Survival Blog - Egypt's Morsi Downfall

Survival Blog

Egypt’s Morsi Downfall

It was only three months into Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi’s four year long term that complaints began to rise. It was July 3^rd when the civilians of Egypt finally had enough – the military, backed by Egyptian citizens, detained the president.

It began with a small group in a coffee shop discussing ways to renounce Morsi. Though the group says they had no intention to become so radical, they became the Tamarod (Rebel), which was the group that finally ousted Egypt’s first leader to be elected democratically.

The revolution in Egypt that happened not too long ago was possible because Egyptians used social media as a tool to spread ideas. However, this time, petitions and volunteering were what Egyptians used in order to express the outrage at their new president. A website was set up where concerned citizens could print and fill out a petition. They would then turn it into one of the 8,000 volunteers. There were a reported 20 million petition signatures.

Morsi’s election had been a close one. 52% of voters had supported Morsi, most of that population being part of the Muslim Brotherhood. Though the very popularized revolution had shown the thousands of Egyptian’s who vehemently opposed their previous dictator, Mubarak, there were a great deal of people who had enjoyed being under his rule, and had even prospered. Egypt’s divided voters have since caused a multitude of problems for their already troubled and corrupted government.

People report that Morsi and his advisors were totally disconnected from the people. Morsi, before his detainment, was reported to be totally unworried by any anger from his people. Last November he decreed himself broad executive powers and took away any judicial power to scrutinize his decisions. He made a new constitution by collaborating mostly with the Muslim Brotherhood, but still had a 64% approval rate, though some say there is a sense of foul play. Morsi, when he was actually focused on making a good change for Egypt, was making it his goal to create a more religious, pluralistic societ. Citizens experienced food and fuel shortages, even though Egypt’s military has a huge stake in the gas and oil sector, which almost always guarantees fuel supply for Egyptians. Morsi was given one week in order to find a solution to the shortage problem, and when he did not give them a solution, Morsi was forced to watch the Tamarod’s rise of civilian power. He was even given two extra days, but he still failed. His supporters also pleaded him to cut ties to the US and Israel, which he of course did not. He was said to be unworried by protestors because he had such faith in his military. However, military protection proved unhelpful, considering he was detained by his own army.

Morsi and several members of the Muslim Brotherhood, which can be considered one of the most organized political groups in Egypt, are now facing formal charges. Officials say they want to include Islamist parties within their government, and must slightly suppress the Brotherhood to ensure this. However, because a large group of the Egyptian population supports the Brotherhood, this may prove to be problematic.

30 people were killed and over 300 were injured because of protests on July 5. The military coupe to detain their leader is yet another show of violence in a government that they hope will become peaceful (and maybe efficient for once). Though Egypt has shown a little progress in its political agenda, there’s no show of stopping the political and social turmoil any time soon.

It makes us all wonder how this uprising will have global effects and could such a thing ever happen in the USA? One never knows but preparation is the key to survival.