Egyptian Crisis (2011–2014): Difference between revisions

 

==Relevant History of the Brotherhood==

 

It became clear later on that one of the Muslim Brotherhood's ultimate goals was to put to an end the British influence over and control of Egypt. In hindsight, it is clear that the Muslim Brotherhood was, in fact, able to accomplish that objective, as evidenced by the establishment of the Republic of Egypt in 1952, following a coup de tat against the Egyptian monarchy, and which led to the elimination of all British military presence in the country. This is still a hotly debated issue, because the formal declaration of Egypt's independence from the British Empire occurred in 1922 (Migiro 1). The Muslim Brotherhood was established in 1928, and one of the reasons behind its formation was the continued influence of the British Empire on Egyptian politics, even after it has already declared its independence. This is something that the MB did not like.

 

==Egypt Post Revolution==

It is still debatable whether the toppling of Mubarak's regime was good for Egypt or not. What is clear, however, is that it has led to a beginning of a new chapter in the country's history, one that is marked by revolutionary restructuring of its political and social order (Sowners and Toensing 1-320). The Muslim Brotherhood's participation in the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 was instrumental, as it led to the resurgence of Islamism in Egyptian politics, and by extension, the Egyptian experience. It is worth mentioning that this outcome was all too predictable, because the Muslim Brotherhood had already been gaining a lot of influence not only as an organization but also as an ideological movement, even before the toppling of Mubarak's regime. In Guirguis’ (187-226) paper, he also described how the Muslim Brotherhood took advantage of Mubarak's regime's collapse in order to further its goal of installing a new government based on the Sharia law. On the positive side, the post-Mubarak Egypt has led to positive developments, including but may not be limited to the rise of political parties—enabling the creation of further checks and balances against authoritarianism, trade and economic liberalization, and the establishment of independent social groups and unions, all of which lead to a more robust and dynamic democratic society (Joya 367-386). The market-friendly policies of the Muslim Brotherhood and its leaders made it very popular among the people of Egypt. The organization has long been known for their policies that support the development of free markets, and the liberalization of Egypt's rather obsolete trade and economic policies. The only problem that remains in Egypt's post-Mubarak era is who (or rather what organization) should be given the authority to control the government and lead its people towards prosperity and freedom. In Selim's (177-199) paper, he argued that there are currently three camps that are vying for that position, in what he refers to as the Triangle of Counter-Revolution. These three camps are represented by the Muslim Brotherhood, The Egyptian Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), and the United States. Selim (177-199) suggested that these three camps are currently engaged in a counter-revolutionary conflict against each other in Egypt, a development that prevents the nation from moving on from the Egyptian Revolution.