Muslim Brotherhood figure disdained U.S. morality
Is the pop standard "Baby It's Cold Outside" a heartwarming ode to
winter romance or the worst example of American hedonism? After hearing
the song at a Colorado church dance in the late 1940s, Egyptian exchange
student Sayyid Qutb viewed the song as a moral indictment of the West—a
view that some say could now shape the future of Egypt.
After
returning to Egypt, Qutb emerged as the intellectual godfather of
Egypt's banned Muslim Brotherhood, a movement that appears poised to
assume a larger role in Egyptian society, possibly becoming part of
whatever government takes root after the fall of President Hosni
Mubarak.
The massive demonstrations across Egypt have revived
interest—and debate—over Qutb's impact on the brotherhood and raised
the question of whether his anti-Western views, which were shaped by his
1948–1950 stay in America, will find renewed favor in the country.
