In November 2020, the Saudi Association of Senior Scholars, a government-directed mouthpiece on religious affairs, issued a fatwa (religious edict) declaring the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization. In the fatwa, the scholars stated, among other reasons, that the Brotherhood seeks to...
Egypt is expected to have “improved” its commitment to democratic principles, despite being ruled by the military. Thanks to leaks from Egypt’s intelligence agency, Al Jazeera has managed to discover how democracy and free speech work in Egypt. Captain Ashraf el-Kholi is a mid-ranking...
The current US presidential campaign debate on Middle East policy has focused disproportionately on the US response to the Islamic State. This series instead focuses on five alternative Middle East policy challenges facing the next president. In this third part, Ryan J. Suto discusses the future of...
If Sisi does not stabilize the energy and power sector, the Egyptian street’s patience will not last forever. The Egyptian presidential election takes place between May 26-28, having been extended by one day due to low voter turnout. Former Gen. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is poised to win by a...
Egyptians psychologically need a strong national institution. Two sayings often come to my mind when I think about the Egyptian revolution these days. The first is attributed to Prophet Mohammed: "khayr al-amur al-wasat" (the best path is the middle one). The second is attributed to James...
Egyptian revolutionaries face an upward battle against the tides of the establishment. With the world watching, Egypt’s long-time intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, announced the departure of Hosni Mubarak from his presidential throne on February 11, 2011. The epic eruption of cheers, tears,...
The Tunisian democratization process is an outcome of negative developments in Arab states. Once again, Tunisia is now considered to be the democratic frontrunner in the Arab world as well as the last remaining hope of the Arab Spring. Its new constitution, passed by the National Constituent...
Despite mounting pressure, the Muslim Brotherhood is unlikely to take up arms. Whether or not the Arab Spring heralded a democratic transition in the Arab world, it was significant in the sense that even political parties with a predominantly Islamic ideology took to the streets demanding justice...
The EU should not monitor the Egyptian referendum, but instead push for political inclusion. The military coup of July 2013 did not only topple the government of President Mohammed Morsi, but it also suspended Egypt’s constitution. The constitution had been adopted through a referendum in...
Why have the fruits of the "Arab Spring" not been met? Over one year ago, Casper Wuite and I became published authors when our book, The Arab Uprisings: An Introduction, was released. An incredible feat for the two of us aside, the revolts that swept the Middle East and North Africa from...
