Yes, Hazim Abou Ismail will force women to wear the hijab
The young girls in Heliopolis walking around shouting, “I’ll vote for Ismail because he won’t force me to wear the hijab,” are tricked. The man is a hypocrite. He is also ignorant.
Egypt: the democratic disillusion
Egyptians will finally get to exercise their voting rights in a presidential election. After 60 years of dubious elections, an honest and reliable one will truly be a milestone of incredible proportions. Some Egyptians had avoided voting for years; from Nasser’s 99.9 percent vote way to Mubarak’s totally rigged 2006…
Whom to Vote For?
In almost two months, again Egyptians will practice their voting rights while choosing their next president. In stark contrast to elections from years gone by, Egyptians have been taking civil rights quite seriously, whether in the constitutional referendum or the parliament elections. They stood in long, winding queues for hours…
The Blind Sheikh: Between the Crimes of America and the Neglect of Egypt
Seeking to keep the case of their father in front of the public eye, the family of the Blind Sheikh, Omar Abdel Rahman, organized another conference at the site of their open sit-in across from the American Embassy. The conference was conducted by the World Forum for Moderate Islam, under the title ‘Omar Abdel Rahman: [...]
Brotherhood Revisionism on Maspero and Transitional Governance?
In recent weeks the Muslim Brotherhood has been engaged in public squabbles with the military council over formation of the government. According to most interpretations of the constitutional declaration which guides the transition in Egypt, the presidency – here the military council – has the right to appoint members of the administrative cabinet. At first [...]
Understanding Egypt’s Elections
Egypt’s first free elections in over thirty years did not err on the side of simplicity. Even so, this did not deter massive national participation and excitement, as 54% of the nation lined up for hours on the street to cast their ballot. Many, however, admitted to having little knowledge about the political process, enabling [...]
A Salafi Candidate with Coptic Support: Interview
Sheikh Hamdi Abdel Fattah is a unique personality in Egypt. Little known outside of his home region of Maghagha in Upper Egypt, he is a candidate for parliament running under the banner of the Salafi Nour Party. In and of itself, there is nothing unusual here – the Nour Party has searched for and nominated [...]
Friday Prayers for Egypt: NGO Confusion
God, If Egypt is a mess, is the whole world with it, America in particular? It seems impossible to discern between outrage and playacting. With the curtain now drawn, is it simply a bad ending or an interlude before a coming act? Or does corruption truly mix with conspiracy to make the stomach churn? US [...]
Sorry America, But You Have to Play “Enemy” For a While
It was 1954. Gamal Abdul Nasser had just managed to get rid of his predecessor General Mohamed Naguib and put him under house arrest. He also went ahead and banned every aspect of democracy we had before the military coup of 1952. Parliament, parties, elections and free media were all abolished when Nasser became sure [...]
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