Perhaps of greater importance are the varied and widespread reactions to this assumption of new powers and not those high-level political maneuverings. For nearly two years we have witnessed how large numbers of ordinary Egyptians, many who had never been actively involved in direct political action, have broken the fear barrier and claimed a stake in their government. From housewives to diehard soccer fans, from the impoverished children of Cairo’s slums, the ashwa’iyat, to unemployed college graduates, a new political subject is in the making. The renewed protests and the emerging alliances among previously disparate political groups in response to Morsi’s decree suggest that apathy and frustration have not yet fully overtaken the revolutionary fervor of January 25. Without being overly sanguine — Egypt faces enormous economic and social problems after decades of corruption and inequality across multiple vectors — something profound has changed in the ways in which a critical mass of Egyptians wants to hold the state and its representatives accountable. The coming contest over the constitution will be important and telling. But whatever that document says, the real struggle will lie with how it is implemented and lived by that diverse cadre of citizens for whom fear is no longer an option.
Commentary: Ian Straughn
<p>Is Egypt’s revolution in doubt?</p><p> </p>
<p>Egypt’s new democratically elected president Mohamed Morsi recently made world headlines on two accounts. The first was for his central role in brokering a cease-fire in Gaza between Israeli forces and Hamas. The second, which followed almost immediately after the deal was confirmed, was a highly controversial presidential decree that would temporarily insulate his legislative and executive decisions from any judicial oversight. Ian Straughn, visiting assistant professor of anthropology and Joukowsky Family Librarian for Middle East Studies, analyzes the return of protesters to Cairo’s Tahrir Square and the future of the Arab Spring in Egypt.</p>