Islamists and Secularists in Egypt: Opposition, Conflict & Cooperation

192 Pages·2009·1.621 MB·English

by  Dina Shehata

Islamists and Secularists in Egypt
In a detailed analysis of the continued survival of authoritarian governments in
the Arab world, this book uses Egypt as a case study to address the timely and
complex issue of democratization in the Middle East.
This book examines how relations between different actors in the Egyptian
opposition have contributed to the endurance of authoritarianism in Egypt over
the past three decades. The author argues that the longevity of the authoritarian
government is not only a function of the strength and cohesion of the regime, but
is also related to the weaknesses and divisions between opposition groupings,
particularly between Islamists and secularists. Looking at how such ideological
differences and mobilizational asymmetries have impeded successful cooperation
between different opposition groups, and how this allows the authoritarian regime
to successfully ensure its continued hegemony, the author illustrates the extent to
which opposition strategies profoundly affect successful transitions to democracy
in the Arab world.
Highlighting the main obstacles to democratic political reform in the region,
the author provides important insights for the promotion of democracy in the re-
gion, which will be a valuable addition to the literature on Middle Eastern politics
and government.
Dina Shehata is a senior researcher at the Al Ahram Center for Political and
Strategic Studies in Cairo. She received her PhD in Comparative Politics from
Georgetown University in 2008. Her research interests include issues of authori-
tarianism, political reform, and democratization in the Arab world.
Routledge Studies in Middle Eastern Politics
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Ahmed Aghrout with Redha M. secularism and nationalism
Bougherira Sinan Ciddi
2. Palestinian Refugee Repatriation 11. Islamism, Democracy and
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Edited by Michael Dumper The case of the AKP
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3. The International Politics of the
Persian Gulf 12. Politics and Violence in Israel/
A cultural genealogy Palestine
Arshin Adib-Moghaddam Democracy versus military rule
Lev Luis Grinberg
4. Israeli Politics and the First
Palestinian Intifada 13. Intra-Jewish Conflict in Israel
Political opportunities, framing White Jews, black Jews
processes and contentious politics Sami Shalom Chetrit
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14. Holy Places in the Israeli–
5. Democratization in Morocco Palestinian Conflict
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power in the post-independence Edited by Marshall J. Breger, Yitzhak
state Reiter and Leonard Hammer
Lise Storm
15. Plurality and Citizenship in Israel
6. Secular and Islamic Politics in Moving beyond the Jewish/
Turkey Palestinian civil divide
The making of the Justice and Edited by Dan Avnon and Yotam
Development Party Benziman
Ümit Cizre
16. Ethnic Politics in Israel
7. The United States and Iran The margins and the Ashkenasi
Sanctions, wars and the policy of Center
dual containment As’ad Ghanem
Sasan Fayazmanesh
17. Islamists and Secularists in Egypt
8. Civil Society in Algeria Opposition, conflict, and cooperation
The political functions of Dina Shehata
associational life
Andrea Liverani
9. Jordanian–Israeli Relations
The peacebuilding experience
Mutayyam al O’ran
Islamists and Secularists
in Egypt
Opposition, conflict, and
cooperation
Dina Shehata
First published 2010
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2010.
To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s
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business
© 2010 Dina Shehata
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Islamists and secularists in Egypt : opposition, conflict & cooperation /
Dina Shehata.
p. cm. -- (Routledge studies in middle eastern politics ; 17)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Democratization--Egypt. 2. Political parties--Egypt. 3. Islam and
politics--Egypt. 4. Authoritarianism--Egypt. 5. Muslims--Egypt--Social
conditions. 6. Egypt--Politics and government. I. Title.
JQ3881.S54 2010
320.962--dc22
2009023907
ISBN 0-203-86348-8 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN10: 0-415-49547-9 (hbk)
ISBN10: 0-203-86348-0 (ebk)
ISBN13: 978-0-415-49547-9 (hbk)
ISBN13: 978-0-203-86348-0 (ebk)
To my mother and father
For their unconditional love and support

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
List of interviewees xi
1 Introduction 1
2 The Egyptian political system from full autocracy under
Nasser to liberalized autocracy under Sadat and Mubarak 19
3 Islamists and secularists in the Egyptian opposition 51
4 Alliance building between Islamists and secularists in
the Egyptian opposition 83
5 Cycles of conflict and cooperation between Islamists and
secularists in the opposition 117
6 Opposition cohesion in comparative perspective 145
Notes 161
Bibliography 163
Index 173

Acknowledgments
This book was written in the wake of an extraordinary period in Egyptian con-
temporary history. In the period between 2000 and 2007, and after decades of
abeyance, Egyptian society seemed to be awakening. Mobilization around inter-
nal and external issues intensified, new movements and actors began to emerge,
and a new consensus around a democratic agenda seemed to be in the making.
However, the cycle of mobilization that took place during those years failed, like
earlier cycles, to achieve its desired objectives, and the struggle for democracy, a
just peace, and social justice in Egypt is likely to continue over the years to come.
This book is first and foremost a tribute to the struggles of the brave men and
women who led the movement for change in Egypt, but it is also an account of
their failures. This book focuses especially on how internal divisions between
different forces in the opposition have weakened and fragmented the movement
for change in Egypt. It also highlights that, although the regime is in many ways
responsible for these weaknesses and divisions, actors in the opposition must also
assume responsibility for some of their own failures and learn from the lessons of
the past in order to avoid them in the future.
The writing of this book would not have been possible without the unrelenting
support and encouragement of my mentor and advisor Daniel Brumberg, who
was infinitely generous with his time, knowledge and support. I am also indebted
to Steven Heydemann and Michael Hudson and Samer Shehata for their useful
comments and insights.
I would also like to thank the Egyptian activists from across the political spec-
trum that I interviewed for this book, who were generous with their time and their
insights. Special thanks also go to Georgetown University faculty and staff for all
the resources they made available towards the completion of this work. Finally,
I would like to thank my family and my friends for their unconditional love and
support with this and other endeavors.
Cairo
August 2009