Tahrir’s shadows on Brothers

Pierre Chiartano – Rome. Misr’s revolution, 2 years later. It all began with episodes of civil disobedience, on January 25th 2011. No one then thought that Tahrir Square in Cairo would become the landmark of the Arab Spring, and Moahmed Morsi was an unknown person. While Hosni Mubarak was still the “Pharaon”, a man feared and hated. Exactly two years from the beginning of the Egyptian uprising the new government, led by the Muslim Brotherhood, does not have much to celebrate. Some problems have emerged, from the coming in of the Salafis in Parliament to the never ending economic crisis, even if the President-elected Morsi made some clever political move, as the normalization of the military power and the dismissal of general Tantawi, that many “experts” considered the real man in charge of Egypt. Certainly the president has made also dangerous political steps as happened recently, when he attempted to reform the judiciary by constitutional laws. The squares were filled up again, but by opponente and protesters. Even if Morsi had just accelerate a change that was in his electoral program: delete the Mubarak era and the powers that had underpinned the Pharaon. And among these actors there was the judiciary. But the “Arab street” have now become very sensitive to any hint, even “imagined”, of authoritarian turn. Arab people have become reactive as sea anemones to the stream change. Morsi has paid the haste and miscommunication, perhaps pressed by the missile crisis in Gaza, which had caused many political troubles to the president. The “secular” opposition in Egypt still has not accepted that Muslims brotherhood rules and continue to call the president “Dr. Morsi” a way not exactly nice to distance themselves from an institution whose legitimacy is still under discussion. The entire government team since months, is subjected to a grueling daily comparison, where every aspect of Muslims in politics is examined, criticized, evaluated, even mocked in the media. So as to cause the reaction of the general secretary of the Brotherhood, Mohamed Hussein, which called «anti-democratic» the opposition reppresentatives. But “brothers” have not to complain too much, because any problems can only be good for the government, because streamlines undemocratic bumps and every authoritarian tendency. And last but not least, wensdey the representatives of the Coptic Church and Evangelical churches have left the government negotiating talks because they considered «useless». Stress for Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood is substantial and continuous. In addition to the daily struggle to prove that they have the skill to rule a country, like any other party, there is a regional context that would like to see Egypt returns in the game as main player in Middle East scenario and in a hurry. And an international context, after Washington «step back» of «Obama’s doctrine», shouts at loud voice to the old protagonists of Arab politics – and Egypt always has been – to return to play a role in stabilization of Meshraq and the Maghreb. But how could it happens? When even turkish prime minister, Erdogan, got problems, even in a better situation matching with egyptians troubles. Between Syrian crisis and the domino effect of the old Shia internationalism project – toppling even in Iraq – only with a highly stable internal, social and political, enviroment, Cairo government could easly moves on the tables, very treacherous, of pan-Arab policy. But what many Western governments do not understand – and among them there is not the White House – is the strength and determination of the faith. In addition to awareness, for people like Morsi, that the Arab world without Islam make no sense, and that the Arabs without the strict rules of the Quran, are undisciplined masses and little accustomed to efficiency. In short, they are weaks. And two years after that great event, the protests in Tahrir Square and across the country, it would be a shame a celebration with tear gas and the sound of tanks.     © liberal