Egyptian Revolution: A Synopsis

            Egypt has long been a location of rich history and extraordinary culture. Thousands of years of innovative and remarkable art, architecture, engineering, and science has been some of the many cornerstones of this nation. From humble beginnings as a small town beside a unique river, it grew into an empire with great strength, brilliance, military might and government. And it is even upon the notion of military might and governance that this once- empire has been at the forefront of international debate and news.

            The crisis in Egypt started with a nation-wide protest in an attempt to overthrow the regime of Hosin Mubarak, one of many in the Arab Spring. These protestors so desired his removal for many factors such as police brutality, state of emergency law, lack of free speech, corruption, free elections, high unemployment, outrageous food inflation and rock-bottom wages.  What started as a non-violent civil resistance, virally spread throughout the nation through Facebook, resulted in many violent clashes between activists and civil police with over 800 civilian deaths, 600 injuries. However, the protestors were not without their own retaliation burning upwards of ninety police stations. As a result of the protests, in February 11^th, President Mubarak stepped down and gave executive power to the military. On March 19^th, the first post-Mubarak vote was cast to decide upon the constitutional amendments for Egypt. This voting period was supported and defended by the military.

            On May 23^rd, the first round of voting on presidential elections began with Mohamed Morsi and Ahmed Shafiq. Morsi then won the Egyptian presidential campaign with a slim victory of 51.7%, the first democratic elect in thirty years. A leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the key member of Freedom and Justice Party, he promised consensus, a reasoning of the constitution. He stated that he desired a state of “stability and development” in the nation and of the government between Islamists and other parties. This is one of many things upon which he promised, but never truly delivered. He gave himself immunity from judicial review and barred the courts from dissolving constituent assembly and the upper house of Parliament and forcing retirement upon many key military figures. He pushed his Muslim beliefs where the initial democratic notions were nothing but empty words. He announced an increase taxes, raised staple food prices, and then rescinded the announcement. The incident that was the tipping point of his leadership was when radical Salafi Clerics referred to Syria as a nation of infidels at the June 16^th Syria Conference.

On June 30^th, there were protests and demonstrations in Tahir Square, which resulted in eight gruesome deaths outside the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Egyptian military offered Morsi an ultimatum to resolve the political and economic crisis, or the military would forcibly solve it themselves. With the rejection of this proposal, on July 3^rd, 2013 the Army deposed the government, and replaced Morsi with Chief Justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court, Adli Mansour, now acting President in the interim Egyptian government. Armed forces also closed down several Al Jazeera outposts and stations due to its biased ideals to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Egypt is a hotbed of international contention because it is currently setting off a probable domino affect across the world of the deposing of leaders. Does the Egyptian truly have the right to step in and intervene and input a government that does not allow for American and even international diplomacy and economics?

Authors:
Brennan
Nicholas
Elvira
Jonathan
Akana 

Works Cited

Goldman, Lisa. "The Egyptian People Rise up and Overthrow Morsi - or Was It the Army..?" +972. RSVP, 04 July 2013. Web. 04 Sept. 2013.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/04/world/middleeast/egypt-speeds-use-of-trials-for-jailing-of-   islamists.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&ref=world&adxnnlx=1378314646-UmpVXiKA2rNvWtUZhJUGZA

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/15/world/middleeast/egypt.html?pagewanted=all

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/04/world/middleeast/egypt.html?pagewanted=all

            Henderson, Barney, ed. "Egypt Timeline: From Revolution to the Current Crisis." The Telegraph. Telegraph.co.uk, 03 July 2013. Web. 04 Sept. 2013.

"Egypt Crackdown: Five Things to Know." USA Today. Gannett, n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2013