As Muhammad ‘Akif walked into the auditorium in downtown Cairo, the assembled journalists were both skeptical and curious. ‘Akif had been a relatively unknown figure in the Muslim Brotherhood. Now, in March 2004, he was the newly appointed General Guide of the organization. As he began his opening remarks, he addressed the issue that concerned most Egyptians: What, exactly, does the Brotherhood want? ‘Akif declared that the Brotherhood seeks “a republican system of government that is democratic, constitutional, and parliamentary and that conforms with Islamic principles.”¹ With this statement, ‘Akif asserted the Islamic alternative to both the regime and the