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Egypt | Army Ousts Mursi govt, violence erupts | News & Discussions

I don't trust El Sisi anymore. Egypt army was once favourite to all but now they lost support but as far as I know the army is divided.

It's been divided according to you for six weeks.......

There's no division within the military, if there was the situation in Egypt would have been much worse. The overwhelming majority of Egyptians support the military. Either answer my questions or don't bother replying to me, it's frustrating.

@kalu_miah Hey, I remembered you asking me a question about the crisis and the possible future. Now, things have changed and it may change in the coming weeks or months.

CAIRO, Aug 10 2013 (IPS) - Divisions are opening up within the Egyptian military over the controversial takeover from the ousted government of Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Morsi, a senior party leader says.

“It is clear that there is disagreement within the armed forces, whose members have begun to realise the mistakes of Gen. Abdelfattah el-Sisi,” Dr Hamza Zoba’a, senior spokesperson for the Alhuria wal Adala (Freedom and Justice) party formed from the Muslim Brotherhood told IPS.

“El-Sisi seems to be losing support of his military partners as a result of his misconduct.”

Zoba’a says the army sits across a red line and should not be dragged into politics. “We do not wish to see a split within the army but we are sure that we will regain our rights.”

Party supporters will press for their rights peacefully, he said. “If the coup leaders want to kill more of us, we will not mind at all.” But while protesting peacefully, Zoba’a said, “the crimes against unarmed protesters who rejected the military coup will not be tolerated.”

Bloody clashes have become a daily scene in Egypt. Alhuria wal Adala members see themselves as victims of political genocide. “We are suffering from persecution now more than the blacks of America in the past,” Zoba’a said.

Alhuria wal Adala have meanwhile backed two political offers made to the military. The first was launched by former prime minister Hisham Qandil proposing release of Morsi on one side, and an end to demonstrations on the other. The second was a five-step plan presented by Islamist thinker and former presidential candidate Mohamed Selim El-Awa.

The first of these steps would be for Morsi to delegate powers to a new interim cabinet. The cabinet would hold parliamentary elections within the following 60 days, leading to a proper cabinet. The fourth step would be a presidential election and finally then a review of the constitution.

The Brotherhood claims come across a deep political divide. Other leaders deny a split within the army, and see the change as a step towards democracy that would take Egypt past what were emerging as Morsi’s increasingly autocratic ways. “The Egyptian people rescued themselves at the proper time,” Abdel Ghaffar Shukr, head of the Socialist People’s Alliance Party tells IPS.

The solution to the crisis, he says, lies in implementation of the roadmap announced by the army, with a new constitution eliminating the articles that would turn Egypt into a religious state. “The Muslim Brotherhood should recognise the fait accompli. They isolate themselves and refuse to sit at the negotiations table and reconciliation sessions, then complain to the west of persecution.”

The Muslim Brotherhood, Shukr said, was “sacrificing their supporters” in armed clashes to gain the sympathy of the West. Party members are also attacking military installations and cutting off roads, he said.

“The spectre of civil war is not far from Egypt. If the security vacuum in Sinai is not handled wisely and quickly, terrorism hotbeds and Jihadists would move to Cairo, which would lead to infighting and public division.”

Human rights activist Amr Hamzawy says the Muslim Brotherhood failed to bring the transition to democracy in its year in power. It sought to control the state and to dominate political life, he said. “The Muslim Brotherhood group must move completely away from political action.”

The Brotherhood and its allies to the religious right were condemning human rights violations against them, but refusing to apologise for violations from their side. “They must submit the instigators of such violence to trial. It is the only way to make people trust their intentions.”

On the other hand, he said, the liberal parties were now turning a blind eye to human rights abuses against supporters of the ousted president. “Liberals seem tight-lipped in front of the fascist exclusion of the Muslim Brotherhood. The double standards of these political powers are now exposed. Liberals must restore their belief in democracy and cease immediately the absolute support of the army, so long as the Muslim Brotherhood leaders can acknowledge their mistakes.”

IPS – Egypt Military

That's why we have seen soldiers lifting Morsi's banners. I don't trust the generals because they aready exposed themselves to be hypocrite. The truth is Egypt's army is divided, this is the real reason why the un elected interim can't control the supporters, they have repeadtly warned the supporters but neither listened as MB supporters often said they were "confident" and pushed more pressure but how? Looks like someone is backing them :azn:

So one soldier holding up a picture of Morsi in front of the media city who then promptly asked demonstrates to leave represents a split in a military with over 425000 soldiers and about half a million in reserve...... The FJP and you are delusional.
 
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It's been divided according to you for six weeks.......

There's no division within the military, if there was the situation in Egypt would have been much worse. The overwhelming majority of Egyptians support the military. Either answer my questions or don't bother replying to me, it's frustrating.



So one soldier holding up a picture of Morsi in front of the media city who then promptly asked demonstrates to leave represents a split in a military with over 425000 soldiers and about half a million in reserve...... The FJP and you are delusional.

425000 can't be deployed in Cairo, can it? No so don't assume. Why take that long when millions are outside? Simple, the puppet govts doesn't know what to do. Eh, you think things are normal now, nope :no:

everyday, all day, all night long..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihLzTrLNsqE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIdWGATI62I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r_dIdP2Y_E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yQqEdD-8Kw
 
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425000 can't be deployed in Cairo, can it? No so don't assume.

Show me one 9 man squad that has defected or a unit or battalion or a division.......

The Egyptian military hasn't split and it wont. Stop being delusional. tens of thousands of troops can be deployed in Cairo if needed from Inshas (paratroopers and commandos) and from the Republican guard. If there was a split would Op. Bright Star still go ahead as planned?

Six weeks and nothing has happened and it never will.
 
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Show me one 9 man squad that has defected or a unit or battalion or a division.......

The Egyptian military hasn't split and it wont. Stop being delusional. tens of thousands of troops can be deployed in Cairo if needed from Inshas (paratroopers and commandos) and from the Republican guard.
There is no army in Rabaa or Pro supporters elsewhere but it's obvious, the interim had been warning them since three weeks so where is it? Why don't they crush the million supporters along with childrens, mothers, women, fathers, men and all of it? Why don't they do it now?? Economic will be the problem if this goes one, so let be with it and things will change. They are regretting it day by day. Why is that?

(DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ARMED FORCE) - Egypt Military
Egypt Military

(MORE VIOLENCE MEANS ARMY WILL STEP IN BUT WILL DEEPEN DIVISION) - Violent clashes erupt at pro-Morsi rallies across Egypt - EGYPT - FRANCE 24
 
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There is no army in Rabaa or Pro supporters elsewhere but it's obvious, the interim had been warning them since three weeks so where is it? Why don't they crush the million supporters along with childrens, mothers, women, fathers, men and all of it? Why don't they do it now?? Economic will the problem if this goes one, so let be with it and things will change. They are regretting it day by day. Why is that?

(DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ARMED FORCE) - Egypt Military
Egypt Military

(MORE VIOLENCE MEANS ARMY WILL STEP IN) - Violent clashes erupt at pro-Morsi rallies across Egypt - EGYPT - FRANCE 24

From subject to subject providing nothing of any value or substance. Citing articles which quote MB and FJP members who don't have any line of contact with the military or any proof of division does not constitute proof of divisions. Rab3a will be cleared but gradually, if it isn't then the status quo will remain.

You can protest until the earth is no longer habitable but it still wont bring Morsi back.
 
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From subject to subject providing nothing of any value or substance. Citing articles which quote MB and FJP members who don't have any line of contact with the military or any proof of division does not constitute proof of divisions. Rab3a will be cleared but gradually, if it isn't then the status quo will remain.

You can protest until the earth is no longer habitable but it still wont bring Morsi back.
articles? really, you just post an article about Coptics and you said Rabaa will be cleared, sound like you enjoying killing :lol: You can deny everything; the death tolls, drones, clashes, military, shooting by non police thugs and all of the denial coming out of Pissi's puppet's mouth. I am seeing in my "EYES" on the "VIDEOS" and "PICTURES" on what is going on.
533982_431856440266271_1504057326_n.jpg

:pop: :woot:
563969_432031920248723_1094852515_n.jpg



:wave:
 
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articles? really, you just post an article about Coptics and you said Rabaa will be cleared, sound like you enjoying killing :lol: You can deny everything; the death tolls, drones, clashes, military, shooting by non police thugs and all of the denial coming out of Pissi's puppet's mouth. I am seeing in my "EYES" on the "VIDEOS" and "PICTURES" on what is going on.


:wave:

You seriously don't read my comments do you. Copts have been persecuted in Egypt for for decades it isn't anything new or surprising. I'm not the one whos laughing at the sight of killings in Syria or anywhere else, I'm not the one mocking the dead or threatening civil war or the one who supports the use of violence to clear protesters, I'm not the one who uses the brutal pictures of dead people for politcal gain and posturing, I'm not the one inciting violence against religious figures or ordinary people who oppose their views, I'm not the one whos accusing people of being kafireen, you are.

You fail to provide any evidence which contradicts the death toll (even though I have told you to provide it a million times).
You fail to provide any evidence of a drone strike.
You fail to provide anything which backs up your views and your assertions.
All the while I continue to condemn the actions of the military and security forces and you fail to condemn those killed by MB supporters and militants in the Sinai.
I support clearing Rab3a but in no way do I support the use of violence in order to clear it.
I do not support excluding Islamist's from the politcal scene yet you would support eradicating all those who hold the opposite views.
I do not support the propaganda generated by state/private tv stations against Islamists yet you support and spew the hatred provided by the MBs propaganda machine.
You would see the nation destroyed in order to return a failure of a man.
You would see the nation destroyed in order for Islamism to have a foothold.
You would see the nation destroyed for a select few who distort the word of a god in order to fit their political needs.
You would see the nation destroyed because you hate those who live there.
I'm capable of thinking for myself and seeing what the military does and responding to that action accordingly either by condemning such actions or supporting it, but you would support men who distort religion for their political gain even if they were leading you to the arms of Satan without even questioning their actions.
I'm capable of calling for those implicated in the killing of innocent protesters to be put on trail but you are incapable of calling those who did the same to trail because you share the same views.
I'm capable of distinguishing between religious matters and political matters but you are incapable, you view those who are against your leaders and views to be against an entire religion.
You would see thousands dead just to make a point.
You would see tens of thousands dead just to make a point.
You would see hundreds of thousands dead just to make a point.
You would see millions dead just to make a point.
You would see every Egyptian dead just to make a point.
But what does it matter to you, you're in Australia without a care in the world about the nation you originated from. Even if it did fall into flames you would be unaffected and I doubt you would even care.
You're a despicable human being who makes jokes when he sees the sight of death or the threat of it.
You're the scum of this world.
 
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Top U.S. senators urge Egyptians to ‘come together’
Sunday, 11 August 2013
U.S. Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham (R) address a news conference in Cairo, August 6, 2013. (Reuters)

Al Arabiya
U.S. senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham advised Egyptians to “come together for the sake of their country” in an opinion piece for the Washington Post published on Saturday.

The Republican Senators, who described themselves as “longtime friends of Egypt and its armed forces,” visited Cairo this week on a diplomatic mission to end the political crisis in the country.

The senators met with leaders from the interim government, the armed forces, the Muslim Brotherhood and other political and civil groups in an attempt to resolve the weeks-long stand-off.

While they reiterated their support for Egypt and condemned “Mursi’s abuses of power,” they went against the official U.S. line in the article, writing that it was “difficult to describe the circumstances of Mursi’s removal from office as anything other than a coup.”

Their central message was one of inclusivity and proper democratic process.
“Democracy is the only viable path to lasting stability, national reconciliation, sustainable economic growth and the return of investment and tourism in Egypt.

And democracy means more than elections. It means democratic governance: an inclusive political process in which all Egyptians are free and able to participate,” they wrote in the newspaper.

McCain and Graham warned of the risks in Egypt’s future if a path of unity were not pursued, pointing out Egypt’s strategic importance for security in the region and beyond.

“Extremist and reactionary forces, some in the Egyptian state and some among Mursi’s supporters in the streets, want to drag the country down a dark path of violence, oppression and revenge.

“It is worth remembering — especially when the American mind has refocused on the real and persistent threat posed by al-Qaeda — that its leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, is a former member of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood who was radicalized during the violent crackdowns and detentions of Brotherhood leaders by previous Egyptian regimes.

Repeating the worst mistakes of the past now will only condemn Egypt to a future of protracted instability and stagnation, while creating a new generation of radical recruits for terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda.”

The U.S. senators said they spoke in Cairo on the importance of compromise in a real democracy.

“It is essential for Mursi’s supporters, including the Muslim Brotherhood, to accept that his actions generated massive public discontent and that he will not be reinstated as president of Egypt,” they wrote.

“At the same time, it is essential for the civilian government and armed forces to recognize that, no matter how much they may dislike Mursi’s supporters, they are Egyptians, too.”

Despite these warnings, their message was hopeful for Egypt’s future.
“We believe there are still many people of goodwill and patriotism on all sides who want a better future for Egypt. We heard much that was encouraging in our meetings…

“We still believe Egypt can serve as a model of inclusive democracy that can inspire the region and the world, and, in this great endeavor, the United States must continue to offer its support.”

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/New...enators-urge-Egyptians-to-come-together-.html
 
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CAIRO, Aug 10 2013 (IPS) - Divisions are opening up within the Egyptian military over the controversial takeover from the ousted government of Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Morsi, a senior party leader says.

“It is clear that there is disagreement within the armed forces, whose members have begun to realise the mistakes of Gen. Abdelfattah el-Sisi,” Dr Hamza Zoba’a, senior spokesperson for the Alhuria wal Adala (Freedom and Justice) party formed from the Muslim Brotherhood told IPS.

“El-Sisi seems to be losing support of his military partners as a result of his misconduct.”

Zoba’a says the army sits across a red line and should not be dragged into politics. “We do not wish to see a split within the army but we are sure that we will regain our rights.”

Party supporters will press for their rights peacefully, he said. “If the coup leaders want to kill more of us, we will not mind at all.” But while protesting peacefully, Zoba’a said, “the crimes against unarmed protesters who rejected the military coup will not be tolerated.”

Bloody clashes have become a daily scene in Egypt. Alhuria wal Adala members see themselves as victims of political genocide. “We are suffering from persecution now more than the blacks of America in the past,” Zoba’a said.

Alhuria wal Adala have meanwhile backed two political offers made to the military. The first was launched by former prime minister Hisham Qandil proposing release of Morsi on one side, and an end to demonstrations on the other. The second was a five-step plan presented by Islamist thinker and former presidential candidate Mohamed Selim El-Awa.

The first of these steps would be for Morsi to delegate powers to a new interim cabinet. The cabinet would hold parliamentary elections within the following 60 days, leading to a proper cabinet. The fourth step would be a presidential election and finally then a review of the constitution.

The Brotherhood claims come across a deep political divide. Other leaders deny a split within the army, and see the change as a step towards democracy that would take Egypt past what were emerging as Morsi’s increasingly autocratic ways. “The Egyptian people rescued themselves at the proper time,” Abdel Ghaffar Shukr, head of the Socialist People’s Alliance Party tells IPS.

The solution to the crisis, he says, lies in implementation of the roadmap announced by the army, with a new constitution eliminating the articles that would turn Egypt into a religious state. “The Muslim Brotherhood should recognise the fait accompli. They isolate themselves and refuse to sit at the negotiations table and reconciliation sessions, then complain to the west of persecution.”

The Muslim Brotherhood, Shukr said, was “sacrificing their supporters” in armed clashes to gain the sympathy of the West. Party members are also attacking military installations and cutting off roads, he said.

“The spectre of civil war is not far from Egypt. If the security vacuum in Sinai is not handled wisely and quickly, terrorism hotbeds and Jihadists would move to Cairo, which would lead to infighting and public division.”

Human rights activist Amr Hamzawy says the Muslim Brotherhood failed to bring the transition to democracy in its year in power. It sought to control the state and to dominate political life, he said. “The Muslim Brotherhood group must move completely away from political action.”

The Brotherhood and its allies to the religious right were condemning human rights violations against them, but refusing to apologise for violations from their side. “They must submit the instigators of such violence to trial. It is the only way to make people trust their intentions.”

On the other hand, he said, the liberal parties were now turning a blind eye to human rights abuses against supporters of the ousted president. “Liberals seem tight-lipped in front of the fascist exclusion of the Muslim Brotherhood. The double standards of these political powers are now exposed. Liberals must restore their belief in democracy and cease immediately the absolute support of the army, so long as the Muslim Brotherhood leaders can acknowledge their mistakes.”

IPS – Egypt Military

That's why we have seen soldiers lifting Morsi's banners. I don't trust the generals because they aready exposed themselves to be hypocrites like denying but 100% true. Well, the non-elected govts kept warning them but we now know the real reason why Pro Morsi supporters repeadtly pushed for more protest, look like someone is backing them :azn:

Sorry Bro, I could not respond earlier due to difficult domestic situation in the weekend. Thanks for posting an excellent news article that matches with my perception of the broad outline of ongoing events in Egypt.

It is inevitable that the Army will get divided, as mostly Army top brass can be bought off by outside forces, whereas the soldiers and young officers remain closer to people and their aspirations. I have seen the same situation in our country as well. Sometimes soldiers and young officers can revolt against senior officers, sometimes they cannot, depends on the given specific situation. In Egypt's current situation, it may happen, if Sisi goes for a bloody crackdown and the death toll dramatically rises from 100-200 to 1000-2000 level or even higher. If the situation takes that kind of turn, this might enable Morsi supporters to paint Sisi as a criminal murderous thugh, just like Mubarak, Ben Ali, Gaddafi and Asad. It may then be possible that Sisi led interim govt. will loose support of Gulf govt. and the West, as they may not be able to maintain their face while backing a criminal murderous thug. This would then enable young officers and soldiers to successfully pull off a coup of their own against senior officers supporting Sisi.

But we will deal with this if Sisi takes any murderous step, at that time. For now, it looks like that Sisi understands the gravity of the situation and his own vulnerable position and is holding off on his threat to forcibly disperse the protest sit-ins.

The important thing now is to find a solution to the crisis. The Egyptian society has been polarized in pro-Islamist and anti-Islamist faction, just like it is happening in other Muslim countries, to the detriment of Muslim societies and their national and supra-national interest. Anti-Muslim forces are using three main elements to make these polarizations:

1. Senior officers of armed forces
2. Liberal/secular Muslims
3. Minorities of other religious/sectarian/ethnic affiliations (Copts in Egypt, Alawi's in Syria, Kurds and Alevi's in Turkey, Shia's in Pakistan, Hindu's in Bangladesh etc.)

So I fully support the continuing non-violent protests and sit-in of the pro-Morsi supporters. Yes, it is disrupting public life, but it is their democratic right and it is the right thing to do. But what they need to do at the same time, is remain active to find a way out of this impasse and be a little flexible. If MB has made mistakes in the past during the 1 year Morsi-rule, they have to show that they have learned from those mistakes and have become wiser. This they can show by finding a compromise solution with current interim govt., illegitimate as they may be and end this difficult situation.

The offer mentioned in above article is a good start:

Alhuria wal Adala have meanwhile backed two political offers made to the military. The first was launched by former prime minister Hisham Qandil proposing release of Morsi on one side, and an end to demonstrations on the other. The second was a five-step plan presented by Islamist thinker and former presidential candidate Mohamed Selim El-Awa.

The first of these steps would be for Morsi to delegate powers to a new interim cabinet. The cabinet would hold parliamentary elections within the following 60 days, leading to a proper cabinet. The fourth step would be a presidential election and finally then a review of the constitution.

Due to the allegation of authoritarian rule and not listening to opposition during 1 year Morsi-rule, Alhuria wal Adala (Freedom and Justice party) need to be more flexible and agile and come to a solution and end this impasse as soon as possible. They need to continue to make adjustments to the proposals and declare them to foreign presses, so that these proposals get proper publicity, showing that Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliate Freedom and Justice party are being active and flexible to find a solution and thus create pressure on Sisi led interim govt. to accept one of these proposals.

Currently, I am not seeing these proposals getting the publicity they deserve in world news outlets, which will create pressure on Sisi led interim govt. May be they can use Aljazeera for publicity.
 
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Saudis Divided Over Egypt - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Saudis Divided Over Egypt

By: Madawi Al-Rasheed for Al-Monitor Posted on July 30.

The Egyptian crisis continues to divide Saudi society after its elected president, Mohammed Morsi, was deposed by the military on June 30. While the Saudi government made it clear that it supported the coup and rewarded Egypt with $5 billion, a disenfranchised society had different views on foreign policy. Three trends are discernible: One put its weight behind the Muslim Brotherhood, one sided with the government decision and one showed caution in celebrating the end of a short-lived democratic experiment. However, all were equally passionate about the crisis. Their heated passions may not have been about Egypt. To a large extent, Saudi responses clearly reflected a growing tension and polarization in Saudi Arabia itself.

A Saudi Muslim Brotherhood constituency remains unrecognized in formal societies or political parties since those are banned in Saudi Arabia. Yet, religious scholars and lay activists known to be affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood and its discourse were quick to condemn the coup in Egypt and their own government’s lavish financial support offered only hours after the Egyptian coup. Veteran Islamists quickly organized an online petition to gather signatures in support of the Egyptian president and condemned the killing of more than 100 Egyptian protesters. The Saudi government called in the organizers of the petition for interrogation and banned a couple of television shows on Islamist television channels. Saudi foreign policy is too important to be questioned by activists.

Deprived of any channel for formal debate in the public sphere, Saudi activists sought refuge in the virtual world to launch attacks on their own government and several other groups. They condemned the Egyptian Nour party, which supported the Egyptian coup, because it was considered an extension of the local Saudi Salafis, opposed to the Muslim Brotherhood activism. They also launched attacks on Saudi writers in the official Saudi media who celebrated the demise of Morsi. The battles of Rabia al-Adawiya where pro-Morsi supporters gathered were juxtaposed on an equally bloody yet virtual Saudi terrain.

While Saudi Islamists continue to demand the return of Morsi to power, many so-called Saudi liberal writers concentrated their efforts on celebrating the end of Islamist politics not only in Egypt but in their own society. Demonizing the Muslim Brotherhood, magnifying their mistakes in power and writing premature obituaries of political Islam became regular features of Saudi print, visual and virtual media, all in support of the official Saudi foreign policy. It was clear that an official green light was given to end any kind of tolerance for Islamist politics. Most of these attacks reflect local politics where the euphoria of Saudi Islamists had to be curbed following the success of Islamists in Egypt and Tunisia. The demise of Islamists in Egypt was seen as a great victory that had to be replicated at home.

Yet a third Saudi group was cautious. It consisted of a small elite disenchanted with Muslim Brotherhood practices in power but sympathetic to their ideological position. They praised democracy as a framework for government, warned against military intervention in the political process and condemned the shooting of protesters in Egypt without taking an obvious position in support of the Muslim Brotherhood. However, the message of this small group of elite writers was lost amid the passionate verbal battles between Saudi pro-Morsi activists and their opponents. The Egyptian crisis left Saudis divided with no neutral ground to occupy.

Saudi engagement with what is going on in Egypt is not new, for Egypt has always inflamed Arab imagination beyond its borders. In the 20th century, it has produced three trends that influenced not only Saudi Arabia but the rest of the Arab world. First, modernity — with its arguments and debates, not to mention its popular culture — spread from Egypt to the rest of the region, with Saudi Arabia receiving its share of this early 20th-century development. Second, with Gamal Abdel Nasser, Arab nationalism came to Saudi Arabia from Egypt and recruited supporters, among whom were well-known royalty such as Talal ibn Abdul Aziz and his Free Princes movement. Arab nationalism’s anti-imperialist jargon inflamed the imagination of a local population, especially that in the Hijaz and the oil-rich Eastern Province, still adhering to primordial identities and trying to find its place in a new world. Finally, the latest of the Egyptian trends was Islamism, which inspired a new generation of Saudis who were struggling to find a language of opposition that combines Islamic authenticity with mobilization, the latter being forbidden under local Salafist religious discourse.

While Saudis never ceased to be inspired by Egyptian intellectual and political exports, their government endeavored to eliminate the spread of alien ideas and their consequences. Its religious scholars dubbed modernity a form of blasphemy that leads to secularism, doubt and loss of Muslim identity. The government initially used Islamism to fight Nasser’s Arab nationalism, considered a remnant of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance whereby celebrating Arabism undermines the unity of Muslims. The Saudi government reached an amicable relation with Egypt only after Anwar al-Sadat came to power but felt compelled to boycott him after the 1979 Camp David Agreement. Under Mubarak, harmonious but occasionally tense relations with Egypt were maintained against a whole range of enemies, Iran being one of them.

Saudi Arabia is putting its full weight behind the Egyptian military coup that promises to end all Islamist politics and relieve Saudi Arabia of the menace of one of its most popular Islamist movements. A blow to the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood organization is believed to undermine all affiliate branches, destroy their popularity and, most important, end the era of Islamism across the Arab world. While awaiting the final death of Islamism, Saudi Arabia also has at its disposal a local Salafist trend that abhors the Muslim Brotherhood, considered a competitive, divisive and dangerous trend. The Muslim Brotherhood undermines Salafist monopoly over the religious and political scene, not to mention educational and social institutions.

Yet, the real danger to Saudi Arabia is not the multiple isms Egypt has previously exported. In fact, a stable democratic Egypt will be the ultimate threat that will reverberate across the region and set a precedent that many Saudis will carefully observe.

As long as Egypt is crippled by post-revolutionary turmoil, Saudi Arabia can rest assured that it will never become a source of inspiration. A prolonged military dictatorship ensures that the Saudis remain fearful of revolutionary action and its consequences, hence the government’s determination to continue supporting military rule in Egypt. A democratic Egypt will be hard to co-opt or contain. Rather than dividing Saudi opinion, Egypt may then unify them.

Madawi Al-Rasheed is a visiting professor at the Middle East Centre at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She has written extensively about the Arabian Peninsula, Arab migration, globalization, religious trans-nationalism and gender. On Twitter: @madawiDr
 
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