Latest in Opinion Highlight
Latest in Opinion
The Junta and Political Islam: a New Round
By Alya Essam The power struggle between political Islam and the military state is decades old. The revolution may have changed the terms of engagement but how can the two blocks move to better serve the interests of all Egyptians? Since the coup d’état of 1952, which institutionalised the rule of the military in the …
Morsy and SCAF: A zero sum game?
The struggle for power between President Mohamed Morsy and the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF), in light of the former’s decision to reinstate the legally dissolved parliament, has been in the forefront of news analyses. While some deny that the SCAF is willing to do anything beyond keeping its affairs independent from the intervention …
From the cell to the castle
How tragic that the Arab world’s greatest constitutional declaration of freedom will fight its greatest battle over the language of fear.
Tolerance and diversity
Only by reversing policies and norms that encourage divisions within the society can Egyptians hope to peacefully co-exist and live in harmony.
The Message
We are either the masters of our fate and country, or we are nothing.
Another head-on clash?
By Alya Essam In an unforeseen move, Mohamed Morsy has decided to reinstate parliament. Previously dissolved by a Constitutional Court rule, today the Islamist-dominated legislative body is back up and running. The move has sparked much debate. From day one, Morsy has vowed to cut ties with his Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) …
Absurdity at its best
Is the media stirring up Islamophobia? Well, of course it is, but then again how much help are Muslims offering?
Egypt lost in caliphate vs. civil state debate
The main debate in Egypt still pivots around the shaky relationship between religion and politics, expressed by the insistence of Salafi parties that the basis of legislation in Egypt be the “provisions” of Shari’a law, rather than the “principles.” The debate extends to include the nature of the state and its civility. While some call …
Islamists: from social movement to reign
You can’t really escape the topic of Islamists when you discuss Middle East politics.
President Morsy’s great challenge: Egypt’s trust deficit
The election of President Mohamed Morsy more resembles a dramatic screenplay than real life. Despite being a candidate of a party formerly banned by the Mubarak regime, Morsy won Egypt’s first open presidential race by beating Mubarak’s former prime minister and symbol. If it were a movie, dramatic music would play as Morsy took his …
Media and the Islamists in Egyptian press
As many Egyptians are watching Mohamed Morsy’s performance during his first 100 days in office, commentators tackled the fierce confrontation between the Islamists movements, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood, and the media. These comments ranged from,claiming there is an attempt by Islamists to control the national media institutions, and criticisms of the Shura Council, to reactions …
Policing the beard
The beard is no longer only a religious symbol but is now a sign of political affiliation. This is why police officers shouldn’t be allowed to grow it.
Reading between the Western lines of Morsy’s inauguration
The more ignorant foreign observers in Cairo last week might have thought Egypt had just won Euro 2012. But it was a far grander victory that Egyptians were celebrating with such aplomb. The eruption of the streets of Cairo in roaring delight at the inauguration of Mohamed Morsy did not go unnoticed in the Western …
Morsy, Suez murder and state security
Egyptian columnists in several newspapers have explored different subjects relating to the new President Mohamed Morsy. Some writers denounced Morsy’s passivity in relation to the latest Suez incident, where a young engineer was killed. Others questioned the President’s relation to the State security, being one of the former senior figureheads of the once-banned Muslim Brotherhood. …
Egypt’s women after the uprising
The uprisings transformed the image of women from voiceless and submissive to powerful leaders, that is, until the revolution passed
Move..
Every morning I’m filled with dread before heading out into the ever-shrinking streets of this gloriously overpopulated city
Muslim Brotherhood all over Egypt’s media
From examining the apparent leniency shown by the Freedom and Justice Party’s President Mohamed Morsi toward the military, to criticism of the party’s interaction with the media, or questioning the Islamic model that will be followed by Morsi; the Muslim Brotherhood still dominates the media discourse in Egypt. This preoccupation has also reached neighboring countries, …
It was one Egypt
I like to imagine that Mubarak wonders, why that day, why that year of all those years
Brotherhood: the cake is ours
True, a chapter is gone. A black phase seems to have passed, at least for now. Currently, we have a newly-elected president and a new chapter in our contemporary history has begun. But is the future filled with pitfalls, or is it a future marking a new era of progress? Who knows? Only time will …
Morsi’s ties with Muslim Brotherhood
As president Mohamed Morsi continues to assume his tasks as Egypt’s first civilian president, a few columnists in Egyptian newspapers have rejected the idea that Morsi shall cut ties with his Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) and become a truly non-partisan president. Other columnists have paid tribute to the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) …
Morsi’s scales of justice
By Alya Essam As millions of Egyptians sat glued to TV screens listening to their new civilian president’s inaugural speech on Saturday, a wide array of public representatives were among the audience in Cairo University’s hall. One day before he was sworn in at the Supreme Constitutional Court, Mohamed Morsi had already addressed a huge …
Kiss my laws
In a country where there are too many laws to count, and still has absolutely no justice, one would expect Egyptians wouldn’t put too much weight on laws.
The ugly politics of hypocrisy
In the end the crony media did not fool the Egyptians and the Revolution both happened and remains ongoing.
Editor’s letter: Mr President, his guide and SCAF
It is very difficult to predict how this complicated, multi-layered cold war will play out, given the chaotic scene of Egyptian politics
Unchartered territory for Morsi and Brotherhood
As President-elect Mohamed Morsi became President Morsi with his oath in front of the Supreme Constitutional Court, debates continued on how he would measure up to the task in front of him. Most of the recently penned opinion pieces in the Egyptian press have explored no more than two subjects: Morsi and his ties to …
Morsi’s presidency and the risk of ‘friendly fire’
President Mohamed Morsi realises that he stands on shaky ground
Cautious optimism as first Egyptian civil president is sworn in
Morsi may or may not be the president we had wished for when we took to the streets to topple the autocratic regime, but it is only through solidarity and the support of all political movements that the newly elected president can gain the clout he needs to implement the much-needed political, social and economic reforms
More advice to Morsi
As Egyptians await to see their newly-elected president undertaking his first presidential tasks and fulfilling his promises to keep watchful guard on the demands of 25 January revolution, columnists in several Egyptian newspapers continued to offer recommendations and advice for President-Elect Mohamed Morsi. Writers in several newspapers questioned whether Egypt will see a civilian handover …
Morsi’s hopeful revamp of Egypt
By Alya Essam After a curtailed euphoria surrounding the presidential elections, Egyptians remain clutching to optimism that their newly-elected President Mohamed Morsi will forgo the attitude of former pompous Egyptian presidents and truly feel for all of them. Morsi, who has always been a substitute candidate for the once-banned Muslim Brotherhood, will have to immediately …
Column review – Rule of the Brotherhood
Amr Hamzawy Al- Watan newspaper Some factions within the Egyptian community denounced the evolution of the 25 January revolution chiding all negative consequences ensued from the nation-wide protests. Amr Hamzawy, in his column ‘The revolution, Egypt and the coming president’ answered the very fundamental question of ‘what did 25 January revolution achieve?’ In a groundbreaking …