This is Mideast "democracy"

Violence mars Egyptian elections

Egyptian opposition activists and police have clashed during the final round of parliamentary elections. An Egyptian human rights group said an opposition supporter was shot dead and another wounded north of Cairo. Reports say riot police have blocked entry to polling stations in Muslim Brotherhood and opposition strongholds.

Mubarak's thugs are out and about, as he didn't like the fact that the Muslim Brotherhood received such strong support in the first round of elections. These elections were supposed to be a test on Mubarak's commitment to reform, and now we see how strong is that commitment. So much for all that gibberish about Egyptian democracy coming from the mouths of the bushies, although anyone with half a brain could say that Mubarak has no intention of bringing democracy to the people.

Democracy is about inclusiveness. Despite the fact that I find the Muslim Brotherhood ideology horrifying and oppressive to women, they cannot be excluded from the political process, especially in light of the strong support they have in the country. Mubarak isn't the only one excluding them. American NGOs that work in the democracy realm are not allowed to even speak to members of the Muslim Brotherhood, let alone participate in democracy building training.

Let the people vote for whom they would; history is on the side of democracy. When Jordanians and Turks voted Islamic governments into power, they governed so poorly that they were voted out. It is one thing to have an ideology, but when it comes time to do the actual governing part, if you've done nothing but spout out rhetoric, the people won't stand for it. It is a universal trait of democracy.