The hysterical reporting, in some mainstream media outlets, about Egypt\u2019s Muslim Brotherhood is rooted in ignorance.\u00a0 In his recent article in Truthdig, \u201cFear Not the Muslim Brotherhood Boogeyman,\u201d<\/a> Juan Cole attempts to enlighten us about the history and current status of this organization in Egypt. Stoking the fear that the Muslim Brotherhood is going to take over Egypt and turn it into an America-hating, Islamic fundamentalist society may sell advertising on Fox News, and on the conservative National Review Online, but it doesn\u2019t have much to do with reality. Statements from neoconservatives like John Bolton<\/a> that Egypt needs a US backed dictatorship to “maintain stability” are equally untrue.<\/p>\n Cole offers a few facts about the Brotherhood that may put those fears to rest:<\/p>\n The United States has actively promoted Muslim Brotherhood branches in other countries when it suited its purposes, including in Afghanistan and Iraq.<\/p>\n The pragmatic Muslim Brotherhood held only 20 percent of the Egyptian lower house of parliament, and has tended to side with the Mubarak regime. For example, it failed to support the nationwide campaigns for better wages and working conditions that eventually spawned the January 25 demonstration. The Brotherhood joined the protest movement only at the last minute and was never a leading force in it.<\/p>\n In an attempt to appear relevant, \u201cthe Brotherhood called upon the new military regime to release all prisoners of conscience including young protesters incarcerated during the past three weeks. Its leaders also asked for an end to the state of emergency laws that allow the government to suspend civil liberties. It further suggested that a cabinet minister be appointed to investigate government corruption under the old regime.\u201d<\/p>\n The Brotherhood issued a statement praising the Egyptian military high command for its role in stabilizing the country and taking it toward democratic civilian rule. The fundamentalist group denied that it sought to dominate Egypt, pledged that it would not field a candidate for president in the upcoming elections, and would not strategize to try and dominate the new parliament.<\/p>\n Opinion polling in Egypt finds that the Brotherhood would not be able to dominate parliament even if it wanted to. Although its leaders have called for putting the peace treaty with Israel to a popular referendum, the powerful Egyptian military would not allow it, and even if it did, polling indicates the peace treaty would win.<\/p>\n