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
Stupid Reasons to be Skeptical of the Arab Spring
There are many challenges to real reform in the Middle East. These are none of them Now that these longstanding rulers are no longer in power in the two countries, where do these seemingly leaderless Arab revolts take Tunisians and Egyptians, and how will they effect change to their systems of governance? Virtually all previous … Read more
Egypt’s Identification Crisis: Islamists in Tahrir
The massive protest in Tahrir Square in Cairo yesterday was certainly an eye-opener. The day was marked as a “Day of Unity” (after secular protesters refused to engage in the proposed “Day of Sharia,”) but it became evident after hundreds of thousands of Islamists, notably from the ultra-conservative Salafi groups, descended on the center of … Read more
Imposing Security Services By Any Other Name, Part III
Do we need any more evidence that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has done nearly nothing to reform the security services in Egypt? With SCAF’s inability (or unwillingness) to push for perhaps the most important post-Mubarak reform, it seems that instead of acting as a vehicle used to peacefully manage the revolution, … Read more
