"New Egypt", New Chaos

Submitted by Rebecca Moulds (United States), Aug 8, 2011 at 16:21

Cars double and triple-parked; Egyptian flags, the red, black and white of the flag, and bumper stickers and key chains featuring a fist and a mosque---these and other emblems of the ARE are spread all over Cairo and its environs.

Since the Revolution, there is little police activity because the people now hate them. The military is in firm control and will not give up its position as the ruling government. Whoever thought that they would allow "free" elections doesn't understand the Egyptian military mind. The problem with the February Revolution was that the opposition hadn't been grooming a strong leader to take over when Mubarak was toppled from power. All was confusion. Talking with several residents of Ma'adi and Cairo, I learned that most of the protesters joined the fracas just to loot the stores, such as the big Carrefour in Ma'adi. Jewelry stores were looted---the people went berserk with no set plan for a new leader.

As Dr. Pipes points out it's "business as usual" but at the back of the minds of some of the wealthier Copts and moderate Muslims, it is also a time to make a plan of escape just in case the Muslim Brotherhood takes over. Who's to say that this won't take place some day? Perhaps not in the next few months or years, but something's got to give. Egypt cannot stay where its at---there is little progress, only stagnation.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".