Latest in Opinion Highlight
Latest in Opinion
‘Rebellion’ Campaign: Not undemocratic, but not quite useful…yet
In the past few weeks, media circles in Cairo have been buzzing with talk of a new grassroots campaign designed to end President Mohamed Morsi’s term in office. In a matter of weeks, the campaign claims it has managed to collect in excess of 2 million signatures calling for early presidential elections. Opponents of the …
Op-ed review: Adjusting the tax law…a new cycle of economic confusion
Ziad Bahaa El-Din Al-Shorouk Newspaper Columnist Ziad Bahaa El-Din tackles the issue of the new tax law issued by the Shura Council. “While Egyptians are busy pondering the fate of the kidnapped soldiers, the economic crisis, the blackouts, and preparing for the exams season, the Shura Council is issuing a new tax law. Its purpose …
What are the ingredients and social backgrounds of political Islamists?
Political Islamist movements, at their heart the Muslim Brotherhood, embody sections of society that are mostly found in its middle class. These are also known as “intermediary classes” which usually fall between the upper and lower classes. Remarkably, people belonging to these classes are not socially homogeneous, meaning they are not at the same position …
A country afraid of its parliament
There is not one political faction that wants to hold parliamentary elections nowadays, except maybe the Salafis. Elections were expected to be held in the next few months, right after the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. However, everyone seems to be dreading these elections, despite the show to the contrary. It seems that all parties …
The 6th Stage of grief
On a relatively hot summer night, in lieu of nothing, a bunch of revolutionary friends were discussing the state of gloom that has befallen the majority of the population, and came up with a theory: We have all gone through the five stages of grief throughout this revolution. The Denial phase started with the first …
Reducing risks: Wheat supply in Egypt
Wheat supply matters for Egypt’s food security. Production is high but demand is higher. Self-sufficiency in wheat is not a realistic goal given limits in water and land, as well as dismal agricultural investment levels. So, imports are high. Risks from both domestic and international wheat markets coupled with reduced purchasing power from the current …
The abuse of ‘Takbir’ from ballot boxes to Woolwich
By Nervana Mahmoud For many non-Muslims, “Allahu Akbar”, or “God is Great”, has become synonymous with radicalism, brutal murders, rape, and even cannibalism committed in the name of Islam. It is hardly surprising, as the Islamic slogan has been repeatedly used and abused by anyone who wants to justify his or her crimes by adding …
Op-Ed Review: Tamarod, electricity and Shura Council
One columnist analyses the Tamarod campaign and sees what the Muslim Brotherhood can learn from it, another addresses the recurring blackouts and who to blame, while the third explains why the Shura council is a scandal in itself. Dr Taha Abdel Alim Lessons from Tamarod campaign Al-Ahram Newspaper Dr Taha Abdel Alim extracts some beneficial …
Bloody cuts
By Philip Whitfield If you twitch a nostril near a cop in Cairo, you risk being beaten up, arrested, thrown in jail, raped, held in isolation and sentenced to five years’ hard labour. If you kidnap a military patrol in the Sinai, tie up thousands of troops in tanks, armoured personnel carriers and helicopters for …
What after the rebellion?
The Tamarod or “Rebellion” campaign has promised to have 15 million signatures calling for the removal of Mohamed Morsi by 30 June. The campaign, which started less than a month ago, has collected two million signatures on their last official count two weeks ago. Unofficially they claim to have over six million signatures. The significance …
The truth about Sinai
Last August I wrote a column titled “Sinai: unanswered questions”, the column was a few days after the attack on the Egyptian soldiers in Sinai at the beginning of Ramadan last year. In case people had forgotten what happened, or got mixed up between the August attack and any other attack on Sinai, the one …
“Show me the Money…”
The longing for freedom, justice and access to the wealth usurped by its rulers was a major driver behind the popular uprising that toppled former president Mubarak in early 2011. The Guardian’s famed “$70 billion” estimate of Mubarak’s family wealth, as provided by Princeton professor Amaney Jamal, did much to arouse the sensation of a …
Algeria: Middle East’s next revolt if football is a barometer
By James M. Dorsey Algeria is competing to be the next Arab nation to witness a popular revolt. That is assuming football is a barometer of rising discontent in a region experiencing a wave of mass protests that have already toppled the leaders of Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Yemen and sparked civil war in Syria. …
Flying carpets
A trip to one of the busiest areas of Cairo brings a pleasant surprise.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the hegemonic state group?
I have mentioned before that the political life in Egypt can be divided in many ways. In an attempt to analyse the political map, I divided it into three major movements: the political Islamist group, the democratic group and the supporters of a hegemonic state. I went into detail regarding the third group, which is …
Editor’s letter: Rebel Campaign, beyond legalities
Tamarod (Rebel) is a campaign aiming at collecting the biggest number possible of signatures by Egyptians, who agree to withdraw confidence from President Mohamed Morsi. The campaign caught significant attention in the media, local and international, and in the daily political arguments among ordinary Egyptians. Rebel as a non-traditional tactic of opposition, or as some …
Op-ed review: Sinai and the Armed Forces
One columnist claims that the whole of Sinai is the problem, and discusses how media and political forces failed, and the other discusses the Armed Forces’ role in the current crisis. Fahmy Howeidy It is Sinai that is abducted Al-Shorouk Newspaper Columnist Fahmy Howeidy, who is known for siding with the ruling party, addresses the …
Shi’as, Salafis…and Sheep
Living in a country populated by people both gifted with a strong sense of humour and beset by stark contradictions, following the news can put one in a predicament of whether to laugh out loud or shed bloody tears. I thought this week I would like to recap on some dark comedy material that hit …
Regarding the kidnapped Soldiers
The latest political crisis in Egypt revolves around seven Egyptian soldiers who were allegedly kidnapped by Jihadist groups in the Sinai Peninsula last Thursday. Their kidnappers are demanding a Sinai-based militant detained for almost two years be released from prison. In an epic show of Islamist solidarity, President Mohamed Morsi said that he is concerned …
Egypt’s investment problems: The Cemex case
By Iris Boutros The young, new Minister of Investment, Yehia Hamed recently announced that the government would not sell or privatise any of the public sector companies while in a meeting with the Egyptian Aluminum Company in Naga Hammadi, Qena, according to Egypt’s State Information Service on 14 May. He assured workers of public sector …
Busted flush
By: Philip Whitfield You’d be livid if your boss blew your wages gambling. Consider how often the Muslim Brotherhood risks your life, how close Cairo courts catastrophe. I’ll wager this. Isn’t the answer to Egypt’s enigma staring the head-scratchers in the face? Lump all Egypt’s woes under one defining issue. Security: a pitiful failure to …
Op-ed Review: History repeats itself and wheat
One columnist recalls an incident in Egyptian history that resembles what happened and is still happening now. The other one is exploring the wheat issue and how Egypt can attain self-sufficiency. In the presence of Al-Gabarty Belal Fadl Al-Shorouk Newspaper “History teaches us that the poor have always been the strongest weapon, to which the …
In search of real reform
Despite the growing crisis, Egypt may be better resisting the temptation to do too much too soon In the discussion over the worsening economic crisis facing Egypt, there has been at times an implicit attitude towards Egypt’s future: the country needs only to get back on the horse. A few decisive moves to reduce the …
Egypt: Re-thinking political parties
There are specific signs that differentiate political revolutions from social ones. Both types and patterns of revolution do entail a series of changes and transformations although on different levels. Social revolutions change property relations and redistribute wealth. There is an obvious and tangible class-based empowerment within social revolutions. The pace of change in social revolutions …
Egypt: Too big to bail!
An interesting assumption is continuously being adopted by many of Egypt’s intelligentsia as well as political analysts: “Egypt is too big to fail!” Several people have weaved their own theories touting Egypt’s strategic position and weight in the region which will make it unwise for the “powers that be” to allow it to descend into …
Muslim Brotherhood decay: the logic of imperative Laxity
By Hesham Shafick On 10 May 2011, I interviewed Khairat El-Shater, the Muslim Brotherhood’s third man at the time, and asked about the rumors around Mohamed Habib’s, the MB’s second man at the time, expected resignation. His immediate response was: ”impossible!” He then took it further into explaining the logic of the MB’s solidarity which …
Football emerges as focal point of dissent in Saudi Arabia
By James M. Dorsey Football, alongside minority Shi’a Muslims and relatives of imprisoned government critics, is emerging as a focal point of dissent in Saudi Arabia, an oil-rich kingdom that, despite banning demonstrations by law, is struggling to fend off the waves of change sweeping the Middle East and North Africa. Fan pressure is …
Dusty days
There was nothing romantic about my first experience with a sandstorm in Egypt
Nationally, regionally and internationally, government’s time is running out
The Egyptian government recently assembled a new cabinet in order to deliver on the promises of the “Renaissance Project” (mashru’ al-nahda). It comes not a moment too soon, as the national, regional and international scenes are growing increasingly impatient with the government’s inability to deliver. Yet, it does not seem particularly likely this new cabinet …
Talking Box By Ziad Akl
When you walk down the streets of Cairo, you will see all kinds and ages of Egyptians complaining about the Muslim Brotherhood and how they’re governing (probably including yourself). Next time you see or speak to one of these people please ask them, “what is it did you personally do about it”? Those who can’t …