This brief paper was written as part of the academic writing skills seminar that was held by the Center for Intercultural Dialogue and Translations in conjunction with the Danish-Egyptian Dialogue Institute and the Program for Civilization Studies and Dialogue of Cultures (PCSDC) at Cairo University. Students were asked to chose a topic that interested them and research it during the seminar. At the end of the three day seminar they were asked to present their finished papers. The views in the paper represent the student's own views and not those of AWR.
The paper looks at the first draft of the Muslim Brotherhood's political platform. The draft was sent to a number of political commentators for their opinions. However the first draft provoked widespread opposition because of controversial sections that limited the rights of non-Muslims and women. Furthermore, the platform seems to contradict itself by both calling for democracy and ensuring human rights on the one hand and then limiting who can become president and calling for a religious council to adjudicate laws on the other.
The paper investigates what, if any, changes will be made in the second draft that is to be published within the coming months and analyses the main discourse currents in the Muslim Brotherhood at the moment. It is clear from looking at the different currents in the group that they are very varied and often conflicting.