8 issues Egypt is facing
By Ryan Broderick and Sarah LeTrent, BuzzFeed/CNN
July 10, 2013
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Egypt's economy is one of the key motivators of unrest
- Other obstacles include violence against women, fuel shortages
- Military ousted former President Mohamed Morsy from office last week
- Editor's note: This post was created as a collaborative effort between the editorial staffs of BuzzFeed and CNN.(BuzzFeed/CNN) -- In Cairo's Tahrir Square, there's a familiar pulse of a revolution.Since last week's ouster of the nation's first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsy, Egypt has been gripped by violence as rival sides battle for control.The context can be confusing to outsiders. So here are eight issues about which Egyptians are upset.If you are reading this on mobile or some outdated browser, you won't be able to see this story in full. Click here instead.Are you in Egypt? Send us your experiences, but please stay safe.
8 issues Egypt is facing
1. A soaring unemployment rate.
مباني سكن خدام الملك فاروق. #King #Farouk #employees #buildings #poor #old #Egypt#Cairo- The North African country's unemployment rate reached 13.2% in the first quarter of 2013, according to a report by Egypt's Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics. Unemployment was a key motivator in the 2011 revolution, and it hasn’t improved since. The economy has been called a “socioeconomic time bomb” by former Finance Minister Samir Radwan because of the combination of a large jobless youth population and a faltering gross domestic product growth rate.
2. The crime rate has almost tripled since 2010.
- The latest bloodshed shocked Egyptians and the world, but it’s only part of a larger increase in crime and violence in Egypt since before the 2011 revolution. According to research by the Wilson Center, in 2010, there were about 200 reported incidents of armed robbery in Egypt; by 2012, that number had risen to 2,807 reported incidents.
3. Fear of sexual violence against women.
- At least 91 women were sexually harassed in four days of protests from June 30, according to Human Rights Watch. Amid the current protests, some men have formed protective circles around female protesters so the women won’t fall into what's been called “a circle of hell.” “Circles of hell” have been reported by human rights activists in Cairo's Tahrir Square, where groups of men, sometimes 100 or more, surround a woman, beat her, rip her clothes off and sexually assault her.
4. Egypt endures rolling blackouts.
- In the months before the Egyptian protesters took to Tahrir Square, power failuresplagued the country. Hospitals were having equipment failures, and many major cities were paralyzed, sometimes for hours at a time. Power outages in the summer heat are not new, but the fuel shortage has exacerbated the problem.
5. Fuel shortages and traffic jams hinder communication.
@RawahBadrawi Fuel crisis - only in egypt :D http://pic.twitter.com/Yn2qtTDOxU- A diesel and gasoline shortage has caused the price of fuel to rise dramatically. Then-President Mohamed Morsy blamed the fuel shortage on a black market, but some critics alleged that the fuel crisis was a political tactic of the Morsy administration. "I am saddened by the lines, and I wish I could join in and wait in line, too," Morsy said in a speech before the massive demonstrations. Daily Egypt News also recently reported that some experts believe the growing media attention to the June protests caused Egyptians to hoard fuel, magnifying the crisis.
6. Rising cost of food.
only in #Rabiah "food is for free if you don't have money" #Egypt #SaveEgypthttp://pic.twitter.com/ffnXxae7cl- After the 2011 revolution, poverty has been slowly rising in Egypt, while worries about food supplies have increased. According to the U.N. World Food Programme, 17% of the country faced a shortage of food in 2011, compared with 14% in 2009. With the economy barely improving, poverty remains a pressing concern for millions.
7. The Muslim Brotherhood stands tall.
Pretty huge pro-Morsi rally at Nasr City http://pic.twitter.com/rJpRfjMtpI- The Muslim Brotherhood is a political Islamic group that came into power after Hosni Mubarak's regime was ousted. The group, which has existed for a long time, was elected democratically after the revolution, holding power for less than a year. Despite their current state of exile, members remain defiant and firm in the belief they have done nothing wrong.
8. Morsy calls his overthrow a "military coup."
Morsi supporters hold up shells, bullet casings to passing motorists. "They massacred us while we were praying" http://pic.twitter.com/YRg0JthgL2- Ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy has made the military's support of the protesters an issue. He calls his overthrow a "military coup"; his camp insists he be reinstated in office.July 10, 2013
Clouds Darken Over Egypt By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
The military proved disastrously inept when it tried to govern Egypt after the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Now, a week after ousting Mohamed Morsi, the first freely elected president, the military is orchestrating an even more dangerous maneuver. We are deeply fearful that Egypt could devolve into civil war, which would add new trauma to a region already in turmoil.On Wednesday, the general prosecutor’s office issued formal arrest warrants for some of Mr. Morsi’s political allies in the Muslim Brotherhood — the top spiritual leader and at least nine other senior figures — who were accused of inciting the deadly protests that occurred on Monday. That is an outrageous move given that at least 51 protesters were killed by soldiers and police officers, and hundreds more wounded, most of them unarmed as they demanded Mr. Morsi’s release from detention and his reinstatement as president.On Wednesday, Amnesty International said it had evidence showing that security forces used excessive force against Mr. Morsi’s supporters. Gunning down Morsi supporters and attacking an entire group could destroy hope for the democratic process and could well push the Brotherhood into violent extremism.There are also plenty of reasons to be alarmed about the military’s plan, put forward on Tuesday, to transition from a military-appointed interim civilian government to an elected one. The “constitutional declaration” issued by Adli Mansour, the newly installed president, made clear that the government’s authority comes only from the top commander, Gen. Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi.Experts say it repeats many mistakes of the last transition, including shielding the military from civilian oversight and promising to follow Shariah law. The plan was written in secret; much of the language is vague and concepts like protection of civil rights are ignored. Moreover, the timetable for amending the constitution, putting it to referendum and holding new elections seems too fast to allow for consensus-building among Egypt’s polarized factions. This rush may well make the process even less democratic and representative of all Egyptians than the last transition from military rule to Mr. Morsi’s government.At this point, Mr. Morsi’s reinstatement seems virtually impossible. Still, Egypt needs to move from military control to an elected civilian government, but it has to be done in a more thoughtful, inclusive and durable way.Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, who oppose the Brotherhood and favor an authoritarian order, are making their influence felt by providing billions of dollars in aid to Egypt and its collapsed economy. It is suspicious that fuel shortages and other problems plaguing Egypt under Mr. Morsi have now mysteriously cleared up.The United States, which provides $1.5 billion annually, needs to keep nudging Egypt along a peaceful democratic path. Delivering an order of American-made F-16 jets to Egypt anytime soon would be provocative.There is a special burden on liberals and secularists, the driving force behind the 2011 revolution and Mr. Morsi’s ouster, to move beyond protests to make themselves a functioning political force. That will require more organization and political smarts than they have shown so far.How Egypt's economy has been hit by political upheaval
9 July 2013 Last updated at 12:22 GMT HelpTwo years ago the long reign of President Hosni Mubarak in Egypt ended when tidal waves of protests in Cairo swept him from nearly 30 years in power.
The economy there has now slowed almost to a halt, there is high unemployment, rising inflation and depleted foreign reserves.
Whoever tries to take the country forward now has to do something to give people hope not merely of peace, but also a sense of beginning to feel better off, as Tim Whewell reports for BBC Newsnight.
July 10, 2013Egypt’s Government Broadens Its Accusations Against Islamists By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
CAIRO — The new military-led government accused Mohamed Morsi and his allies in the Muslim Brotherhood on Wednesday of a campaign to incite violence against their foes before and after his ouster as president, offering a new explanation for the week-old takeover and hinting that the group might be banned once again.As protesters rallied against Mr. Morsi in the weeks leading up to his forced removal on July 3, “the other side held conferences to call them ‘infidels’ ” and his supporters “incited to call for the killing of opponents of the president,” Ahmed Ali, a military spokesman, said in a briefing for the international news media. “Such calls were approved and advocated by the presidency,” he added, suggesting that such threats — and not just large public demonstrations or political deadlock — forced the military to intervene.Leaders of the Brotherhood, Egypt’s mainstream Islamist group, denied those charges. They noted that the main slogan of their rallies before the takeover had been “No to violence,” and that the group had not condoned violence in Egypt since the British occupation.The new explanation appeared aimed at adding to the justification for a broadening crackdown, including new arrest warrants issued Wednesday for the Brotherhood’s spiritual leader, Mohamed Badie, and eight other well-known allies.The government prosecutors accused all nine of inciting Morsi supporters into a lopsided clash with soldiers and the police on Monday morning that led to the death of one soldier and two police officers; the security forces killed 51 of Mr. Morsi’s civilian supporters and wounded more than 400, almost all with gunfire.Witnesses said the forces had fired with little or no provocation, but government spokesmen charged Wednesday that the Islamists had deliberately sought to instigate the deadly retaliation for propaganda purposes — “To mark this as ‘The army is trying to kill civilians,’ ” one said.Security forces are still holding about 200 of about 650 protesters they chased down in the streets during the fighting, as well as many prominent Islamists. Mr. Morsi himself is being held in an undisclosed location. “For his safety, for the safety of the country,” said Badr Abdelatty, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry.The crackdown appeared to meet little international resistance on Wednesday. The Pentagon put out a statement saying that, “given the events of last week, the president has directed relevant departments and agencies to review our assistance to the government of Egypt.” For now, however, plans to continue with the delivery of four F-16 warplanes will not be halted, officials said.Oil-rich Persian Gulf monarchies that fear the Muslim Brotherhood rewarded the takeover with financial support. Kuwait pledged $4 billion on Wednesday, adding to the $8 billion in grants, loans and fuel promised the day before by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.At times, Egyptian officials appeared to suggest that the military-led government might ban the Brotherhood as an organization altogether, a move that would amount to a head-snapping reversal for the group.Outlawed for six decades under Egypt’s military-backed autocracy, the Brotherhood was legalized after the ouster of Hosni Mubarak in 2011, becoming a legitimate religious and charitable group, an accepted part of the social fabric and the sponsor of the political party that won the presidency and led Parliament. In the past two years, Brotherhood leaders have routinely met with ambassadors, foreign ministers and American Congressional delegations, and one even met President Obama in the Oval Office.Mohamed Badr Eldin Zayed, chairman of the state information service, suggested that investigators were examining the possibility that the Brotherhood might have held weapons in its headquarters, which he said could lead to a prohibition on the group but not its political party. “If the group is banned, they still have the party,” he said, adding, “If it is proven that there were weapons inside the headquarters.”Brotherhood spokesmen said the new government was concocting charges to justify repression — a common tactic before the overthrow of Mr. Mubarak.“It is the same old tactics,” said Gehad el-Haddad, a spokesman. “They kill a few of us and stick the charge on us, the criminal police fabricate the necessary evidence, the judiciary complies, the media machine packages all this and they put us in jail.”He added: “They are wiping out the Muslim Brotherhood. They have to dismantle the Brotherhood because they don’t have any other way to make sure we don’t come back into the political scene and win again.”In the week since the military forced Mr. Morsi from power, angry Islamists have warned that shutting them out of the democratic process will turn more of them toward terrorism and violence. Islamist leaders have urged followers not to leave sit-ins until Mr. Morsi is released or they are killed as “martyrs.” A few have gone further, with one suggesting that recent attacks on military and police forces in Sinai were retaliation for Mr. Morsi’s ouster.Mr. Abdelatty, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, pointedly noted that espousing violence could justify an exception to the new government’s pledge not to exclude any political faction, including the Islamists. “Short of using violence,” he added, qualifying that pledge.“We are witnessing a sustained campaign of incitement for the use of violence,” he said. “Nobody can accept that in any country, even in a Western country.”Mr. Abdelatty argued that Mr. Morsi’s last speech, warning of a descent toward chaos if he was toppled, amounted to a threat: “It was as if he was saying, ‘It is either me or violence.’ ”
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