Secret public, reseaux sociaux et morale politique. Les Freres musulmans et la societe egyptienne

In: Politix: revue des sciences sociales du politique, Band 23, Heft 4, S. 77-97

Abstract

This article analyses how the organization of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood (MB), which was founded in 1928 & still is a major, albeit forbidden, actor of the Egyptian political scene, manages its relations to society. Far from serving as a mere support for the Brothers' political strategies, these relations represent a relevant issue as such, both because of the movement's ideology & because of the configuration of the Egyptian regime. The case of al-Shaykh al-Muhammadi 'Abd al-Maqsud, MB member of parliament in the district of Helwan, located in the Cairo working-class southern suburb, illustrates the importance the MB place on developing local networks. However, it simultaneously emphasizes how the limitations of the organization's semi-legal status impede the building of social bonds. Taken in the context of the Egyptian state's reduction of social functions, the "public secrecy" binding the Brothers appears to be an expression of tacit cooperation with the authorities; however, this "public secrecy" may ultimately help fulfill rather than hinder the MB's political aim of social transformation through personal moral reform. Adapted from the source document.