questionmark Posted February 4, 2015 #1 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Four years after the Arab Spring uprising, Egypt has once again become a dictatorship. How could things have come to this? Author Thanassis Cambanis tracked three leaders of the revolution at Tahrir Square, documenting the slow death of their rebellion. On the fourth anniversary of the revolution, jailed blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah weighs 72 kilograms (159 pounds). It's the 84th day of his hunger strike. Former Muslim Brother Moaz Abdelkarim has fled to Turkey. And architect Basem Kamel plans on running for parliament this spring. For 18 days, the three men served as the protagonists in a grand historical drama. They wanted to reinvent their country and indeed the entire Middle East, with the world looking on enthusiastically. Without these three men -- a Muslim Brother, an architect and a blogger who represent the heart, soul and brawn of the insurgency -- the Egyptian revolution might never have happened. Read more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+and-then Posted February 4, 2015 #2 Share Posted February 4, 2015 The Brothers have been very patient and it looked like they'd hit the jackpot with Mursi. Then he overplayed his hand by showing too much truth too soon about how they wanted to govern. The MB is the root of most Islamist radical movements around the world and I am VERY happy that it was stopped in it's tracks, at least for now, in Egypt. It seems that Islamic countries don't do well with Democracy due to their primary focus on religion. Or as some here point out, Indonesia seems to but not those in the M.E. Is it an Arab thing? I guess not since most Egyptians are not Arabs. But all the countries in the M.E. allow Islam to hold sway and a military government seems better than the average monarchy or totalitarian dictator state. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kartikg Posted February 5, 2015 #3 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I think democracy was killed in Egypt. The people had elected a government which was overthrown by coup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+and-then Posted February 5, 2015 #4 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I think democracy was killed in Egypt. The people had elected a government which was overthrown by coup. Then I assume you are a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood? The problem with democracy in the M.E. was summed up very succinctly by Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/all-aboard-erdogans-bus-ride.aspx?pageID=449&nID=49318&NewsCatID=396 It's just a means to an end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kartikg Posted February 5, 2015 #5 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Then I assume you are a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood? The problem with democracy in the M.E. was summed up very succinctly by Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/all-aboard-erdogans-bus-ride.aspx?pageID=449&nID=49318&NewsCatID=396 It's just a means to an end. But that's what democracy is about electing whoever you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+and-then Posted February 5, 2015 #6 Share Posted February 5, 2015 But that's what democracy is about electing whoever you want. True, but it is meant to be an ONGOING system where the people continue to have a voice and a choice. In Islamic countries the first election tends to be the ONLY election. A dictator put in place by a vote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
questionmark Posted February 5, 2015 Author #7 Share Posted February 5, 2015 But that's what democracy is about electing whoever you want. And get to kick them out when they abuse power without bloodshed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kartikg Posted February 7, 2015 #8 Share Posted February 7, 2015 And get to kick them out when they abuse power without bloodshed. Agreed but the Egyptian government was not given much time. And they can always be kicked during next election. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+and-then Posted February 7, 2015 #9 Share Posted February 7, 2015 Agreed but the Egyptian government was not given much time. And they can always be kicked during next election. IF their had ever been another election - especially a fair and honest one. I've heard there were many doubts that Mursi's election was legit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meryt-tetisheri Posted February 9, 2015 #10 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Agreed but the Egyptian government was not given much time. And they can always be kicked during next election. I think democracy was killed in Egypt. The people had elected a government which was overthrown by coup. Democracy was saved, not killed, in Egypt. How can anyone characterize Mursi's governance with his constitutional declaration as even remotely democratic? "Article II: Previous constitutional declarations, laws, and decrees made by the president since he took office on 30 June 2012, until the constitution is approved and a new People’s Assembly [lower house of parliament] is elected, are final and binding and cannot be appealed by any way or to any entity. Nor shall they be suspended or canceled and all lawsuits related to them and brought before any judicial body against these decisions are annulled." " Article V: No judicial body can dissolve the Shura Council [upper house of parliament] or the Constituent Assembly." http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/58947/Egypt/Politics-/English-text-of-Morsis-Constitutional-Declaration-.aspx Was the method by which Mursi's constitution written and pushed through overnight, exclusively by his supporters, to the exclusion of all other Egyptians, democratic? Even if the elections which brought Mursi to power were not tampered with, and they were, he still lost his mandate and legitimacy by his actions. You characterize the June 30th revolution as a coup, by doing this you ignore the millions who demonstrated all over Egypt demanding his ouster. Had there been any constitutional procedure available for impeaching him, he would certainly have been impeached, but his constitution did not provide for any such process. Mursi was ultimately a public servant, an incompetent one and a tyrant in the making, as such he was fired by his employers. The Muslim Brotherhood overtly threatened the Egyptian people with a bloodbath if they dare oppose Mursi. Had the army not intervened, at the demand of the people, civil war would have been the only outcome. Finally, President Sisi garnered more votes than Mursi ever did. He is the legitimate democratically elected president. http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2012/al-monitor/morsi-decree-constitution-power.html##ixzz3RHUx4no0 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acidhead Posted April 26, 2015 #11 Share Posted April 26, 2015 (edited) Ive just begun to read up on the socalled Egyptian revolution and find it absolutely unbelievable that El-Sisi garnered 96% of the total popular vote. To put it in perspective I understand voter turnout was 47% in this 2014 election. In 2012 voter turnout was 43% and Morsi's government received 51% of the popular vote. So what happened? Where did all the voters who voted for Morsi go? In a democracy when does any one political party receive almost 100% of the popular vote? Something doesn't seem correct with those numbers. Edited April 26, 2015 by acidhead 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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