Despite denials from Egypt's military, all eyes are on Field Marshal Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to run for the presidency.  In fact, the emphatic endorsement from the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) a few days earlier clearly demonstrates that Sisi is poised to assume the office of the presidency. Even Egypt's former tyrant Mubarak weighed in the anticipation and predicted that Sisi will become president-or in Mubarak's lexicon the new pharaoh.

If opinion polls allege that the public opinion there is a widespread public perception that Sisi will make things better for Egypt, except given the behaviour of the interim government thus far, there is very little evidence to suggest that Egypt will improve in any shape or form in the post-Mubarak era. The revolution has been crushed with an iron fist, and wherever one looks the old guard (Nasserites) have returned with vengeance.

If Egyptians are looking at how Sisi will perform in office then there is the Mubarak period to map comparisons against, but it is more appropriate to look at the Musharraf era.

Musharraf on the behest of America removed Pakistan's democratically elected Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif through a bloodless coup, and then spent a decade in office legitimising his rule via slogans such as  ‘real democracy'  and ‘genuine democracy' etc.

Sisi already shares some striking similarities. Both men share a strong passion for the promotion of Kufr secularist democracy in their respective countries and consider their anti-democratic methods-no matter how abhorrent they maybe-as the only way to bring democracy. In short they project themselves to be saviours of democracy and not power-hungry dictators. Then there is bloodless coup in which both men ousted democratically elected leaders.

However, there is a slight deviation in the way both Musharraf and Sisi have sought legitimacy for their rule. Musharraf took power by force and later held a referendum to justify the continuation of his rule. Although Sisi took power by force he sought the establishment of an interim government as a means of paving the way for him to take power legitimately via presidential elections. There is also another difference. Unlike Musharraf's post-coup period, Sisi's post-coup was accompanied with violence which continues to roil Egypt to this today.

This is where the comparison ends, as Sisi has not officially assumed office. But one can extrapolate based on Musharraf's time in office, what Sisi may do. Sisi like Musharraf is a diehard secular fanatic who is determined to muzzle Islam and to destroy the emergence of political Islam. Musharraf used the cover of enlightened moderation to spearhead a vicious campaign to eradicate Islam from Pakistani society. All indications are that Sisi will not only traverse the same path as Musharraf, but will be more venomous in his fight against Islam.

Musharraf joined America's global war on terrorism and used the Pakistani armed forces to seek and destroy militants operating in Pakistan's tribal areas. Eleven years on, the Pakistani army is bogged down in the tribal areas and is deeply unpopular. Egypt's equivalent to Pakistan's tribal area is the Sinai Peninsula; one can easily foresee the Egyptian army repeating the same mistakes under Sisi's coming reign.

Musharraf also abandoned the Kashmiri people in the favour of normalising ties with India. Perhaps Sisi will abandon likewise with the Palestinians in favour of closer ties with the Jewish state. The restriction of the tunnels supplying Gaza with goods under the directions of General Sisi is just an appetiser of what is to come.

Lastly, the manner in which Musharraf was discarded by America is probably the most certain manner in which Sisi's rule will come to an end. And just like Musharraf's current predicament, Sisi will be hounded and tried by the Egyptian people for nepotism and treachery; that's if America decides to be lenient with him.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Abed Mostapha

A delegation from Hizb ut Tahrir, headed by Mr. Ahmad Abu Qadoom went to the Russian Embassy in Amman to deliver to the Ambassador a leaflet entitled "Security Agencies in Tatarstan Severely Oppress Muslims."

Upon the arrival of the delegation to the Embassy, it requested permission to enter. The Director of Public Relations at the Embassy stepped out inquiring about the organization represented by the delegation. The head of the delegation replied and said, "We are a delegation from Hizb ut Tahrir". Once the Director of Public Relations at the Embassy, heard that, he rose up frightened, rebounding back in a non-diplomatic movement that drew the attention of the security agents and the gendarmerie present; an unjustified reaction that cannot be explained except that it evoked in his mind the greatness of the Khilafah "Caliphate" State and that the time has approached to be held accountable. Once he calmed down and contained himself he said: "What do you want?" The head of the delegation replied that we carry with us a leaflet issued by Hizb ut Tahrir in Russia and want to hand it over to the ambassador. He then returned inside the Embassy and thereafter sent to inform the delegation that the Embassy rejects their admittance and refuses to receive the leaflet.

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir
in Wilayah of Jordan

In a position of support for the criminal Syrian regime, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in an special interview with CNN, Wednesday evening 5/2/2014 CE: "I would describe the situation simply that Assad is not winning, but he's also not losing," and he added: "It's fair to say that Assad has improved his position a little bit." And in the same context of support for the criminal Syrian regime, about a week ago the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqji announced that Iran received the first payment of 550 million dollars of frozen assets for Tehran in the frame of the nuclear deal that was reached in Geneva; so this million dollar release is only to help the Iranian regime to overcome its economic problems from its support of the Syrian regime, and to continue supporting the butcher of Syria.

The policy in Syria is indeed formed by America as Kerry said in the same statement, "very challenging and very difficult," for America revolves its policy in Syria like the mule around the molar, it does not know the most effective way for it and its interests, which were trampled by the revolution of ash-Sham. And this is because the callers to the Islamic Khilafah "Caliphate" in ash-Sham are the difficult equation that neither America nor its intruders nor its creation, the Coalition opposition, were able to penetrate or wrap up in Geneva, and what is taking place of explosive barrels is only an accomplishment of the Geneva 2 Conference.

Oh Muslims in Syria: Here America proves to the "demented" in the Coalition, Military Council and the scattered opposition here and there who believed its promises, those who agreed to sit with the criminal of the age in Geneva 2, and those who trusted the promises of Uncle Sam, the maintainer of the crusader campaign in Afghanistan and Iraq, that it did not for a moment forsake the butcher Bashar, indeed it was and still stands behind him in killing and butchering us and destroying our country... and here is Iran, what remains of the farce that falsely named itself from "the axis of resistance", recently its Foreign Minister Muhammad Jawad Zarif announced in a serious public retreat, a shameful position to get closer to America and its foundling "Israel" saying that the Nazi Holocaust of the Jews was "a brutal disastrous tragedy that should never be repeated." So we ask: So what about what is happening in Syria of a real holocaust that is unmatched in modern history? The latest of which is throwing explosive barrels on the heads of the people and that have killed thousands of civilians of children and women?! Is this not a Holocaust of Iran's making, or as Kerry considers it an improvement in Assad's situation, America's intimate agent?!...

Oh Sincere Patient Muslims in Syria of ash-Sham, the Abode of Islam: The international plot against you would not have taken this cruel bloody route if not for ruling by Islam with what Allah (swt) revealed, the Islam of the Khilafah "Caliphate", is proposed to your land and sky. It is necessary to depart from this catastrophe, which none except Allah (swt) can disclose, by unifying the military efforts on one vision and on the ground in one row, as Allah (swt) loves, to give the Nusrah to those working for the establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate". And this project is complete with all the elements of its success that Syria needs. So Hizb ut Tahrir in Syria calls you to the establishment of the Righteous Khilafah "Caliphate" for it alone is the protector from all this Fitna, thus extend your hand and make the pact with Allah to do what is good, and take good tidings from Allah (swt). The Almighty said,

وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ خَيْرٌ لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ إِنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ لِيَزْدَادُوا إِثْمًا وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ * مَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَذَرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى يَمِيزَ الْخَبِيثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُطْلِعَكُمْ عَلَى الْغَيْبِ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَجْتَبِي مِنْ رُسُلِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ فَآمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَإِنْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَتَتَّقُوا فَلَكُمْ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ

"And let not those who disbelieve ever think that [because] We extend their time [of enjoyment] it is better for them. We only extend it for them so that they may increase in sin, and for them is a humiliating punishment. Allah would not leave the believers in that [state] you are in [presently] until He separates the evil from the good. Nor would Allah reveal to you the unseen. But [instead], Allah chooses of His messengers whom He wills, so believe in Allah and His messengers. And if you believe and fear Him, then for you is a great reward." [Ali-Imran: 178-179]