Mohamed Morsi and transition in Egypt
Two online articles by ISS PhD researcher Sara Salem
Morsi and the Military in Egypt's Transition
The past few weeks have seen the country’s newly elected President, Mohamed Morsi, come under heavy criticism for everything from widespread water and electricity cuts to the closing of two independent media outlets.
At the same time, Morsi has taken bold steps to redefine the balance of power between the presidency and the military. After replacing several members of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and rescinding SCAF’s constitutional amendment, Morsi has seemingly recaptured important executive powers, and brought an end to the military’s direct control over Egypt’s transitional period.
Mohamed Morsi’s Wife & the Convergence of Local and Global Islamophobia
Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s first civilian president, was sworn in on June 30, 2012. The build up to the event involved many dramatic moments, including a Twitter controversy surrounding his wife, Naglaa Ali Mahmoud.
Mahmoud, who prefers to go by the name Umm Ahmed, a traditional Egyptian way of referring to mothers, has come under fire from both Western commentators and Egyptian elites.
The Western comments, revolving around Islamists and gender, are unsurprising as they reproduce all-too-familiar stereotypes about how Islamists oppress women. On the other hand, the comments made by Egyptian elites are interesting as they show the deep class divides within Egyptian society, and reveal how Western stereotypes about Islamists have been internalized by many Egyptians.
About the author
Sara Salem is a PhD researcher at ISS. Her research interests include Egypt, the Middle East, North Africa, and Southern Africa, feminism, post-colonialism, critical theory, political economy
Publication date: Thursday, 13 September 2012
