Egypt: So What Now?

[ChillDoubt]

As the Army have now stepped in and suspended the constitution with the promise of new elections, which way will they vote?
With the demise of the Muslim Brotherhood within 12 months, will we see Egypt become more democratic and less inclined towards Islam?

Odd too that the whereabouts of President Morsi are unknown at this time.

[anneasquith]

been watching the news most of the day. im no expert but this country is in big trouble, and I fear more deaths,

[Gromit]

All very reminiscent of Turkey where there hve been three military coups. The army see themselves as the guardians of the country and when the islamists get too powerful, they remove them.

This coup in Egypt looks similar. The view is that the Muslim Brotherhood betrayed the ideals of the Arab Spring, and they have ended up with a Mubarek mark II. Though he was elected democratically, the economy has tanked and his support has evaporated.

As long as elections take place quickly, and the US are on board, then it could all be for the greater good.

[jim360]

Goodness only knows what will happen -- but it's clear that the Arab Spring will take far longer than people might have hoped to lead to change for the better. Here's hoping that the second time round will be different -- but 12 months is far too short a time for anyone to make much difference.

[DTCwordfan]

Doomed I say, doomed....but then the economy has always been in the pan but somehow the Eygyptians muddle through by hook or crook. An incredibly frustrating place in which to do business..you can get there but Allah/God/whatever the Coptic equivalent is, you don't know how.

[naomi24]

Despite the dirty politics, endemic for many years, the people of Egypt are accustomed to living in one of the more liberal of the Muslim nations, so for those who recognise the restrictions that the creeping, insidious fingers of the Brotherhood is intent upon imposing wherever they touch, this comes as no surprise. I fear unrest will continue for a long time to come, but I hope that eventually the people of Egypt will succeed in gaining freedom over fundamentalist Islam.

[FredPuli43]

Oh good. The Foreign and Commonwealth office says we shouldn't go there, except to Red Sea resorts. I am due in Luxor, change flight at Cairo, at Christmas, with our daughter. Ah well, the family are used to this; we always end up in riot and revolution, wherever we go. It should have settled down a bit by then,too.

In answer to the OP, who knows? There should be new elections, but who they end up installing we can but guess.

[naomi24]

Fred, I doubt you'll encounter riots at the airport. It's several miles outside the city centre.

[Rosetta]

Maybe, and its just a maybe, the Egyptian people saw the revolution as a way of improving their economic state. Clearly this was undeliverable in this short term. I really dont know how it will pan out now

[Gromit]

Mubarek was corrupt and useless.

They wanted something better but they ended up the same but with clerics.

[naomi24]

Gromit, spot on! And with clerics it's a million times worse!

[FredPuli43]

naomi, that's encouraging. Airport some miles outside Cairo, eh? But that will spoil all the fun. I was thinking that it might be a bit of a target for anyone seizing or maintaining power. And we're flying Egyptair,which may add interest.

[FredPuli43]

And now the head of the Muslim Brotherhood and his deputy have been arrested [source Agence France Presse quoted on Sky News]

[LazyGun]

The airport at Cairo is indeed some miles outside of the city - And it is an extremely entertaining ride into town, if you enjoy white knuckle taxi journeys ;) Egyptians seem to quite enjoy making 4 lanes out of a 2 lane highway, and the last time i was there on business the lebanese taxi driver spent most of his time looking back over his shoulder talking animatedly about life - in between gesticulating at the other drivers and the odd camel :)

One of my favourite cities.

[FredPuli43]

Yes I've had that, LG. And they always seem to stop to buy more fuel (and at a price which makes any Briton jealous).

Er...anyone know what the Egyptian Arabic is for "I am a Sunni Muslim" ? It's not in my phrase book

[Brenden]

A few on here predicted this a year ago saying that Mr Morsi with the muslim brotherhood would rule Egypt with Sharia law - not what the people who fought in the streets wanted - will the Muslim Brotherhood give up - not a chance now - they have been waiting almost a century for this period in time I feel they will only get stronger across the arab world - the coming of the second Otterman empire.

[emmie]

it is a good thing and a bad thing, good that many didn't want his brand of Islam, bad that this could well lead to civil war. I was watching the news last evening, millions protesting, some dead, so where do they go from here, and as Jeremy Bowen said, if the army can oust one leader what is to stop them doing it again, and again....

[emmie]

Brenden, so we did, and look what happened, sadly this could lead to all out war, what a mess, they swapped Mubarak for Morsi and got worse, isn't it sometimes the case.

[mikey4444]

This third world country has never existed as a modern democratic state, so why are we surprised that the Army is back on the streets of Cairo ?

[emmie]

i beg to differ, and someone who knows Egypt, Naomi i believe, would have a better perspective..

[youngmafbog]

It's just another step to democracy, you cant expect everything to work out first time.

The problem always occurs when religion gets involved in politics. It could be good for the Muslim Brotherhood too, they need to understnad they cannot force their religion on people and if they want to rule they need to keep their religion out of it.