Egypt After the Revolution: What’s next?
On Thursday, the Bipartisan Policy Center hosted a discussion entitled “Egypt After the Revolution: What’s next?” The panelists discussed the political situation in Egypt more than a year after mass protests forced Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak to step down. Currently, the potential of Egypt's revolution has yet to be realized and both the direction of the country and its relations with the U.S. are uncertain. The discussion featured Ambassador of ...
April 20, 2012
1 comments
Category: Civil Society, Egypt, Elections 2012, Event Notes, Government, Islamist movements, Military
POMED Notes: “Islam and Constitutions”
On Tuesday, the Institute for Middle East Studies, in conjunction with the Project on Middle East Political Science, & The Middle East Policy Forum, hosted their annual conference entitled, “The Legal Dimensions of the Arab Spring,” at The Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University. The event featured a series of panels, the last of which discussed, “Islam and Arab Constitutions.” The panel was chaired by Nathan Brown, ...
April 19, 2012
Category: Countries, DC Event Notes, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam, Political transition
Campaign for Algerian Parliament Elections Began
In Algeria, the campaign for Parliament elections, due May 10, was officially launched yesterday and will last until May 6. 42 political parties will compete for 389 seats. However the attention will be focused on two parties. First, the two political parties ...
Egyptian Villages and Parliamentary Elections
Yasmine Moataz Ahmed wrote in Egypt Independent on Tuesday about Egypt’s villagers, who they voted for, and why. Ahmed goes on to explain why villagers, who are a large part of the Egyptian electorate, voted largely for Islamist ...
April 13, 2012
Category: Egypt, Elections, Featured, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam
Tunisian’s Government Lift Ban on Demonstrations on Tunis Main Boulevard
On Wednesday, the Tunisian government reversed the law banning demonstrations on Habib Bourguiba avenue in Tunis. Bourghiba avenue was the focal point where Tunisians demonstrated until the step down of former President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. The decision to ban demonstrations ...
April 9, 2012
Category: Egypt, Elections, Featured, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Muslim Brotherhood, Political transition, US foreign policy
POMED Notes: “Islamists in Power: Views from Within”
On Thursday, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace hosted a conference with high-level representatives of Islamist parties from Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, and Libya. Jessica Mathews, president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, gave opening remarks. The first panel, titled “Building New Regimes After the Uprising,” featured Mustapha Elkhalfi, Moroccan minister of communication, Abdul Mawgoud Rageh Dardery, member of parliament for the Freedom and Justice Party in Egypt, Nahil ...
April 6, 2012
Category: Egypt, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia
U.S. Urges Interpol to Deny Egypt’s Arrest Request
On Wednesday, Sara Sorcher reported in the National Journal that the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama is urging Interpol to deny Egypt’s request for the arrest of American employees of foreign-funded nongovernmental organizations who
April 6, 2012
Category: Egypt, Featured, Foreign Aid, Islamist movements, Military, Muslim Brotherhood, US foreign policy
Delegation from Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood Visits Washington
A delegation from the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) arrived in Washington, D.C. this week in an attempt to diffuse growing concern about the group's dominance of Egyptian politics. A panel of FJP members, including Sondos ...
April 5, 2012
4 comments
Category: Egypt, Elections, Featured, Islamist movements, Muslim Brotherhood, Political transition
“The Decline of Political Islam in the Arab World”
In Time Magazine, Tony Karon writes that the U.S. may be happy with the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) nominating Khairet al Shater for the presidency, and desire a MB dominated Egypt. Liberals, seculars, and even members of the Brotherhood ...
April 4, 2012
Category: Egypt, Elections, Featured, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Libya, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam, Tunisia, US foreign policy
State of Emergency Extended in Tunisia
A video about the security situation in Tunisia On Sunday, the current state of emergency was extended until the end of April. Tunisian interim president Moncef Marzouki originally extended the state of emergency from December 2011 until March 31, 2012. The state of emergency was applied the first time in January1978, by former president Habib Bourguiba and put again into effect three times in 2011. The decision to extended the state of emergency was made after Marzouki consulted with the ...
Sources Say Egypt’s Brotherhood Reaches Constituent Assembly Compromise
On Thursday, Al Arabiya reported that the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) would switch ten of its members on the Constituent Assembly for representatives from liberal and secular groups. The decision came after a week of ...
March 30, 2012
Category: Egypt, Featured, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Military, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Parties
Members Continue to Withdraw from Egypt’s Constituent Assembly
When Egypt's newly-elected Constituent Assembly held its opening session on Wednesday more than a quarter of its one hundred members was absent. Since the Assembly was elected at a joint session of parliament Saturday at least fifteen members ...
March 29, 2012
Category: Egypt, Featured, Foreign Aid, Islamist movements, Legislation, Muslim Brotherhood, US foreign policy
POMED Notes: “The Rise of Islamist Parties in the New Middle East”
On Thursday, the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University hosted a discussion entitled ‘The Rise of Islamist Parties in the New Middle East’. The panel featured Dr. Jocelyne Cesari, Director of the Harvard Islam in the West Program and Dr. Nathan Brown, professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Aaron Lobel, President of America Abroad ...
March 25, 2012
Category: DC Event Notes, Egypt, Event Notes, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Israel, Political Islam, Political transition, Tunisia
Egypt’s Brotherhood May Nominate Presidential Candidate From Within
On Wednesday, senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood suggested the group might nominate one of its own to run for Egypt's presidency. The decision would be a reversal of an earlier pledge not to back the candidacy of ...
March 21, 2012
Category: Egypt, Elections, Featured, Foreign Aid, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Muslim Brotherhood, Political transition
Egypt’s Parliament Votes on Constituent Assembly Framework
At a joint session of parliament held Saturday, 427 of 590 members of parliament (MPs) voted in favor of a proposal by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) for the make-up of the Constituent Assembly, which is
March 19, 2012
Category: Egypt, Featured, Government, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Legislation, Muslim Brotherhood
The Future of the Libyan Muslim Brotherhood
Writing in Foreign Policy, director of the Middle East Graduate Studies Program at the University of Exeter Omar Ashour discusses the development and formation of the Libyan branch of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB). The Libyan MB, he writes, announced on March 3rd the establishment of the Justice and Construction party, showing signs that Libya is likely to follow the “electoral path of Islamist success” seen across other Arab countries. Long oppressed and ...
March 12, 2012
Category: Civil Society, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Libya, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam, Political transition
Clash Between Extremists and Students in a Tunisian University
Yesterday, violence erupted in the University of Manouba, after an ultra-conservative Salafi Muslim climbed to the roof of a building on the campus to replace the Tunisian flag with a black flag bearing the shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith. Members of the University's Student Union tried to intervene but clashed with Salafi supporters. 5 students reportedly suffered severe injuries. Mohammed Bakhti, a spokesman for the Salafi students said “we demand a prayer room and access for all students wearing ...
March 8, 2012
1 comments
Category: Featured, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Protests, Tunisia
Egypt’s Parliament Discusses Constituent Assembly
During a joint session of Egypt's two houses of parliament on Saturday, members of parliament (MPs) agreed to reconvene on March 17 to set the criteria for membership on the committee tasked with writing the new constitution, and ...
March 5, 2012
1 comments
Category: Egypt, Featured, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Muslim Brotherhood