WHICH IS WHY EUROPEAN RELUCTANCE TO INTEGRATE TURKEY IS SO COUNTERPRODUCTIVE:

Competing Muslim Brotherhood visions for Egypt: The Muslim Brotherhood is vying to become an official party in post-Mubarak Egypt. The conservative Islamist views of some of the group's members scare many in Egypt and the West, but, as Tim Whewell has been finding out, many members, particularly young activists, are much more moderate. (Tim Whewell, 3/06/11, BBC)

For many, the ultimate model for Islamists to follow is Turkey, a country that appears to them to be fulfilling its economic and strategic potential under a proudly Muslim government, and is an ally, but not a lackey, of the West.

Abdullah Massoud, a 22-year old pharmacy student and Brotherhood member, I spoke to said:

"We want our freedom so that we can form political parties in a pluralist civil society - and you see some shining examples like Turkey and Malaysia. You cannot judge us until you give us the chance. We Islamists need a chance."

His friend Youssef Mosallamy, 27, a civil engineer, added: "When we talk about Islamic society that doesn't mean like in Saudi Arabia. We will not cut off hands.

"The West has a lot of fears about Islamic regimes like Iran. But I think it is completely different. Iran is a terrible thing."