designed by Hosni Mubarak to ensure that the Muslim Brotherhood would never rule.

So, getting as far as they have is incredible.

Those who say that the ‘Arab’ Spring did not have this outcome in mind, may be right.

Yes, this is a vote for reactionaries, and yes it would be great to see a truly secular party born of the Islamic tradition being elected into both seats of power.

However, this result is also a consequence of the actions of Nasser, Sadat and Mubarak, all of whom were of course strong figures backed by a ruthless military. the very military that is now showing no sign of allowing the country’s first democratically elected President any room to rule.

And until that happens, the dreams and ambitions of the protesters will never be realised.