Why Has the Egyptian Revolution Stalled?
In addition to the regular reading list, I am offering a pretty good selection on Egypt. I am crazy behind this week and have not really had time to comment on all I want to, including many issues that are covered in these readings. Unsurprisingly, the main constant through all of these pieces is the … Read more
Syria Bloodshed Could Start Regional War?
Last week, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu visited Damascus to meet with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and to reportedly deliver a letter from Turkish President Abdullah Gul strongly encouraging the Syrian leader to make real changed in both his treatment of the Syrian protesters and in regards to the demands of the Syrian people. Turkish presidential advisor … Read more
The Islamist/Secular Dichotomy in Egypt
In Egypt, they warn, the Muslim Brotherhood will overtake the young secular activists who bravely brought down dictator Hosni Mubarak. In Syria, they have claimed, Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorship may be brutal, but it is a lesser evil than a Sunni majority that will oppress Christians, Shiites, and women. Such anxiety plays perfectly into the ruling rationale of the region’s secular sultans, … Read more
Can the Salafis Win in Egypt?
A Salafi government in Egypt has been seen as unlikely by many – until, that is, the mass protest last week that brought hundreds of thousands of Islamists to Tahrir Square in a demonstration of strength. My first reaction concerned the separation of the Muslim Brotherhood, which attended the rally, from both the more conservative … Read more
Lynch in Tahrir: Where is the Brotherhood
I argued that one main consequence of the massive Islamist protest in Tahrir Square last week was the definitive split between the Muslim Brotherhood and the secular and liberal left as well as between the Brotherhood and the more extreme Salafi groups. In other words, by playing a minor role in the sit-in, the Ikhwan … Read more
Chris Keeler
Chris Whitman
