Dictatorship, democracy, dictatorship?

Egypt’s president awards himself powers reminiscent of his predecessor

See article

Readers' comments


omar Ibrahim

What most Western media are really calling for is for President Morsi to abandon the program/platform for which his party The Moslem Brotherhood and he personally were ELECTED to IMPLEMENT.
Why should they?? Why should he ?? given an unchallengeable freely awarded popular mandate for going that particular way??
Some call for accommodating the opposition....but that is an opposition with minority public support should we go by the outcome of two free elections: Parliamentary and Presidential.
Had the proposed constitution been the work of a Constitutional Council appointed by a government which came to power through a "coup d’état" or other non democratic means they would be within their right to call for free elections to determine public will.....
BUT that is not the case: the Constitutional Council which drafted the proposed constitution was elected by the majority of a freely and democratically elected PARLIAMENT and the action taken thereafter (the call for a REFERUNDUM) was taken by a duly democratically elected President.
What most Western media are really advocating is for President Morsi to ignore and way lay a clear public will duly expressed in two democratic ways.
All of which only goes to show the utter INSINCERITY HYPOCRISY and total falseness of WESTERN call for DEMOCRACY.
They will accept its output ONLY if it satisfies their designs ambitions and interests NOT if it embodies genuine public will.

DMJ Miah

In so many ways I am glad the Muslim Brotherhood have had a chance to taste power, because this is the only way to know if they are competent to govern. For many years they built a mystic about them, now President Mursi the first elected Egyptian President has the opportunity to show the world that a political party based on "Islamic" Ideology are either different or the same old game new beard! (note I did not use the word Islamist, tired of the word Islam being demonised in ignorance)So long as the process of democracy is not tarnished, which has a risk after watching President Mursi's action in granting absolute authority, but I hope he wakes up to reality, you need to consult with people. Egypt is not the same as it was before. You can also have Law based on Islam according to the interpretation of one school, this is the risk of giving Mursi the authority to construct the constitution based on one school of thought. Better consultation will mean a broader constitution, tolerant, just and incorporated to include the whole population. It will never be perfect, but name me one example that really is perfect.
He had a great opportunity to shine after Gaza, but I worry power got to his head. I hope that is not the case, but a little humility and realism will ascend to his thinking and Egypt prospers. A nation that is rich in history and people deserves prosperity so long as judiciary and media are independent, transparency and governance with justice prevails there is hope.

Maximiliano Herrera


A valid point made, however I don't believe, (and I gather neither does this publication), that a transition to democracy happens over night and without hiccups. Certainly, it is a long drawn out process that by definition will encounter significant opposition and resistance. That said, the issuance of blanket immunity and "above-the-law" status to Morsi smacks too closely of Mubarak's "emergency powers", which lasted for decades. It smacks too closely of a return to dictatorship for anyone to regard the new government as credible. Of course, democratization is a case of 2 steps forward, 1 step back. But I would argue that this is an example not moving forwards at all. Where do you envisage Egypt being in 10 years time? I certainly wouldn't put any money on there being a remotely democratic and free society.

JCost in reply to Maximiliano Herrera


Alex Kilgour

Orthodox Religion does not work with Democracy. As perfect examples, look at the Calaphists in the Middle East (of which the Muslim Brotherhood is the main driving force) and of the Dominionists in various western nations (Michelle Bachmann and Ann Coulter are in this group). They will use democracy for as long as necessary to achieve their goals, which is the establishment of a theocracy (with their own particular flavour of theism at the helm).

Deendayal Lulla

It is a global pattern -the judges versus politicians. In Sri Lanka,the Parliament has taken up impeachment proceedings against the chief justice. But what about litigants? If Morsi has assumed sweeping powers,then the judiciary in Egypt also has such powers - then why accuse Morsi alone? Has the judiciary ever thought of hapless litigants,who have no powers against judicial excesses? Judges wanted to defy the Egyptian government,but were they willing to give the same powers to litigants? Litigants have no place in the legal system - there are separate laws for judges,and lawyers,but not for litigants. The judges in Egypt first talk of accountability,and protecting litigants' interests. Without accountability,the system of judiciary is ineffective and inefficient. The judiciary in Egypt first talk of empowerment of litigants,which is vital and transparency in courts' functioning.

Recently,the Singapore High Court passed an injunction order against the against the Maldives government for refusing to honour an order of the court,staying the termination of a business contract awarded to a company,for developing and operating the Male's airport. Now,the Male government is insisting that the injunction could not be issued against a sovreign government,.

In India also,in the facebook arrests of two girls in Palghar,the magistrate did not apply his mind,and instead of dismissing the case against these two kids,he made them apply for a regular bail. Now,the magistrate has been suspended by a higher court. The issue raises on the plight of litigants before a judge,who does not apply his mind. Should the judge get away,with a mere transfer? A hapless litigant and even the public are not free to express their opinion on judgements,as there is no legal protection. One of the bail conditions was that the girls will have to visit the polic stationevery Wednesday. Now,fortunately,this condition has been removed by the Sessions Court,and the girls will have no longer to visit thepolice station. The State government is planning to withdraw cases against these two girls. Does not the magistrate know the law that no bail conditions can be imposed if the offence committed is punishable with less than seven years of imprisonment? These two girls were arrested for denouncing the closure of Mumbai,following death of a leader,and their uncle's hospital was vandalised by the workers of a political party. There is an act which makes violent attacks on hospitals,a non-bailable offence,but the magistrate granted bail to the 10 culprits,and the bail amount was 50 per cent less than that of what paid by girls. The judges have to be made accountable for their judgements. India is also thinking of introducing a bill for judicial reforms. Now,the Sessions Court has given relief to these two girls,and has exempted them from police station visits.

Mike Andrews






stands for truth

It is very disappointing to see the way things have turned up in Egypt.
Viewed from outside it looks like Mr Morsi has falen a victim to the old adage: "Power corrupts absolute..."
Gone is all the excitement about the dawn of democracy.One wonders if there are foreign hands working to derail the march for people power in Egypt!
Why would Morsi do this when he won popular support?

Yankee Doodle










DsTeLTaEFo in reply to Berational


Yankee Doodle in reply to Berational

"When Christianity held sway in Europe the situation was just as bad as what we now see in the islamic world. Actually it was worse. The solution was to defang religion by insisting on secular government."

Not true, Europeans had to leave Christianity before they wanted a secular government. The Egyptians are devout Muslims and will vote for Allah. You must go to Egypt as a secular missionary and convert them before they will vote against Allah.

Berational in reply to Yankee Doodle

"Not true, Europeans had to leave Christianity before they wanted a secular government."

Yes, it's true. Europe has not left Christianity and a few still have official Christian churches. (Church of England, Church of Denmark, Church of Greece )They haven't left Christianity, they have merely separated the churches from political power.

Europe reformed from within because free thinkers were tolerated. They are not tolerated in the Islamic world thanks to the words and deeds of Mohamed.

Jauher in reply to Berational

Secular Mubarak was the leading figure in egypt for decades , yet what happened ..Egyptians rejected him . So coming to the conclusion that secularism is the only way out is absolutely incorrect.
Mr Morsi has just taken over the reigns from the earlier corrupt regime yet one needs to understand that only the politicians have changed while the judiciary and bureacracy is of the old regime itself. It was the same judiciary which on technical issues rejected the democratically elected parliament and is hostile to the new developments taking place . To combat these forces Morsi needs more power and he is wise by asking for a democratic referendum on the same.
Take time to study the life of prophet from unbiased sources before taking shots at him. Read what people like Mahatma Gandhi and Thomas Carlyle said about him. Sir George Bernard Shaw thinks that someone like Muhammad if given control over mankind will solve all their problems . There are muslims out there in Egypt who believe all this to be true then atleast give them a chance to try this. Coming to the question of Islam then please note that muslims have not been very happy living under non islamic rule. The last 50 odd years is an example of it. The secular dictators had made life difficult for the common masses and after a really long time the reigns finally fell to people with new ideology.
I request people to come out of islamophobia and start thinking rationally. The secularists had their chance ,now let the islamists try.

Berational in reply to Jauher


Mubaraks problem was not secularism, it was dictatorship. Given the title of this article I didn't think it was necessary to point this out. Let me make it more clear, it's secular democracy that is needed. There is no such thing as islmaic democracy, or christian democracy or any other redefinition of democracy that forces people to vote for only one superstition.

"Take time to study the life of prophet from unbiased sources before taking shots at him."
Of the two of us, who do you think is least biased? A true believer like yourself or a non religious person like me?(It's me!)

I have studied the life of Mohamed and everything I said about islam is easy to understand if you are not biased by faith in the supernatural. The intolerance, the misogyny, the obsession with the search for the "great man" to lead by dictatorship are all based on flawed portions of the Koran.

Your post represents everything that is wrong about islam in particular and religion in general.
"someone like Muhammad if given control over mankind will solve all their problems"

This is a very sad comment indeed. You're setting yourself up for rule by a series of dictators while paving the way to attempt to enforce these dictatorships on others. Theocracy is nothing more than another type of dictatorship.

Mohamed said it was Ok to beat your wife, ok to kill those who disagree with you, and by his actions showed that it was Ok to have sex with a ten year old and Ok to execute boys as long as they have a single pubic hair.
No one disputes that he said and did these things. It's all written down for everyone to see. If you think these are the words and deeds of great man, you have had the wool of superstition pulled over your eyes.

Alex Kilgour in reply to Berational

It is not fair to characterize Christian-Europe as a historical bastion of free-thought while Muslim lands are oppressive. The Enlightenment that everyone likes to talk about originating in Europe came about after the defeat of Muslim forces in Spain. When the conquering European armies found libraries full of scientific, philosophical, and historical texts they had them translated from Arabic into the European languages. This is where the roots of the Enlightenment started.

Berational in reply to Alex Kilgour

I never claimed they any such thing, I merely pointed out the fact that Europeans were more accepting of the notion of separation of religious authority from political power. This is an historical fact and it still continues to this very day.

I leave it to you to figure out why they were more accepting of separation of church and state than islam has so far been. If you need a hint, re read my first post.

The Cheshire Cat

My 9 year old asked recently:




No one is disputing that.



My simplified explanation brought forth a simple response from him:


Again, indeed.

MySetDancer in reply to guest-iloawna


McJakome in reply to guest-iloawna



guest-iloawna in reply to MySetDancer


Garaboncias in reply to guest-iloawna


Alex Kilgour in reply to Garaboncias

If we really need to go in an infinite loop cycle pointing fingers, you could point out that prior to Mohammad, Christianity was one of the most prominent religions in Arabia. I'm sure the invasion by Christians converting the pre-Islam Arabs gave them grounds to return the favour.

The reason that a 9 year old would say "Why do the people in the Middle East like violence so much? Don't they want to do other things, like play games, and have friends?"

is less to do with the state of affairs in the Middle East and more to do with how news is reported in Western press. If the only news clips that came to a population of Arabs about the US showed news highlights of school shootings and Drone assassinations of muslim religious figures, then they would develop a certain feeling about Americans (oh wait, that is how the Middle Eastern press reports on the US).

This reminds me of my Irish cousins back in the 80's. In a desperate attempt to extend the reach of NFL fandom they showed a highlight real from NFL games every week, one season. It was very popular and people wanted to see more. So the next season they showed a full game. It went over like a lead-balloon. Football is boring if you are used to watching a sport that has constant action (like Rugby or Hurling).

To abuse a quote about statistics "Newsreel highlights are like a bikini. What they reveal is enticing; what they conceal, critical".

Re: "wasn't it the christian crusaders from europe who massacared thousands of arabs in the name of religion during the crusades?"
It was "in the name of" religion, but it was really an attempt to win back Christian lands that Islam had previously conquered. In the case of Christianity and Islam, it is far more than religion that is at stake, if by religion we are talking about Jesus vs Allah; it is an entire way of life, an entire value system, and the two are extremely different.





History doesn't have to repeat itself. But yet it does.


rescue 23 in reply to Attendant Lord

Does that mean that indians in the americas have the right violently reconquere there lost lans from christianity and impose pagan rule on the population? And does that mean that the pagans of europe and the middle east who belived in zeus apollo and isis had the right to reconquere europe from christanity 500 A.D. because these lands where now dominated by christians?
That would mean a never ending mass murder and war and reconquest.
Is that what you wish?

rescue 23 in reply to Attendant Lord

Islamic colonialism and genocide took palce in the early middle ages latest in the 17 century and last the armenien genocide. Christian colonialism and genocide went well in to the 1960 and perhaps to the iraq war and guantanomo.

Richard Michael Abraham

Morsi's Allegiance To Himself And Islam



Richard Michael Abraham
The REDI Foundation



Working Man


Admit you were wrong.

Space Pope in reply to Working Man




Yamen Sabry in reply to Space Pope


Yankee Doodle in reply to Space Pope


It is over because Morsi will win the election. How can you demonstrate for democracy by demanding to reverse the election?

Yankee Doodle in reply to Yamen Sabry

"... Millions take to the streets 3 times a week for the past 2 weeks , about 50,000 are camping in tahrir square 24 hours a day ..."

You must win the election because if you lose then you have an elected Islamic dictatorship for at least a generation.

Space Pope in reply to Yankee Doodle

Well Morsi won the election months ago, but maybe you're talking about the referendum? It's slated for 15 December. I hope that the opposition can congeal and won't boycott the polls, as that would, as you said, damage Egypt's prospects going forward. But it is not over, even if the referendum passes. The national strikes and growing protests will make governance more difficult, and could pressure Morsi into forgoing his new powers. But it is a dangerous time, for sure.

Attendant Lord in reply to Working Man


rescue 23 in reply to Yamen Sabry

Well from you i can hear that the mubarak judges and mubarak media elite are continuing to refuse to accept the democratic majority that elected morsi and the muslim broterhod to power, because you belive you the so called liberals have a birth right to rule and will not be ruled by people from the cairo slums and the country side who elected the mb to power. This hatred of the people is why no "secular liberal" party will be elected to power in egypt for a wery wery long time.



Space Pope in reply to jubus


Jauher in reply to jubus


Der Perfesser






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