Podcast: Islamic Republic of Egypt?

In this edition of the Arabist Podcast, we introduce a brand new segment, Regional Cliffnotes, and then delve into the initial results from the first round of Egypt's parliamentary elections. It's a triumph for the Islamists, with the Muslim Brotherhood getting a comfortable plurality, but the real surprise is that Salafists are the country's second political force.

And that's something that worries us.

Links for this week's episode:

• Charts Galore: Round one of Egypt's elections
• Figuring out Egypt's elections: Qasr al-Nil
• Don't panic. Yet.
• Tahrir protesters don't speak for all in anxious Egypt - The National

Podcast #20

Comments

[Ethan]

Great work as usual, team. I am struck with the thought that if the U.S. had parliamentary elections, I'm sure 15-20 percent would go to crazy religious nutcakes with no concept of citizenship (cf: many of the current contenders for the Republican nomination for the presidency), about 30-40 percent would go with religiously conservative pragmatists/cynics (cf: basically the mainstream of both the current Democratic and Republican parties) and another 15-20 percent would go to a liberal/secular alliance backed by a billionare with neoliberal economic policies (cf the "left" wing of the Democratic party/the Mike Bloomberg supporters). I don't know the percentages off the top of my head, but I'm willing to bet that the crazy beardos control an equivalent or larger percentage in the Israeli parliament as well.

So why should we expect Egypt to be any different?

[Schnellinger]

Thanks Ethan, I couldn't have said it better.
And I propose a global law that every religious or conservative weirdo around the world has to grow it's beard, so that everyone could see at first sight that the are really just everywhere and the so called civilized western world is also full of narrow-minded salafis and ikwhans, they even cover it better. As a liberal leftie you are in a minority everywhere. Fact.

[akkadia]

On the Salafi note, what really gets me is that they were formerly political quietists (or NDP supporters) . . Looks like somebody's flying high on the coattails of a revolution! O-ya! Since Salafists are religious hard-liners, I am assuming they wouldn't be opposed to availing themselves of this newborn window of freedom (that others fought and sacrificed for) to kill individual liberty for others. I'm gonna say that's nice, instead of ironic, because who can seriously use that word these days? When reading about the current transition in Egypt, a Kafka quote maintains my optimism: "From a certain point onward there is no longer any turning back. That is the point that must be reached." And that point has been reached. So now, on with the uncertainty, the dirty work. "It is often safer to be in chains than to be free," Kafka would add. Have pity on me for double quoting from the WDC (white dude canon). Ps. my autocorrect always wants to change Salafists, to Salsa fits - which I'm ok with.

[minority libsecus]

Schnellinger correctly states that liberal secular lefties r a minority everywhere....except ahhhh academia, transnational media organizations, multinational corporations, huge billionaire funded foundations that support libsecus, international organizations, nato occupation force polices, etc etc (basically entire globalist apparatchik function structure )

Niqbee Chant:
we're here, we're queer, we dont like your elitist sneer
Hey ho, hey ho, Islamaphobia got to Go !