January 25 2011 seemed forever immune, until now. Amidst the brutal violence, an ideological battle rages on for the soul of Egypt.
How can we make sense of the contradictory arguments? Who actually wants democracy in Egypt? Let’s review the positions of the three major actors in Egypt today.
Most of Egypt’s allies - except notably for Turkey and Qatar - were clearly more comfortable with the military that promised “stability” than with the Muslim Brotherhood that had won the country’s first elections. This is what counter-revolution looks like.
This bi-weekly Arab Awakening space is a holding operation on Egypt - excerpts from their articles, blogs and tweets - as people try to work out what is happening. The ‘You tell us’ feature offers some first hand accounts and a range of opinions, first and foremost from the people of Egypt.
Violence in Egypt will only be reigned in when it is no longer useful for the security services’ twin purposes of discrediting the Muslim Brotherhood and discouraging popular mobilization aimed at making government responsive to the needs of its citizens.
The election results gave little say to the revolutionaries, a leaderless group with no structure or any clear, unifying agenda. This camp – which includes leftists, nationalists and remnants of the old regime – rallies under the vague banner of liberalism.
The revelation that modern Turkey continues secretly to classify its citizens according to religious criteria reflects the weight of the Ottoman past. It also has implications for those in the middle east seeking a state based on equality before law, says Vicken Cheterian.
Extremists and extremism, whether they be religious or political, are dangerous! This is Egypt's issue, not whether they identify with a cross, a crescent, a star of david, or some other religious or political symbol.
The weaknesses of the revolutionary movement are the main reason for the massacres of August 14. We need to understand these to remedy the dire situation that Egypt is currently facing.
Whenever democratic space has opened up, people have been eager to choose those who not only provide a better solution for their economic and social problems, but who can also offer them a recognition of the authenticity of their cultures.
