Abstract
Much research has been devoted to analysing the Muslim Brotherhood s (MB) ideology, and many have speculated on what kind of policy the MB would lead if it came to power. In this study I take a look at the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), which has its roots in the MB, and the party s approach towards the increasing radicalization of Sinai. If the situation in Sinai is left to further escalate, this might push Israel to switch from a defensive to a pre-emptive tactic, potentially causing a regional conflict, perhaps even a war. The perpetrators of the various violent attacks in Sinai are described as being predominantly Bedouins. This study aims to answer the question of whether and how the FJP s planed policy towards the Bedouin minority, was new. The Mubarak regime discriminated the Bedouins and violated their human rights: social, economical, cultural, civil and political. Three research institutes have provided the Egyptian government with several policy recommendations on how to solve the Sinai issue. The most recurring recommendation is that the Egyptian government should recognize and protect the Bedouins human rights. In Multicultural Citizenship: A Liberal Theory of Minority Rights , Kymlicka argues that some minority groups should, in addition to basic human rights, be given polyethnic rights. Moreover, he adds that some groups should get a limited right to self-government, in order to prevent secession from their original nation. By means of interviewing several members of the FJP and studying the party s program and public statements, I discovered that my sources in the FJP did not portray the Bedouins as a minority, and were therefore not planning to give the Bedouins any polyethnic rights. On the other hand, my informants underlined the importance of protecting basic civil and political rights of all individuals regardless of group affiliation, in addition to implementing a comprehensive socio-economic plan for the entire Sinai. Regardless of my sources view on the Bedouins, the party s practice of dealing with Bedouin representatives and not interfering with various Bedouin tribal institutions, could indicate a pragmatic view on their limited self-government rights. The conclusion of this thesis show that the FJP s policy plans to a large extent follow the most repeated policy recommendations, and thus, the party s policy towards Sinai and the Bedouins represent a rather different approach from that of the Mubarak regime.