Egypt

The left, liberal and centrist parties grouped in the National Salvation Front have decided to campaign for a “no” vote on the constitution in the two-part referendum that begins on Saturday, rather than boycotting it, assuming certain conditions are met. The decision came in the wake of large dueling demonstrations on Tuesday by the left […]

Egypt

The Green-Khaki Alliance: Morsi Deploys the Military for Referendum

Juan Cole

Faced with the prospect of substantial public resistance to his scheduling of a referendum on a Muslim Brotherhood-tinged constitution on December 15, Egyptian President Muhammad Morsi has turned to the military. (The green in the title is a reference to political Islam, not the environment). Morsi has ordered that the Egyptian army guard government buildings […]

Egypt

Bye, Bye Alexandria: A 1-Meter Sea Rise is Certain

Juan Cole

COP18, the Climate Change Conference held in Doha, Qatar, is a dismal failure, with the United States and Russia being the chief villains. The failure of the world’s leaders to have their hair on fire about the extreme challenges of the climate change we are producing with our carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions […]

Egypt

Egypt’s Morsi Backs down Slightly, but Opposition to Campaign against his Referendum

Juan Cole

Egyptian President Muhammad Morsi late on Saturday abruptly announced that his controversial November 22 constitutional decree had been abrogated. He no longer holds himself above the law or above judicial review. The announcement came after he met with some of his critics, including liberal Ayman Nur of the Ghad (Tomorrow) Party, who had been jailed […]

Egypt

Egypt’s Morsi Backs down Slightly, but Opposition Campaigns against his Referendum

Juan Cole

This posting is now here [click]

Egypt

Egypt: Crowds at Presidential Palace Break through Barbed Wire, President offers Dialogue

Juan Cole

On Saturday morning, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood held a news conference in which its leader, Muhammad Badie, insisted that the so-called opposition in Egypt is nothing more than criminals and saboteurs and condemned the security forces for allowing the burning of Muslim Brotherhood HQ in Cairo. He complained that an attempt had been made to […]

Egypt

Egypt: Faction Fighting in the Streets Threatens Stability, leaves 5 dead, 450 wounded

Juan Cole

Egypt has descended into faction-fighting in the streets that left some 5 dead and 450 wounded on Wednesday, as President Muhammad Morsi prepared to make a major address to the nation on Thursday. Violence has broken out not just in Cairo itself but also in provincial cities such as Suez, Port Said, Ismailiya, Zaqaziq and […]

Egypt

Tracking down Mubarak’s Ill-Gotten Gains (Loveluck)

Juan Cole

Louisa Loveluck writes at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism In Egypt’s Tahrir Square, the vast fortune of Hosni Mubarak and his inner circle was also a focal point of resentment. Previous estimates of the Mubarak family wealth placed the figure at between $40bn and $70bn. A report by The National last week, looked at official […]

Egypt

Abdel Nasser Jokes about Outrageous Muslim Brotherhood Demand that all Women Veil

Juan Cole

Then Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser tells anecdotes (early 1960s?) about his meetings with the Muslim Brotherhood and their demand that he make all Egyptian women wear headscarves in public. How much things have changed is apparent in the humorous way Abdel Nasser dealt with what he saw as a completely unrealistic request. Ironically, the […]