The current political debate in Egypt can be summed up in one sentence: parties and activists of all political colours are campaigning to end almost 30 years of President Hosni Mubarak's rule and stop his son, Gamal, from inheriting power and returning Egypt to the dynastic era.
For the time being, the opposition is united by anti-Mubarakism, despite comprising elements that traditionally been fierce rivals, such as Islamists, liberals and Nasserists. Umbrella movements like Kifaya and the 6 April Youth Movement are a good example of broad-based groups which draw Egyptians from different political, religious and social backgrounds.
In fact, the unity of the opposition is not a sign of love or matching ideologies but merely reflects the realisation that breaking Mubarak's stranglehold on power requires the kind of broad-based popular alliance last seen during Egypt's resistance to foreign occupation. The different parties also understand that the emergence of democracy in Egypt is their only realistic chance of reaching power through legitimate means and by way of a smooth transition.
This means that the current alliance's shelf-life is linked to the emergence of democracy. Once that is achieved, the gloves will come off and the traditional rivalries will float, once again, to the surface.
This poses an important question: when the time comes, what kind of post-Mubarak political scene will emerge?
Egypt's increasing religiosity has coincided with a globalised society in which modern concepts of human rights are being adopted by more and more Egyptians. This discrepancy will make it harder for secularists and Islamists to find common ground.
The negative view of secularism in the mind of the majority of Egyptians would be central to the future debate. In our religious society, people confuse secularism with Ataturk-style anti-religiosity and sometimes with atheism. Ironically, many practicing Muslims believe in the separation of religion and state without calling it secularism or even recognising that this makes them secular.
This misguided understanding of secularism in Egypt is a barrier to democracy. Because, although most Egyptians profess to being religious, many fear the intolerance and potential totalitarianism of Islamic rule if Islamists, including the ostensibly "moderate" Muslim Brotherhood, gain power. For that reason, they prefer authoritarian secularism to a democratically elected Islamic government which they fear would transform Egypt into a radical theocracy.
Ismail Sherif, who is studying to become a filmmaker, thinks some people are resistant to change out of the fear that it might lead to unfavourable consequences. "Even though most people in the film industry would prefer a secular authoritarian regime to an elected Islamic government, we have to accept that risk in order for democracy to happen," he says.
How can we overcome all this fear and resistance to change? In order for change in Egypt to be broadly supported, it should not be radical. While it is still fighting dictatorship and a state of emergency, the opposition in Egypt should keep one eye on the future and agree the framework they all want to work under.
The huge popular support for Mohamed Elbaradei, former chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Nobel peace prize winner, gives hope that change in Egypt doesn't have to be led by Islamists with questionable democratic credentials. In fact, it reveals that, despite the government's better efforts in recent decades to crush viable secular alternatives and present the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamists as the only alternative Mubarak to frighten secularists and the international community, secularism is far from dead in Egypt.
The Mubarak regime has a long history of stifling the emergence of a viable and popular secular opposition. Prior to ElBaradei, Ayman Nour, despite all the hurdles placed in his path, gave Mubarak a respectable run for his money during the 2005 presidential elections. Afterwards, he was thrown into jail on trumped-up charges. In addition to allaying the fear of Egyptians that the only alternative to Mubarak is an Islamist theocracy, secular Egyptians need to correct the misconceptions ordinary Egyptians have about secularism.
They need to explain that ilmaniya (Arabic for secularism) is different from antipathy to religion. For instance, Barack Obama is a proud Christian, yet he is also the president of a multifaith secular country.
Egyptian secularists also need to remind people that Egyptians were never as united as they were when they fought occupation and a monarchy under the slogan "Religion is for God, and the nation is for everyone". Moreover, in order for Egypt's opposition to gain support and win ground internally and internationally, it has to be based on universal human rights and not discriminate on the basis of religion, gender, etc. An Islamic regime won't provide this, but secularism based on e equality for all will.
Middle East expert Brian Whitaker brings you the best blogs from Egypt and the Middle East
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Comments in chronological order (Total 13 comments)
29 March 2010 6:14PM
I think the middle east as a whole for the past century has been about a story of the struggles of achieving independance
firstly from the ottoman empire and then from the imperialist forces
in the 50's/60's we saw a moment towards nationalism and socialism with Nasser coming to power in Egypt. And movements in Iran, Algeria, Libya and palestine.
With islamist parties limited at this stage
However, well nasser died in 1970, so did the secular and socialist movement in a way, with the islamist movements coming to force
Firstly, in Iran then Lebanon (hezbollah), Palestine (hamas), Egypt/Jordan and elsewhere (the muslim brotherhood0
these movements are popular in recent times
What Egypt (and the middle east needs as a whole) is to breakaway from Imperialist rule and their western puppet rulers towards democracy and unity.
I believe these secular and islamic parties can co-existence with Lebanon as a example. Hezbollah, for example, have reached out to the different christians and sunni groups with the idea of UNITY against imperialists and Zionists
The most important thing is that they remain united and develop their county Egypt against the regime and other forces
T
29 March 2010 6:47PM
Islamists bide their time, but in the end they accept nothing less than Sharia law enforced by the state. Any allliances they form with non-Islamist groups in the meantime are for convenience only. Any democratic participation they engage in is only for tactical advantage until they can take non-democratic rule.
The hallmark of Islamist groups is their complete unwillingness to state clearly what their goals and objectives are. They are universally evasive and dishonest.
30 March 2010 9:54AM
(My bold)
Methinks you understate the case somewhat. Islamists believe in one man, one vote, once only - so long as it leads to an islamist victory. Once that happens, all other bets are off.
Remind me, when are the elections is Gaza due?
30 March 2010 9:55AM
About five minutes.
Remember Iran, people.
30 March 2010 9:58AM
The respect and importance of religion in most if not all islamic countries means that the islamic parties will always have a reasonable chance of gaining power.
In europe the concept of the separation of church and state was built on rivers of blood that came from the linkage of politics and religion.
The bloodshed between shia and sunni not to mention the concept that all of the holyland is wakf land (as is spain , gibralter ect) should not be ignored for the risk of future bloodshed and yet if addressed with religious respect the islamists can be a pathway to lassie faire... for example the koran like the bible can be quoted to reach alternative conclusions ... ie the koran mentions jewish rights to the holyland in as much as the offspring of abraham both issac and ishmael TOGETHER bought the land and buried their father in hebron.... the jewish religion also makes it clear that the garden of eden is open to all peoples and being jewish means extra obligations not extra rights.
30 March 2010 9:59AM
"The hallmark of Islamist groups is their complete unwillingness to state clearly what their goals and objectives are. They are universally evasive and dishonest."
To be fair to Islamists, they are usually quite open in telling us that they want the "rule of god" - which as ever has to be intepreted for us through a self-selecting class of old men.
The Muslim Brotherhood's recent outline showed identical thinking to the set-up in Iran, with a group of "guardians" over-seeing a very limited democracy.
We could hope that a kind of Christian Democrat movement could emerge from Islamism, but perhaps that is problematic for Islam as it comes with more inherited legal and political baggage than Christianity?
Judaism was similarly burdened, but they seem to have kept the ritual aspects and managed to move past the political/legal demands as being too out of date - being even older than anything in Islam.
I think the best hope for these societies is the rise of literacy and the development of a civil society, along with a more meritocratic society where what you know is more important than who you know.
These are the prerequisites for any successful democracy.
30 March 2010 1:21PM
i do agree that what we need in egypt is a secular regime instead of islamic one, but the perception or understanding of secularism in egypt is totally wrong. egyptians think that religion has to be involved in everything, even when it comes to governmental or political issues. what we need is to correct the Egyptian's misperception of secularism and that its not blasphemy as they think, in-order to reach the democratic environment that we've been waiting for.
30 March 2010 7:16PM
Osama
Could you recommend books & websites in English giving a crash course in modern Egypt? More thorough stats of distribution of people over the country, classes and religous devotion for example. As it is, the articles concerning Egypt mainly is about Mubarak, religion and urban phenomena strictly in Kairo. Very interesting, but without a good knowledge of the rest of society it becomes something of a cliché. My lack of knowledge is a major hindrance in understanding. At the same time I have the impression that a lot of people in Egypt want to get on with things if bureaucracy did not stand in the way.
Perhaps you could even write an article from some other parts of Egypt (don't know where you are & do)?
On one hand, it is as if catastrophe could be looming post Mubarak, on the other hand, people seem to be cool about the Brotherhood or not. Very confusing.
31 March 2010 1:11AM
tinlaurelledandhardy,
I recommend you read more feautre length articles in Egyptian press. Feature articles tend to be more factual, balanced and in-depth compared to commentary pieces. Egypt Today and Business Today Egypt are independent magazines that have an online archive that dates back to 2004 and have covered a wide range of social, political, economic and cultural topics. Also, Al Ahram weekly, even though state-owned, occasionally runs good feature stories.
I also recommend you read this book by Galal Amin -- at least until I write my own. (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Whatever-Happened-Egyptians-Changes-Egyptian/dp/9774245598)
Brian Whitaker is also preparing a list of top ten books on the Middle East for beginners. http://www.al-bab.com/blog/blog1003b.htm#middle_east_bookshelf_final_list
Hope that helps.
31 March 2010 10:00AM
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31 March 2010 1:11PM
Osama,
The problem with secularism, is not separation of religion and state, the problem is with extremism which might lead to an Ataturk, or French style secularism like you said. And that can be expected from the examples i have seen.
Although i am an Islamist, I admit that Egypt right now, needs secularism, or more precisely, liberalism, to give people the room to discover themselves and what's in the world? then they choose what they want. But still the debate of separation of religion in state remains, even inside my head, as it's a tough decision, and by the way, it's NOT a definite difference between Islamism and Secularism.
Islamic reign can never be imposed on people, it has to come from their own ideology, which in my point of view, needs years and years of cultural modification. Or, there can be as smart as Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and take the people gradually, satisfying their needs while trying to share his thoughts with them.
31 March 2010 10:06PM
Much appreciated list; if I read correctly, Brian Whitaker disqualifies his own (new?) book, of which I never the less have heard is very much in the list. Some of the books are compulsory if you study history, so I've already covered them, but the books by Galal Amin looks exactly what I'm looking for: Introduction to Egypt for dummies. I will read them as soon as I can lay my hands on them. I couldn't hold back a smile of recognition from history and geography studies; they have a chapter called Women's position. There you are, sitting thinking the book is about the people, and then it turns out that it was meant half of them, but we saved the last four sentences for the other half (just joking).
31 March 2010 11:00PM
I think that neither the islamists not the secularists per se can really convince the regular, ordinary Egyptians of any real and substantial change to the status quo. there are endemic flaws within the elite either way. It's not just the Islamists' immoderate interpretation of religious scriptures and the unwavering, and extreme views on governance- let alone the unforgiven monoply of power once it's in their grip. Yet still, the so-called secularists are so secluded from the general public- like stranded islands in a rough sea- that they end up finally as either cynics or battered machines on the battle field. I do appreciate, however, the work of some Arab thinkers to reinstall the elusive rennisance of the Arab world- Egypt is in the heart of it, of course. For that, I am always grateful. A light at the end of a dark tunnel keeps the hope in our hearts.