December 11, 2012

Huge crowds gathered in Egypt’s capital, Cairo, for yet another day of demonstrations either for or against the draft constitution referendum scheduled to take place on December 15. Secular groups that oppose the constitution have converged on the presidential palace. Supporters of President Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood have taken over Tahrir Square.

The opposition wants the referendum scrapped, arguing that the constitution was drafted by an assembly dominated by Morsi’s Islamist allies, who seek to impose an Islamic agenda, even Shari’ah law, on Egypt. In a statement issued after talks with Morsi’s representatives on December 9, the opposition National Salvation Front announced that it refuses to recognizes the draft constitution “because it does not represent the Egyptian people. . . . We reject the referendum which will certainly lead to more division and sedition.”

Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians protested against the government of President Hosni Mubarak in January 2011, leading to his resignation in February. The protests in 2012 were triggered by the policies of the new president, Mohamed Morsi, who was elected in June. (© John Moore, Getty Images)

According to experts on domestic Egyptian politics, the pro-Morsi demonstrators have formed an umbrella group calling itself the Alliance of Islamist Forces, which is made of Muslim Brotherhood and Salafist groups. Although Morsi canceled his decree of November 22 that stripped the judiciary of any right to challenge his decisions, he remains adamant that the referendum on the new constitution will take place as planned on December 15. He has ordered in the military to maintain security and to protect state institutions, giving army personnel the power to arrest civilians as they see fit.

Additional World Book articles:

• Egypt 2011 (a Back in Time article)
• The Middle East: From Fall to Spring (a special report)

July 10, 2012

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi briefly reconvened parliament today in defiance of that country’s supreme court and powerful ruling military council. Morsi’s action intensified the power struggle between the military and the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist political movement that dominates Egypt’s first freely elected civilian government. Islamists advocate Islamic political rule, which usually involves the imposition of Shari`ah law, the moral and legal code of Islam. During the parliamentary session, members approved a proposal to seek legal advice on an order by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) in June to dissolve parliament. That order followed a decision by the supreme court that parliamentary elections held in 2011 had been unconstitutional.

The SCAF has ruled Egypt since the 2011 revolution that ended the 30-year rule of President Hosni Mubarak. In parliamentary elections held in late 2011, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the political arm of the Brotherhood, won the largest number of seats. On June 24, Morsi, the FJP’s candidate, was declared the winner in presidential elections. Two days before the June 17 presidential election, however, Egypt’s supreme court–stacked with Mubarak-era members–ruled that the parliamentary elections had been unconstitutional. The decision effectively handed over all legislative power to the SCAF. Then, just as the presidential election polls were closing on June 17, the SCAF issued a declaration granting itself sweeping new powers. While the council declared that it would turn over power to the newly elected president, it stripped the office of any authority over the army. It also gave itself control over the budget and the members of a group writing a new, permanent constitution.

Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians protest against the government of President Hosni Mubarak in January 2011. The sometimes violent demonstrations led to Mubarak’s resignation in February. (© John Moore, Getty Images)

On July 8, President Morsi called on parliament to reconvene. The next day, the supreme court rejected that decree, insisting that its earlier ruling on the unconstitutionality of the parliamentary elections was binding. President Morsi, in turn, insisted that the parliamentary session had not violated the court’s decision. In a statement, FJP officials said parliament had acted only to approve a request by the speaker asking for suggestions about how to “implement the court’s decision.”

Additional World Book articles:

• Egypt 2011 (a Back in Time article)
• The Middle East: From Fall to Spring (a special report)

June 26, 2012

Mohammed Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, was declared Egypt’s president on June 24 after the freest elections in the country’s history. With 51.7 percent of the vote, Morsi narrowly defeated former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, who garnered 48.3 percent of the vote. Morsi is the first civilian to hold the office of president in Egyptian history. His predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, commanded the Egyptian air force until he was appointed vice president by then-President Anwar el-Sadat. Sadat, also a military officer, was president of Egypt from 1970 until his assassination in 1981. Mubarak was driven from office in 2011 in a mass popular uprising.

President-elect Morsi met on June 27 with Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the head of the ruling military council, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. After the meeting, Field Marshal Tantawi announced that the military would “stand by the elected, legitimate president and will cooperate with him for the stability of the country.” However, Middle East experts noted that Morsi’s assumption of the presidency will not put an end to the power struggle between the military and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Just as the presidential election polls were closing on June 17th, the Supreme Council issued a declaration granting itself sweeping new powers. While the council declared that it would turn over power to the newly elected president, it stripped the office of any authority over the army; it also gave itself control over the budget and control of who will write a new, permanent constitution.

Two days before the presidential election, Egypt’s supreme court–stacked with Mubarak-era appointees–ruled that last year’s parliamentary elections had been unconstitutional. The decision dissolved the parliament, effectively handing over all legislative power to the council.

Morsi is the first Islamist elected as a head of state following 2011′s extraordinary wave of pro-democracy uprisings, which came to be called the “Arab Spring.” An Islamist advocates Islamic political rule, which usually involves the imposition of Shari`ah law, the moral and legal code of Islam.

Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians protested in Cairo's Tahrir Square against the government of President Hosni Mubarak in January 2011. The sometimes-violent demonstrations led to Mubarak's resignation in February 2011. (© John Moore, Getty Images)

Additional World Book articles:

• Egypt 2011 (a Back in Time article)
• The Middle East: From Fall to Spring (a special report)