Brotherhood Victory Opens Door for Islamists

The Investigative Project on Terrorism Islamists across the globe are hailing the victory of Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammad Morsi in Egypt's presidential election, particularly Hamas and even traditional Egyptian rivals like Iran.

In the meantime, as Israeli and American officials have responded optimistically but cautiously to Morsi's wishy-washy statements on Middle East peace, some American Islamist officials have already started a propaganda campaign celebrating the Islamist victory.

During his victory announcement, Morsi pledged to be a "president for all Egyptians" and to honor international treaties, code for preserving Egypt's cold peace with Israel. But within hours, Iran's Fars News Agency claimed that his government would "revise the Camp David treaty" in favor of a "policy based on equality, since we are not weaker than them in any field."

Fars also quoted Morsi as saying that the move would be coupled with better relations with the Iranian Islamic Republic, Egypt's traditional rival in the Middle East and Israel's most vocal enemies. The new relationship would "create a balance of pressure in the region," Morsi said, in what seemed a veiled threat against Western interests and the Jewish state.

In addition, Iran's government praised the "Islamic Awakening" represented by the Brotherhood victory. Its military addressed Egypt's military directly, calling "on all Egyptian Armed Forces to welcome this divine blessing with open arms and play their effective role and share in the establishment of unity and building future Egypt based on Islamic foundations, independence and freedom." (...)