Egypt Needs Another Revolution

October 10, 2011

Yesterday the Saudi-U.S. counter-revolution in Egypt showed its ugly face. Protest by Coptic Egyptians over attacks on Coptic churches by Salafists were used by the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to stoke more sectarian strife. Copts and other Christian groups are about 10% of the Egyptian population.

Private media were shut down and the state media went into full propaganda mode against the Copts. TV anchors called to “protect the army from the Copts” while the army was killing protesters.

The date the SCAF promised to give up its rule to a civil government has been moved to 2013 without major protests by the civil political parties. The council clearly wants to stay in power and the sectarian ploys will help it to achieve that. The $4 billion the Saudis invested in it seems to pay off.

If its people want a democratic Egypt they will need another revolution to create it.

Posted by b on October 10, 2011 at 15:46 UTC | Permalink

Comments

A group of more than 200 heavily armed gunmen attacked a mosque in the Libyan capital and ransacked the tombs of two imams, witnesses said on Monday.
http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/Gunmen-attack-mosque-in-Tripoli-20111010

Posted by: nikon | Oct 10 2011 16:38 utc | 1

the salafists are the ones engaged in terrorismin Libya…and also egyptians have been sourced by NATO to wage war on the Libyan people.
The ‘arab spring’ is a fraud orchestrated by Otpor and the americans.

Posted by: brian | Oct 10 2011 20:43 utc | 2

ok with the general concept of the Us-Saudi counter-revolution; but still this sudden outbreak of violence is puzzling; one thing is turning a blind eye when copts are attacked by salafists, another to have the army directly attacking them; especially when the military council is already in full control; I mean, it’s 1500 years the copts are there, even an explicit salafist dictatorship would recognize their space in egyptian society; and they aren’t particularly anti-regime either, for what I know
certainly, minorities in Syria will huddle behind Assad even more, now

Posted by: claudio | Oct 10 2011 23:24 utc | 3

Gaddafi forces destroyed Libya’s largest oil field
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/05/us-eni-libya-idUSTRE7944Z920111005

Posted by: nikon | Oct 11 2011 0:22 utc | 4

Gaddafi forces destroyed Libya’s largest oil field
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/05/us-eni-libya-idUSTRE7944Z920111005

Posted by: nikon | Oct 11 2011 0:22 utc | 5

They never got their first one.

Posted by: Morocco Bama | Oct 11 2011 0:46 utc | 6

They never got their first one.
They did. The top guy is gone. But that was only step one out of several steps every revolutionary period historically takes. It’s like throwing up a board game. You never know where the piece will come down but it still might be worthwhile.
Egypt finance minister resigns over Cairo protests

Posted by: b | Oct 11 2011 16:51 utc | 7

The question is: was it really the Salafists who attacked the Coptic Church, or was it rather the military power, the SCAF, who wanted to provoke sectarian dissension?
Most Egyptians seem to have already decided that it was provocation.
That’s very serious. That suggests that the SCAF is willing to enter into subterfuges to provoke communal dissension, in order to retain power.
But, in fact, it didn’t work. There’s a lot of solidarity in Egypt between Christian and Muslim. Not easily destroyed.
So who suggested to the SCAF that they play the communal dissension card? Sounds like an external power. I leave you to guess who.
The failure leaves the regime weaker than it was.

Posted by: alexno | Oct 11 2011 20:00 utc | 8

@7, I disagree. What’s happening in Egypt may be the beginnings of a Revolution, but as we all know, a Revolution is a long, arduous journey with many dimensions….many starts and stops. What happened at the beginning of the year was certainly a National Uprising and Revolt, but that does not a Revolution make. The same governing mechanism is in place. Egypt is a Military Dictatorship as it’s been since 1952, and all that has changed has been the Front Man.
This latest incident smells to high heaven. No doubt it’s the work of the Military Dictatorship to rationalize its permanent presence and marginalize any push for Democratic Governance.

Posted by: Morocco Bama | Oct 11 2011 23:05 utc | 9

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