Elections Committee has confirmed a June run-off between Mohammed Morsi and Ahmed Shafiq [Reuters] Unidentified assailants have set fire to the headquarters of Egypt’s runoff presidential candidate Ahmad Shafiq and thousands of protesters have returned to Cairo‘s Tahrir Square to rally against alleged injustice in the election process. An annex in Shafiq’s headquarters in Cairo went [...]
Women rush to question Election Commission Officer Abdulla Fortia after he speaks about the rules for the upcoming polls [Al Jazeera/D. Parvaz] Tripoli, Libya - Buoyed by the winds of change sweeping the region, Libyan women are eyeing a far greater role for themselves after next month’s national assembly elections. The June 19 [...]
thecoldwhisper (CC BY 2.0) Flags and demonstrators in Tahrir Square, late 2011. Dispatches From Cairo: Blood, Youth and Revolution Posted on May 4, 2012 By Lauren Unger-Geoffroy We asked Lauren Unger-Geoffroy, an international artist who lives in Cairo, to share her perspective of life in Egypt after the revolution. In this entry, she writes about the outbreak of new [...]
Omar Suleiman’s black box 14 April 2012 The deicision of General Omar Suleiman, the former head of Egyptian intelligence, to enter the presidential elections ring a few minutes before nominations closed suggests, or perhaps even asserts, that some party, or parties, inside and outside Egypt have pushed him to take [...]
Thousands of Egyptians have taken to the streets in support of parliamentary legislation that bans former top officials from the regime of Hosni Mubarak from the right to run for office in the next 10 years. The Muslim Brotherhood, along with ultraconservative Salafis, rallied their supporters Friday in [...]
Egypt’s Brotherhood and its grave mistake 02 April 2012 On Saturday, Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood made a strategic mistake, by nominating its Deputy Supreme Guide, Khairat al-Shater as its presidential candidate in the elections scheduled for June. The mistake is not the choice of al-Shater or his qualifications, no, the mistake [...]
An Egyptian man casts his vote at a polling station in Cairo, Nov. 2011. (Reuters/Ahmed Jadallah) http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=454170 CAIRO (Reuters) — The Muslim Brotherhood‘s electoral coalition has won 38 percent of seats allocated to party lists for Egypt’s parliament, with Islamists of various stripes taking more than two-thirds of the assembly, in line with with their [...]
The Apocalyptics By John Feffer They’re like a heavy metal band. Dress them up in black, put some Goth makeup on them, give them a name like The Apocalyptics, and they’d fit right in with the head-banger crowd. After all, it’s mostly doom and gloom with the Republican candidates, particularly when [...]
Click the image to enlarge or see more. (Reuters/Hamas Media Office) Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh left Gaza on Dec. 25 for his first international tour since Israel imposed a crippling blockade on the coastal strip in 2007. The premier visited Egypt, Sudan, Turkey and Tunisia, meeting officials including Arab League general secretary Nabil al-Arabi [...]
For Israel, the regional transformation will prove unbearable. (Aljazeera) By Ramzy Baroud There was an unmistakable hint of triumph in the comments made by Ismail Haniyeh, Prime Minister of the elected Hamas government in Gaza when he was hosted by Mohammed Badie, Supreme Guide of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. Both leaders said what would be expected [...]
Senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh welcomes Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Badie before their meeting at the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood movement in Cairo on Dec. 26, 2011. (REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany) By Ramzy Baroud There was an unmistakable hint of triumph in the comments made by Ismail Haniyeh, Prime Minister of the elected Hamas [...]
US in Secret Talks With Egypt’s Military Rulers on Israeli Peace Treaty Mohamed ElBaradei suspects there are secret talks, which would be characteristic of US meddling in Egyptian affairs by John Glaser, December 27, 2011 | Print This [...]
Arabs not only want change but a change for the better. (Aljazeera) By Mohamed El MokhtarOne of the most significant consequences of the so-called ‘Arab Spring’ is the forceful emergence of the Muslim Brotherhood as an influential political force and social movement in the Middle East. The movement seems, like [...]
Egyptians Stage Mass Rally Against Army Thousands gather in Tahrir Square to protest against the ruling military, days after clashes left 17 people dead. Egyptian activists have gathered in Cairo for a mass protest against the ruling military and its handling of a series of clashes between security forces and demonstrators that killed 17 people and drew [...]
The dynamic of democratic, nationalist and class struggles throughout the Muslim world has set in motion a new constellation of alliances between the imperial West (US and European Union) andIslamist parties, leaders and regimes, dubbed “moderate” by US officials, propagandists and academics. This essay analyzes the changing contemporary context of imperial domination, [...]
The second round of parliamentary elections began in Giza and eight other electorates on Wednesday [Reuters] link http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2011/12/20111214638574816.html Egyptians in nine provinces have begun voting in the second stage of the first parliamentary elections since a popular uprising toppled former president Hosni Mubarak in February. Dozens of people were lining up under campaign posters outside a [...]
Report From Egypt by Eric Margolis Recently by Eric Margolis: Dateline: Tahrir Square CAIRO – Tahrir Square, epicenter of the earthquake that ousted Egypt’s western-backed dictator, Husni Mubarak, is quiet – for the moment. Banner-wavers, speakers, and scruffy youngsters mill about. But the by now world-famous square has a forlorn, leftover look, with more [...]
Salafi Muslims from the Nour Party made the most surprising gains in the first round of voting [REUTERS] fEgyptians are set for another democratic landmark on Wednesday when the country will hold a second round of parliamentary voting, part of the first elections since President Hosni Mubarak was ousted in February. The government hailed the [...]
For four decades, the Assad family has ruled Syria, and while the popularity of the family among some sections in the country is undeniable, its run in power has not been without turmoil. Hafez al-Assad, a military man, rose through the ranks and became Syria’s president in 1971 after a bloodless coup which saw a [...]
Scott Horton Interviews Pepe Escobar Scott Horton, December 04, 2011 Print This | Share This | Comment | Antiwar Forum Globetrotting journalist Pepe Escobar discusses his article “The shadow war in Syria;” how Turkey is helping NATO and GCC foment a Syrian civil war; why the Muslim Brotherhood is best situated to replace the Assad regime, [...]
ElBaradei: Liberals ‘Decimated’ in Election Hopes Junta Will Promote ‘Consensus’ by Jason Ditz, December 04, 2011 | Print This | Share This | Antiwar Forum Speaking today in the wake of the first round of parliamentary elections, former IAEA chief and top liberal politician Mohamed ElBaradei expressed [...]
A man holds up Palestinian and Egyptian flags as members of the Muslim Brotherhood gather to rally for the “liberation” of Jerusalem from Israeli control after Friday prayers at al-Azhar mosque in Cairo Nov. 25, 2011. (REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh) By Crispian Balmer JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Israel is preparing for a more precarious future with neighbor Egypt [...]
Electoral workers carry ballot boxes at a center for vote counting during the second day of parliamentary elections in Alexandria, on Nov. 29, 2011. (REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany) CAIRO (AFP) — Early results from Egypt’s first post-revolution election showed Islamist parties sweeping to victory, including hard-line Salafists, with secular parties trounced in many areas. Partial figures [...]
Egyptians gather during a sit-in at Tahrir Square in Cairo on July 27. Thousands of people packed Cairo’s Tahrir Square, with Islamist groups dominating the protest meant to show unity during a fragile transition from ousted President Hosni Mubarak’s regime. (AFP/Khaled Desouki, File) CAIRO (AFP) — Salafi politicians, forecast to become powerbrokers in Egypt‘s first [...]
Early results from Egypt’s first post-revolutionary elections indicate the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party will emerge as the biggest winner. We speak with Democracy Now! special correspondent Anjali Kamat, who has just returned to the United States after reporting in Cairo since the fall of former president Hosni Mubarak. Anjali describes how Egypt’s elections [...]
Nine of Egypt‘s 27 governorates went to the polls this week and full results will not be known until January [Reuters] Egypt’s election commission has again delayed the release of results of the opening stage of the country’s first polls, saying counting was still taking place. The results, which had already been pushed back from Wednesday [...]
Explainer: Why Egypt matters Panel of experts, activists and two former ambassadors weigh in on why the country has a significant role to play. For much of its modern history, strategically located Egypt has been a pivotal force in the Middle East. Since winning independence from the British in 1922, the country once known as “The [...]
There were logistical problems at polling stations, with claims of judges not turning up at the correct place [Reuters] Egyptians have started casting their ballots in the first parliamentary elections since former president Hosni Mubarak was toppled in a popular uprising earlier this year. Long queues were seen outside many polling stations amid tight security arrangements as voters flocked to the polls on [...]
Hamas supporters take part in a rally celebrating the release of prisoners from Israeli jails, in Khan Younis southern Gaza Strip October 21, 2011. (REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustaf) GAZA CITY (AFP) — Egypt‘s first post-revolution vote will shift the political scene in favor of Gaza’s ruling party Hamas, whether or not the Muslim Brotherhood wins, analysts [...]
Tantawi (right) is assassinating Egyptian dreams. (US DoD/file) By Ahmed Amr – Cairo Nostalgia for more innocent times is a comforting refuge when hope is scarce. This week, as we inhaled a toxic dose of tear gas in Tahrir Square, we were all gasping for a resurrection of the spirit of the January uprising that [...]
Back to Tahrir Square by ESAM AL-AMIN When former Vice President (and intelligence chief) Omar Suleiman announced on state television last February 11the transfer of power from Hosni Mubarak to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), millions of Egyptians began celebrating in the streets the culmination of their revolution that rid them of [...]
For much of its modern history, strategically located Egypt has been a pivotal force in the Middle East. Since winning independence from the British in 1922, the country once known as “The Mother of the World” has been governed by kings and dictators. Many Egyptians grew to distrust politics and steered clear [...]
Egyptian riot police charge at protesters during clashes in Tahrir Square in Cairo. Photograph: Ahmed Ali/AP Egyptian elections in doubt after violent clashes in central Cairo Several candidates suspend campaigns after army attack on protesters leaves five dead and almost a thousand injured reddit this Jack Shenker in Cairo guardian.co.uk, Sunday 20 November 2011 19.39 GMT [...]
The rally in Tahrir Square was called over a controversial document floated by the government [Malika Bilal/Al Jazeera] Tens of thousands of Islamist and secular protesters have gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and in Alexandria for a mass rally to press the ruling military to hand power to a civilian government. Friday’s demonstration, dubbed as “Friday of [...]
Supporters of the Islamist Ennahda movement celebrate outside Ennahda’s headquarters in Tunis October 25, 2011.(Reuters/Zohra Bensemra) By Tom Heneghan More democracy is bringing more political Islam in the countries of the Arab Spring, but Islamist statements about sharia or religion in politics are only rough indicators of what the real effect might be. The [...]
Photo Credit: Khaled Moussa al-Omrani/IPS Post Revolutionary Egypt‘s First Woman Candidate Begins Her Presidential Campaign When Egypt holds presidential elections next year, Buthaina Kamel is set to become the first woman in the country’s modern history to run for the highest office. October 31, 2011 | When post-revolution Egypt holds presidential elections next year, [...]
Arab Revolution Caught Between Euphoria and Despair REUTERS More than half a year after the beginning of the Arab Revolution, pro-democracy movements in several countries appear to have stalled. The despots in Syria and Libya are fiercely opposing rebellions in their countries, while Yemen threatens to slide into chaos. Will the trial of Hosni Mubarak in [...]
Tariq Ali guardian.co.uk, Sunday 31 July 2011 17.35 BST Article history I address this poem to the Muslim brothers who demonstrated in Cairo’s Tahrir Square after Friday prayers on 29 July Patience exhausted You emerged from the shadows To tell us what was forbidden and why. You spoke loudly and clearly, Each chant a whiplash: [...]
Several activists and journalists were injured in clashes with the police during last Friday’s protests in Amman [Reuters] In a rare outbreak of violence, a protest in Amman last Friday demanding political reforms ended in broken bones and cameras. Several pro-reform protesters and journalists were injured in clashes with the police, leaving the media and [...]
Tahrir Square was the epicentre of the protests that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak [Reuters] Egyptians are gathering in Cairo‘s Tahrir Square as anger and frustration mounts due to the lack of significant changes in the country since the ousting of former President Hosni Mubarak. The rally, which follows Friday prayers in the capital, comes after [...]
Egyptian protesters wave their national flag and shout slogans in Cairo‘s Tahrir Square. Photograph: Mohamed Hossam/AFP/Getty Images The historic revolutions that have rippled through the Arab world this year were in danger of eclipse on Friday night as protesters returned to the streets to profess their disgust at how the movement is being stymied by [...]
US Formally Recognizes Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood Clinton Says US Would Welcome ‘Dialogue’ With Political Party by Jason Ditz, June 30, 2011 Email This | Print This | Share This | Antiwar Forum In early February the US ruled out ever recognizing the Muslim Brotherhood, a political party in Egypt which seems to be destined for a significant showing in [...]
The Stream: Egypt‘s Muslim Brotherhood As the Brotherhood aims for a position in the new government, Egyptian youth discuss the topic of Islamist politics. Egyptian youth have ousted former President Mubarak from leadership, but they now face a new struggle for a fair and democratic election [GALLO/GETTY] “You can’t dictate democracy,” I said to a woman from [...]
Egypt‘s Challenges: Democracy, Economy, Corruption Egypt: There are reasons for optimism. (Aljazeera) By Hasan Afif El-Hasan By the end of the last century, more people than ever before in human history lived in countries whose governments were democratic except for postcolonial Arabs. Arabs were living under authoritarian regimes that had been remarkably successful in sustaining [...]
Egypt in flux: sober realities and optimism 100 days after Mubarak’s fall Energised by the Tahrir Square revolt, Egyptians are now struggling to cast a new political mould for the country Share34 Ian Black, Middle East editor guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 18 May 2011 18.19 BST Article history Protesters in Tahrir Square, Cairo, on 8 February [...]
Zawahri: From suburban doctor to chief of al Qaeda? Below: Discussion Related Advertise | AdChoices Reuters Tv / Reuters A frame grab of a video released on September 2, 2006 shows Al Qaeda’s second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahri speaking. REUTERS/Reuters TV By Tom Pfeiffer and Marwa Awad updated 5/3/2011 12:44:19 PM ET Share Print Font: CAIRO — The man most likely to take [...]
Egypt‘s Muslim Brotherhood says Bin Laden should have been tried Influential conservative group condemns killing but says al-Qaida leader, a former Cairo resident, did not represent Islam Share Martin Chulov in Cairo guardian.co.uk, Monday 2 May 2011 20.51 BST Article history Ayman al-Zawahiri, widely expected to replace Bin Laden, was once linked to Egypt’s Muslim [...]
New poll shows most Egyptians want laws based on the Quran, religious parties in government By Associated Press, Monday, April 25, 5:16 PM CAIRO — A majority of Egyptians believe laws in their country [...]
Egyptians are looking forward with extraordinary confidence and enthusiasm to their first free and fair elections this fall after the defining revolution of the Arab spring, according to the first major poll since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak. But [...]
Ghosts from the Past Pile Pressure on Assad By Shahab Jafry – DubaiSyria is not blessed, or rather cursed, with the black gold endowment that is irresistible for imperial interests, yet the late Hafez al Assad raised it to such prominence in the Middle East political calculus that every American president from Nixon to [...]
