Prisoners of our guilty consciences
The intensifying crackdown on the media and civil society in Egypt leaves Egyptians who are out of the country feeling powerless to help and guilty about the freedoms they enjoy.
Read morepolitical parties
Egypt’s pharaoh illusion
The idea that Egyptians are docile sheeple who need a pharaoh to shepherd them is a myth that dates back to the not-so-ancient times of the Nasser era.
Read moreA manifesto for Egypt’s future
As Egypt risks another disastrous transition, it is time to create a unique model for Egyptian democracy. No president, no parties, direct democracy.
Read moreNews of revolution (part III): Televising the life and death of an Egyptian president
Anwar Sadat was the first Egyptian leader to exploit television’s propaganda power – and even his assassination was unwittingly televised.
Read moreNews of revolution (part II): Voice of the Arabs or Nasserist mouthpiece?
The Voice of the Arabs steered Egypt from isolationism and towards a pan-Arabist vision in which Nasser was the anointed leader of the Arab world.
Read morePolicing the beard
In Egypt, beards have gone from indicating piety to symbolising political affiliation. Police neutrality requires officers to remove their facial hair.
Read moreEgyptian presidential election: Who should the revolution vote for?
Egyptian revolutionaries dream of electing a president who emerged from Tahrir square, but should they vote for pragmatism or principle?
Read moreIslamist-driven democracy is not a snowball in hell
Islamists are not all Osama bin Laden and secularists are not all Atatürk . They can work together to achieve democracy.
Read moreTrue people power in Libya
Gaddafi and his corrupt ‘jamahiriya’ may be gone, but Libyans should not give up on the dream of a direct democracy for the masses.
Read moreOpposing the Egyptian opposition
The ornamental ‘official opposition’ in Egypt is as dangerous as the authoritarian regime itself.
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