Principle or pragmatism?

Americans historically and reflexively—and with excellent reason—proclaim our allegiance to democracy. We were born and raised on democracy. We cheer when our leaders express our aspirations for democracy—not only for ourselves, but for all nations. We romanticize democracy in poetry and song. Most significantly, our finest sons and daughters have shed their blood for democracy.

So, what happens when persecuted and put-down people plead for democracy AND their worldview differs radically from the way most Americans see things?

We’re about to find out.

Mubarak vs. the people

For a little more than two weeks now, we’ve been riveted to news from Egypt, where protestors rose up against the government of Hosni Mubarak. If you’ve paid attention to news from Egypt across the past 30 years, you quite likely sympathize with them. Mubarak succeeded the great peacemaker, Anwar Sadat, in 1981. He survived as leader of one of Africa’s and the Middle East’s most powerful nations by exerting a strong arm holding a ruthless stick. 

Leadership has paid off handsomely for Mubarak, whose family’s wealth is estimated to be between $40 billion and $70 billion.  Meanwhile, Egypt’s standard of living—already low by international comparisons—has fallen steadily the past 20 years. Even the educated middle class has seen its purchasing power eroded by inflation since the 1980s.

Complicated diplomacy

But Egypt has been one of the United States’ strongest allies in the region and arguably its most strategic counterpart within the Arab world. Mubarak may be a thug, but he’s our thug. 

That’s basically why President Obama and U.S. diplomats have followed such a carefully measured response to the Egyptian revolution. They have backed away from Mubarak so imperceptively you could hardly see them moving until you finally noticed the gap. They don’t want to blow Egypt, much less the Middle East, to kingdom come.

The last thing we need is another Iran. If you’re of a certain age or you’ve been blessed by good history teachers, you remember what happened when the Shah of Iran—another strong ally of the United States in the Middle East—fell. An Islamic theocracy led by Muslim clerics took his place, and Iran tilted far away from the United States and its reasonable neighbors.

A democratically installed Islamic state?

No one knows what kind of government will lead Egypt once Mubarak is removed. The Muslim Brotherhood is one of the strongest opposition groups.  Although it historically has advocated nonviolence and even spoke out against the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the specter of an Islamist group leading Egypt is unsettling. 

But what if that's what the Egyptian people want? A recent Pew Research study showed  Egyptians strongly favor democracy. And they also strongly believe Islam is good for the country. The survey, conducted last spring, showed that six in 10 Egyptians (59%) favor democracy as the preferred form of government. The poll also revealed that more than eight in 10 Egyptians (85%) believe Islam's influence on government is positive.

Tough questions

So, what do we think about a democratically elected Islamic state? This raises several questions, some very closely related and some less so:

• If Americans historically and philosophically believe in democracy, what is our responsibility to help ensure democracy for others? 

• Specifically, what is our obligation to nurture democracy that could turn an ally into an enemy?

• Beyond that, what is our greater obligation: The U.S. national interest, or the good of other people as human beings?

• Would Jesus compel us to preserve our national security, standard of living, borders and worldview if releasing or relaxing all of them would secure a higher standard of living and greater freedom for an even-greater number of people around the world?

• And what should we do when democracy and evangelism come to cross purposes? Imagine a strong leader who would repress his people but allow missionaries to minister with freedom and security, contrasted with a democratically established Islamic state that does not allow missionaries.

I don't see these issues raised clearly in the secular media, but they're important questions to be answered in Egypt and, perhaps, throughout the Middle East.