A cold wind blows in Cairo

The victory of Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood backed candidate in the Egyptian election, ushered in scenes of awesome jubilation in Tahrir Square. Many thousands of people, mostly men, jubilant and ecstatic, formed a heaving crowd in the square. Pictures of Morsi abounded, held overhead and clutched to chests like icons. The religious symbolism did not stop there. The faces of some of the celebrants displayed a glowing fervor that would normally be associated with the crowd on the road to Jerusalem. This was a crowd welcoming so much more than the election of a new president. This was a crowd welcoming a religious revival. Herein lies the problem.

The Muslim Brotherhood is one of the oldest Islamist Organizations. Founded by Hassan al-Banna in Ismailia in 1928, the Brotherhood holds to the belief that the Sharia is the ultimate constitution, and to the overarching goal of establishment of a Sharia-compliant society in the Arab World. They claim to entertain democracy and reform, but exactly how far the Brotherhood will deviate from the teachings of it's founders, and exactly how much freedom it will allow women, and Coptic Christians in Egypt, remains to be seen. We in the West view Morsi's victory with trepidation, as we have now become uncertain as to the politics that will be played out in Cairo in the near future. Morsi will be largely kept in check by the army, but how long that discredited and sotted organization can resist millions of people calling for it's exit can probably be counted in months, not years. People in the Muslim world have a tendency to welcome the replacement of autocratic, secular dictatorships with Islamist theocracies, for some reason. It happened in Iran, and it is happening all across the Arab world. The old guard is being replaced by the older, yet newer-seeming ideologues. The people are running, enthusiastically, towards their own possible enslavement.

People have the right to, as Bret Stephens ironically put it, "choose unfreedom freely". The Egyptians have made their bed, and we will not disturb their rest, no matter how uncomfortable it is. We in the West also have one overarching goal in the Middle East: We will protect our source of oil while we still need it, we will protect Israel and we will contain Islamism so that is does not poison our lands. We have no place for Sharia, and Muslims who live here are expected to follow our laws and norms. Islamists, such as the Brotherhood, may freely do whatever they wish in their countries, but they are unwelcome in ours. Given the chasm between our Western culture and Islamic theology, this is a perfectly normal and decent state of affairs; running along the lines of "Leave me to my business, and I will leave you to yours".

Let the Brotherhood understand this: We will allow you to forge whatever model of theocratic state you wish in Egypt, and in the rest of the Arab world as and when you can. We will not interfere. However, threaten us or Israel directly, interfere with our commerce or economic activity, or sponsor terrorism in our domain, and we will not stand idle. Our eye is on you, Mr. Morsi. We congratulate you, we welcome engagement and dialogue with you, but cross us and we will end you.