Egypt in the Throes of ....
Egypt in the Throes of....
"The armed forces repeat their call to respond to the people's demands, and give everyone 48 hours as a last chance to fulfill the burden of historical circumstances.General Sisi meets, when required, with President Mohammad Morsi. The general is in actual fact, part of the official government administration. He must be a fairly shrewd judge of character. He wouldn't necessarily have to be, actually, to understand that Mohammad Morsi would not take kindly to any form of ultimatum imposed upon himself and upon the Muslim Brotherhood. Both of whom were most certainly taken aback by these statements and demands, without prior consultation.
"If the demands of the people are not met within this period, it will be incumbent upon us to announce a road map for the future and oversee measures to implement it."
General Abdulfatah al-Sisi
If the question they might ask is who does he think he is, perhaps they should be asked, who do they think they are? Obviously, they are an organized, very well-organized, but urgently arrogant theocratic ideological group whose patience ran out prematurely, as they sped up a process that should have been more delicately undertaken. Their haste to consolidate their position, and the imposition of Sharia law and Islamism over the ancient land of Egypt, effectively restoring Islam to its original purity, alarmed the populace.
And although they were absolutely certain that the greater number of Egyptians would continue to support them, since a clear majority had a year earlier, it would seem by the numbers that have converged on Egypt's cities and public squares in their millions, that those represented at the protests come from every walk of Egyptian life, religious belief or lack of, gender, social status and occupation.
Associated Press
The protest movement has taken great heart from the obvious signs that the once-hated-and-feared police will do nothing to support the Muslim Brotherhood and President Morsi. Nor does the president have the suport of the judiciary and obviously enough, that of the widely-acclaimed and trusted military. He does continue to enjoy the unswerving support of committed Islamists within Egypt. But they now appear to form the minority; previous levels of support have slipped away.
His inability to give any indication over the past year that he is capable of wrestling with the huge problems facing Egypt of unemployment, religious strife, violent crime, poverty, critical food and gas shortages, lack of foreign investment, failing tourism, a faltering Sinai and a perilous financial situation the country finds itself in, compounded by all of the above, has earned him wide contempt. "Leave", he is exhorted.
The Brotherhood offices all over the country have been burned and pillaged. People have been shot and killed, large numbers wounded in the melees that have resulted throughout long, noisy nights of protests when under cover of darkness people commit vile acts they would hesitate to be responsible for in the light of day. Rape is becoming ever more commonplace; a message to women that they should repair to their homes, vacate the public sphere.
The atrocities continue, but the message goes unheeded. This is a population prepared to suffer further indignities and temporary calamities in the larger interests of improving their lot in life, and helping to haul Egypt into the 21st Century. In the meantime, a modern-day Pharoah simmers in the disbelief of a revolt. What next? Who knows...
Labels: Conflict, Crisis Politics, Economy, Egypt, Human Relations, Islamism, Muslim Brotherhood, Poverty
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, July 03, 2013
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