Twitter has been aflutter about the very visible presence of women among the protests that have taken Egypt by storm over the last few weeks. But images of women have remained sparse amid the digital slideshows strung together by major media outlets, which portray mainly dense crowds of the manly. Egyptian Organization for Human Rights activist Ghada Shahbandar estimates that the crowd in downtown Cairo is up to 20 percent female. Others have put the number much higher, at 50 percent.
U.S. Middle-East Policy: “See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil — Just Practice It, Then Act Surprised”
It will be a while before the Obama Administration can assess the damage to its interests done by Egyptian and Tunisian protests.
Revisiting the Neutered Medal of Honor Argument
The shift in Congressional Medal of Honor emphasis may reflect a national ambiguity about our wars.
You Can’t Tell Egypt’s Players Without a Scorecard
Egypt is as rife with rival factions as Iran.
Interview with Juan Cole
Juan Cole is a professor history at the University of Michigan and the author of Engaging the Muslim World. His blog, Informed Comment, is a go-to resource for analysis of U.S. and Middle Eastern policy. Here he talks with FPIF’s John Feffer about Egypt, Islamofascism, and “America anxiety” in the Muslim world.
Two Outside-the-Box Questions About Egypt
TV news fails to take advantage of citizen journalism; plan to replace Mubarak with Suleiman ominous.
The Fake Moderation of America’s Moderate Mideast Allies
As the Mubarak regime turns to violence in a vain attempt to repress the peaceful protests that have swept Egypt’s streets for over ten days, the risks associated with current U.S. strategy for Egypt and the wider region continue to grow. In its response to the events, the Obama administration has subtly shifted its message, incrementally increasing pressure on the regime over the last week. But the more important story is the remarkable continuities reflected in the administration’s approach.
Whither the Party Line on Egypt?
Revolutions of world-historic potential, such as we are presently witnessing in Egypt, only happen once in a generation. There is enough awkwardness among the Washington establishment—bewildered at the sight of an uprising against a client state—that they are completely helpless to do much of anything in the face of the tumult on the Egyptian street. But no one is confronting a more awkward comeuppance, and responding to it more erratically, than the neoconservatives.
Fear of the Muslim Brotherhood Trumps Western Wishes for Democracy in Egypt
Neither should we underestimate Israel’s support for Mubarak as a motive for protesting Egyptians.
Egypt: Back Against the Wall, a Tyrant Embraces Anarchy
When tyranny is threatened by internal turmoil and uproar, it sometimes stoke the forces of anarchy.