Following the Egyptian military’s ousting of the democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi, public officials and media personalities have debated whether or not to call the recent upheaval a coup. Supporters of the action see the military’s removal of the...
Egypt Speaks, Again
The taxi driver was excited. Driving through the busy streets of Cairo a little more than a year ago, he wanted us to see his most prized token from the revolution that brought Egyptians to the streets in 2011.He passed his cell phone to the back seat to share a YouTube video of his children were singing the Egyptian national anthem—backwards. Backwards, he explained, because that was how former President Hosni Mubarak was ruling the nation. “We want Egypt to be for all Egyptians—Christians, Jews, and Muslims,” he declared, smiling broadly.
Celebrations and dangers for Egypt’s revolutions
There are serious differences between Egypt’s latest upheaval and the 2011 revolution, and major dangers. This time, the deposed president was Egypt’s first democratically and popularly elected president in several generations.
The Roots of Social Rebellion? Social Movements.
The lesson from the streets of Brazil, Turkey, and the Arab world is to avoid underestimating half-baked social movements still in their infancy. With technological advancements and opportune conjunctures, the underdogs of yesterday can quickly turn into the makers of tomorrow. Not every nascent movement cascades into a full-blown revolution, but the pathfinders whose thoughts and actions carry forward to make history must get their due recognition.
Human Rights from the Ground Up: Women and the Egyptian Revolution
Amid ongoing battles over the shape of political systems in the Arab world, intense sexual violence against women in those countries, and protest movements by women fighting for their rights, advancing the causes of Arab women is of utmost importance. But it’s not just a matter of laws of culture. Central to understanding violence against women is understanding state violence, political exclusion, and poverty.
Soccer Riots and Egyptian Democracy
In early March, a resurgence in football riots erupted across Egypt, most severely in Cairo and Port Said. Thousands of football fans took to the streets, clashing with local police forces and, in Cairo, setting the Egyptian Football Federation headquarters and the Police Club on fire.
Is Egypt Being Primed for a Coup?
On top of everything else, workers across Egypt have been on strike.
Egyptian Government Deals With Sexual Attacks on Female Protesters by Blaming the Victims
In the void left by the government’s utter lack of action, non-profit organizations and volunteer groups have instead stepped up to the plate to protect, assist, and defend victims of these attacks.
Morsi’s Last Chance
Egypt is rapidly approaching its most acute political and economic crisis since the 2011 revolution that swept dictator Hosni Mubarak from power. Poverty is at an all-time high of 25 percent, with youth unemployment at a record 40 percent. Foreign currency reserves are on a rapid decline. And most importantly, President Mohamed Morsi is losing the most important commodity he possesses—the people’s confidence and trust.
Egyptian Protesters Eat Their Own
Egyptian protesters are forced to waste precious resources policing each other.