Mohamed Morsi and the Passing of Egypt’s Democratic Moment
On the podcast: Shadi Hamid recounts the rise and fall of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.
The death of Mohamed Morsi in an Egyptian courtroom on June 17 marked one more turn in Egypt’s tortuous political drama of the past eight years. Morsi had been a member of the long-repressed Muslim Brotherhood. He became the country’s first democratically elected president in 2012 following the Arab Spring protests. But a military junta deposed him a year later and launched a wide assault on the group he led. He had been in prison since the coup.
The death of Mohamed Morsi in an Egyptian courtroom on June 17 marked one more turn in Egypt’s tortuous political drama of the past eight years. Morsi had been a member of the long-repressed Muslim Brotherhood. He became the country’s first democratically elected president in 2012 following the Arab Spring protests. But a military junta deposed him a year later and launched a wide assault on the group he led. He had been in prison since the coup.
On First Person this week, Shadi Hamid recounts the rise of the Brotherhood in Egypt, the drama of the country’s democratic moment, and his own meetings with Morsi. Hamid is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the author of Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle Over Islam is Reshaping the World.
Read More
Egypt Doesn’t Matter Anymore
The death of Mohamed Morsi is the latest milestone along the country’s slide into terminal irrelevance.
Western Leaders Are Promoting Dictatorship, Not Democracy, in Egypt
Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Cairo and Donald Trump’s cheerleading have bolstered Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as he faces popular protest over his latest power grab.
Egypt’s Undemocratic Election
Under Sisi’s iron fist, only one candidate is allowed to run.
More from Foreign Policy
A New Multilateralism
How the United States can rejuvenate the global institutions it created.
America Prepares for a Pacific War With China It Doesn’t Want
Embedded with U.S. forces in the Pacific, I saw the dilemmas of deterrence firsthand.
The Endless Frustration of Chinese Diplomacy
Beijing’s representatives are always scared they could be the next to vanish.
The End of America’s Middle East
The region’s four major countries have all forfeited Washington’s trust.
Sign up for World Brief
FP’s flagship evening newsletter guiding you through the most important world stories of the day. Delivered weekdays.
By submitting your email, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and to receive email correspondence from us. You may opt out at any time.