A Sense of Belonging

Creating a Protestant Islam?

A friend of mine, a politically liberal Muslim with little attachment to religion, has often accused the Muslim Brotherhood of seeking to create a Protestant type of Islam. It is a little difficult to catch the connections, as well as to tell if he believes such a transformation would be good or bad for Egypt. … Continue reading →

Ostrich Eggs and Coptic Easter

On Easter in much of the Christian world, believers celebrate Jesus’ resurrection by painting chicken eggs in various colors. The tradition is old and has been extensively secularized, enjoyed now without a necessary reference to faith. In Egypt it is the same; one day after Easter is Shem al-Naseem, an ancient Pharaonic holiday enjoyed by … Continue reading →

How Salafis Supported the Constitution in Upper Egypt

Post-Morsi, some say, the Salafi Nour Party was pushed into a corner. Others say they played their cards perfectly. In any case they supported the 2014 constitution despite its removal of religious provisions they largely orchestrated only two years earlier. While the Muslim Brotherhood and most other non-Nour Salafis railed against what they called the … Continue reading →

Nadia Mostafa: The Hypocrisy of the Coup and its Constitution

From my recent article at Arab West Report, continuing a series on the composition of Egypt’s constitution. Nadia Mostafa is the former director of the Program for Dialogue and Civilizational Studies at Cairo University. She is also an Islamist, though not a formal supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood. But she is a severe critic of … Continue reading →

Friday Prayers for Egypt: Building, Barring Opposition

God, While it is still early in choosing Egypt’s next president, there is also not much time left. The first round is scheduled for May 26-27, giving little over a month to the two candidates who have collected the necessary endorsement signatures: Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Hamdeen Sabbahi. Sisi is the overwhelming favorite, and though … Continue reading →

Anti-Coup Terrorism: License and Reluctance

From my recent article on Egypt Source. Here is the license: Recently on the Istanbul-based pro-Brotherhood channel named Raba’a Sheikh Afifi called on Muslims to resist the coup, but not with weapons. “This will enable them to commit their crimes against us with full freedom,” he said. It is not that the use of weapons … Continue reading →

Friday Prayers for Egypt: Absolute Peacefulness

God, Accusations circulate, trials continue, but the question remains: What is the relationship of the Muslim Brotherhood to violence? In response to the ongoing climate of terrorism, vandalism, and demonstrations-cum-clashes, the group put out a long statement asserting their ‘absolute peacefulness’. They have no relation to recent attacks, they said, and none of their members … Continue reading →

How to Amend the Egyptian Constitution

From my recent article at Arab West Report, continuing a series on the development of Egypt’s constitution: Following the passage of the 2012 Egyptian constitution in a disputed and divisive referendum, Muslim Brotherhood leader Muhammad al-Biltājī praised the text and tried to assuage opponents of any flaws it might contain. Calling it a human effort, … Continue reading →

Building Democratic Polity in the Face of Islamism

From The Immanent Frame, an article describing where democracy went wrong in Egypt, and doesn’t blame the Islamists. The author draws on James Madison’s assertion that factionalism cannot be destroyed without destroying freedom, and that the only path is to create democratic governmental mechanisms that prevent a certain faction from taking over the state. This, … Continue reading →

Friday Prayers for Egypt: Coal and Lead

God, You have given humanity flesh and blood, the softest of elements. How easily they are damaged by substances harder, also of your creation. Be it self-destruction or directed, how frequently this occurs. Frequent power cuts and energy shortages are partially assuaged by coal substitution, polluting the air. Frequent protests and police presence are partially … Continue reading →

The Egyptian-Canadian Surgeon Going Home to Serve the Poor

From my new article in Lapido Media: A new collaboration – in an old mission hospital – will train Egyptian surgeons to serve in rural settings. Sixty per cent of Egyptian doctors work abroad – but a unique collaboration will fight this trend. Incredibly perhaps, Egyptian Christian Dr Hanna Sherif is relocating from an élite … Continue reading →

Hagag Oddoul: Nubia Recognized in the Egyptian Constitution

From my recent article at Arab West Report, continuing a series of interviews with members of the Committee of Fifty which wrote the constitution. Hagag Oddoul is a novelist of Nubian origin, and an advocate for their cause. The article describes his background as well as that of his people, and this excerpt defines that … Continue reading →

Friday Prayers for Egypt: Candidate Sisi, 529

God, The inevitable came right after the unthinkable. General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi finally declared his candidacy for president and resigned from the army. Two days earlier an Egyptian court ruled 529 Morsi supporters worthy of the death penalty, implicated in the murder of a single police officer. Somewhat surprisingly, neither decision prompted massive demonstrations. But … Continue reading →

Yalla Maadi Clean-Up Day

Following the success of the January 25, 2011 revolution, Egypt witnessed a great wave of civic activism. One of the most popular manifestations was in campaigns to clean the city streets, often accompanied by vibrant artwork and pro-Egypt graffiti. But as the enthusiasm waned and the political situation became more and more polarized, citizens went … Continue reading →

Friday Prayers for Egypt: Judicial Independence

God, Not one conviction was levied against those who killed protestors during the January 25 revolution. This fact is still not yet fully explained, but raised questions of whether or not Egypt’s judicial system functions independently of the powers-that-be. These questions continue today. But this week a few Muslim Brotherhood members were found innocent of … Continue reading →

Debating Religious Freedom in the Constitution: European Concerns and Egyptian Realities

From my recent article at Arab West Report, focusing on the critique of Dr. Wolfram Reiss, professor of historical and comparative studies of religions at the University of Vienna, and the response of Bishop Antonios of the Coptic Catholic Church: Reiss believes that the post-Mursī constitution of 2014 removed the worst features of the 2012 … Continue reading →

Salafi-Jihadis, Sinai, and the Anticipation of Terrorism

This post recalls two articles published last year at Arab West Report but not referenced on the blog, on the Salafi-Jihadis. The testimony is poignant based on current developments: “We are distinguished from other Islamic trends by not accepting partial solutions,” he said. “The Brotherhood has understandings with the Americans, and they are not working … Continue reading →

Is a Third of the Sinai Lost?

Last week I offered excerpts from a report describing the amateur terrorism campaigns in the Nile Delta. Here are excerpts about the professionals, via Reuters: In a rare visit to eight villages in Northern Sinai last week, a Reuters reporter saw widespread destruction caused by army operations, but also found evidence that a few hundred … Continue reading →

Friday Prayers for Egypt: Prison Conditions

God, Reports have been ample from Egyptian prisons with accounts of mistreatment, even torture. And this week smuggled video purported a look inside, picturing squalid conditions and cramped quarters. The government denies the veracity of these sources, insisting that after the revolution a commitment to human rights has reformed the system. A visit from the … Continue reading →

The Nature of the Insurrection

From McClatchy, an article full of interesting anecdotes on the Islamist youth committing violence in the Nile Delta: In Sharqia province, which sits just between Cairo and the restive Sinai, eight police officers have been killed in just three weeks, each by a motorcyclist who pulled up to them in traffic and shot them, usually … Continue reading →