faculty of arts
gsg-reg
research in ethics and
globalisation
| 1
Egyptian Politics: Religion,
Secularity and Kifaya
Dr Vivienne Matthies-Boon
faculty of arts
gsg-reg
research in ethics and
globalisation
| 2
The Egyptian Arab Spring (2011)
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19 Dec 2010 –Mohamed Bouazizi
17 Jan 2011 – Man put on fire
25 Jan 2011 – Protests start
26 Jan 2011 – Crackdown starts
29 Jan 2011 – Suleiman appointed
31 Jan 2011 – Army refuses to shoot protestors
3 Feb 2011 – Suleiman: bad for business
4 Feb 2011 – Day of Rage
11 Feb 2011 – Mubarak resigns
4 March 2011 Essam Sharaf appointed
faculty of arts
gsg-reg
research in ethics and
globalisation
| 3
Western Media focus on Muslim
Brotherhood
› Fear rise of Muslim Brotherhood
› Post-9/11 context
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Islam homogenous category
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Religion determining factor
› Oppositional terms:
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Secular vs Religious
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Modern vs Traditional
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Progressive vs Backwards
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Liberal vs Fundamentalist
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Democratic vs Authoritarian
› Egypt:
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Secular Mubarak vs Islamist Muslim Brotherhood
faculty of arts
gsg-reg
research in ethics and
globalisation
| 4
Aim of this talk:
› Show that the story is more complex:

Muslim Brotherhood is not Al Qaeda but has gone through a
process of structural and ideological (democratic)
transformation
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The state of Mubarak was not as secular presumed
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Democratisation movement has longer roots than presumed
faculty of arts
gsg-reg
research in ethics and
globalisation
| 5
Muslim Brotherhood
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1935 – Hassan Al-Banna
Sayyid Qutb
Jahilliya
Establish Islamic State
› Structure
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Shura Council
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Guidance Bureau
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General Guide
faculty of arts
gsg-reg
research in ethics and
globalisation
| 6
Muslim Brotherhood General Guides
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(1928–1949) Hassan al Banna
(1949–1972) Hassan al-Hudaybi
(1972–1986) Umar al-Tilmisani
(1986–1996) Muhammad Hamid Abu al-Nasr
(1996–2002) Mustafa Mashhur
(2002–2004) Ma'mun al-Hudaybi
(2004–2010) Mohammed Mahdi Akef
(2010 – present) Mohammed Badie
faculty of arts
gsg-reg
research in ethics and
globalisation
| 7
Muslim Brotherhood
› Democracy:
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Broad and equal citizenship
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Binding consultation with citizens
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Protection of state from arbitrary state action
› Old vs new generation?
› Relation to presidents?
faculty of arts
gsg-reg
research in ethics and
globalisation
| 8
Election Strategy Muslim Brotherhood
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1984 – Wafd Cooperation
Electoral law 114/1983
1986 Parliament dissolved
1987 – Labour Party Cooperation
Criticised by Jama’a al-Islamiyya
1987 elections – repression
Focus on bread and butter politics
1990 – Boycott Elections (collaboration Wafd)
Active professional unions
Sham democrats?
faculty of arts
gsg-reg
research in ethics and
globalisation
| 9
Election Strategy Muslim Brotherhood
› 1994:conference on Freedoms and Civil Society
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Women rights
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Pluralism/party politics
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Equal status Copts
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Human Rights
› 1995: MB activists rounded up and jailed
› 1995: elections most violent
› 1995: Ma’mun Hudaybi refuses to sign national accord & Cemetry
Pledge of Allegiance
› 1996: attempted formation of Wasat party
faculty of arts
gsg-reg
research in ethics and
globalisation
| 10
Election Strategy Muslim Brotherhood
› 2000: cadres emerge from prison
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Accept Copt as president
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Egypt already is an Islamic State
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Constitution and ballotbox
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Hijabs personal choice
› Mashour death 2002
› Hudaybi death 2004
faculty of arts
gsg-reg
research in ethics and
globalisation
| 11
Mubarak’s Seculareligious State
› Egypt socially and culturally transformed
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Piety
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Veiling
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Amr Khalid
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Religious popular culture
› State seculareligious
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1980 introduced Sharia
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1992 Muhammad al Mahjub: Sharia is primary
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Guardians of Islamic morals
- Shia, homosexuality, hisbas
- Construction mosques and selection preachers
faculty of arts
gsg-reg
research in ethics and
globalisation
| 12
Mubarak’s Seculareligious State
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2004 Embryonic movement
New independent dailies: Al-Misr Al Yown, Nahdit Misr, al-Dustur
Call for democratisation
Kifaya means ‘Enough!’
Popular force
Campaign on the streets
Domestic concerns
Broad array of intellectuals and activists
New institutions: The Popular Campaign for Change, the National
Coalition for Democratic Transformation, The National Coalition for
Democratic Transformation, The National Alliance for Reform and Change,
Youths for Change, College Faculty for Change, the Street is Ours, and
others
› Egyptian Popular Committee for Solidarity with the Palestinian Intifada
(EPCSPI) (2000)
faculty of arts
gsg-reg
research in ethics and
globalisation
| 13
I hope to have showed that:
› the story is more complex:

Muslim Brotherhood is not Al Qaeda but has gone through a
process of structural and ideological (democratic)
transformation

The state of Mubarak was not as secular presumed

Democratisation movement has longer roots than presumed