Radical Islam and the Arab Spring

The conventional wisdom held that the Arab Spring would give birth to a more moderate Islam. It doesn’t seem to be turning out that way, at least not in Egypt, according to this story about a large rally in Cairo organized by Islamists last Friday. It appears that the lid that Mubarak had been holding down on radical Islam has blown off: “Most of those who participated in the demonstration appeared to be followers of the strict Salafist school of Islam. They were joined by members of the relatively more moderate Muslim Brotherhood, as well as others who advocate a greater role for religion in the nation’s governance. It was the boldest and most resolute display to date from a community that Mubarak kept largely invisible and in disarray.”