Changes in the Syria situation and the media’s focus on the issue has marginalized domestic issues in Egypt to the point that the winds are blowing to the favor of the military rulers in Egypt and Muslim Brotherhood has likely faced a misfortune.

It means that, without any concern for pressure by international bodies and human rights organizations or western governments, the army and its supported interim government are busy uprooting the Islamist movement, arresting the leaders and providing the grounds for their trial for serious charges.

There seems to be no one to help the Islamist movement, supporters of the former president or those who disagree with military and security measures against the opposition side.

Syria crisis, practically speaking, has taken wide international aspects receiving all attention and marginalizing the turmoil in Egypt from a major international concern to a domestic issue leaving the army and security forces the full permission to crackdown the Islamist movements. It is to the point that army and the police openly speak of using live bullets against the protesters feeling no shame in front of human rights organizations or International Criminal Court (ICC).

On the other hand supporters of Muslim Brotherhood have left the movement to settle their own issues. Even Turkey which used to be one of the most important allies for the Egyptian movement is so much occupied to be involved in the international coalition for military invasion of the US and the west against Syria that has forgotten its old friends next to the Nile River. It is also possible that the present crisis in Syria is an opportunity for turkey to distance from the changes in Egypt.

In any case, there seems to be a contradiction between Egypt turmoil change from an international or even regional issue to a domestic one and the approach of Muslim Brotherhood since the latter hoped that the west (in general), particularly the US, which cries out claims of democracy, legal election, human rights, freedom of political parties and freedom of votes, would rush to help them and force the army to accept the legality of elections or at least provide Muslim Brotherhood with a more appropriate situation in political arena.

Though the story of a military invasion against Syria, under the pretext of chemical weapons, led to the game to be ruined and a new political atmosphere to be formed where Egypt’s Brotherhood has been forgotten in the archive as if no revolution has ever happened in Egypt, no movement under the name of Muslim Brotherhood has ever been elected by the people vote. It is as if Mubarak system has not even been subject to the least change and the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood is still under arrest, trial and incarceration or as if it is only Mubarak who has resigned and his cabinet, with the same domestic and international approach, is still in power.

Interestingly enough, had Muslim Brotherhood, with its Salafi approach in foreign policy arena particularly in regards to Syria, been in power, it would have supported a military invasion against Syria, although the movement was not lucky enough to join the adventure.

In spite of regional changes and crackdown of the police and Egyptian army, the situation is not stable yet and protesters are still continuing their anger protests in streets, mosques and squares, especially following the Friday prayers.

These protests have also spread to detention centers and Mohammad Badie’s hunger strike would be followed by other arrested people and confront the new government with a new challenge.

But the question remains: Will these protests be heard amid the chaos for use of chemical weapons charges on the one hand and war rhetoric of the US on the other hand?

HK