Published in Ahram Online on December 29, 2012 The public prosecutors who protested against the manner in which the president dealt with the prosecutor-general stand in the tradition of a courageous Cairo Police Commissioner of a century and a half ago The National Archives of Egypt holds a remarkable collection of documents which were produced by 19th-century legal institutions and which attracted the attention of only a handful of historians. The most significant of these institutions is Maglis al-Ahkam, a legal body that was founded in the early 1840s and which was the highest court in the land until it…
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An interview with Democracy Now! in the wake of President Morsi’s November 2012 constitutional declaration, December 11, 2012. (Egypt segment starts at 27:52) TRANSCRIPT This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. AMY GOODMAN: We turn now to Egypt, which is bracing for massive protests today ahead of President Morsi’s bid for a referendum on a hotly disputed draft constitution. Morsi has given the army the power to arrest people and ordered them to protect state institutions ahead of a vote on the new constitution set for Saturday. Today, Egyptian security officials say masked gunmen attacked opposition…
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An interview with Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson on NPR on the repercussions of Morsi’s constitutional declaration. Transcript DAVID GREENE, HOST: It’s MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. Good morning. I’m David Greene. RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: And I’m Renee Montagne. Opposition leaders in Egypt are warning that their country is headed for a violent confrontation – this, as President Mohammed Morsi pushes for a nationwide vote, in just five days, on a controversial draft constitution. Over the weekend, Morsi agreed to give up the near-absolute powers he assumed last month. That did little, though, to appease the opposition in what’s become the worst…
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Published in Ahram Online on December 4, 2012 The constitutional declaration and the president’s manner of dealing with the crisis reflects the deep rift between Islamists and the opposition I must admit that events over the past ten days have dissipated much of my optimism since the revolution. My optimism primarily stemmed from my conviction that Mubarak’s formula (either oppression or ruin) is a wretched one that is unbecoming of us. As a people and a country, we can handle the challenges of the revolution and the institutions we built in our modern times – the police, army, judiciary, press,…
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Published in Ahram Online on December 4, 2012 The constitutional declaration and the president’s manner of dealing with the crisis reflects the deep rift between Islamists and the opposition I must admit that events over the past ten days have dissipated much of my optimism since the revolution. My optimism primarily stemmed from my conviction that Mubarak’s formula (either oppression or ruin) is a wretched one that is unbecoming of us. As a people and a country, we can handle the challenges of the revolution and the institutions we built in our modern times – the police, army, judiciary, press,…
Leave a CommentAn interview with Soraya Serhaddi Nelson of NPR Transcript: STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: It’s MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I’m Steve Inskeep. Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi has granted himself almost absolute power, but has not been able to win anything like unanimous approval. The new president faces criticism for a decree stating he can do anything he thinks will advance Egypt’s revolution, and that courts cannot review his decisions. Egyptians have taken to the streets in protest. Markets have reacted badly, and the country’s top judges are paying Morsi a visit today to discuss this turn of events. NPR’s Soraya Sarhaddi…
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