The Last Extension of Emergency Law in Egypt?

By Tamir Moustafa Reposted from Jurist.

Late last month, the Egyptian government extended its emergency law for another two-year period, this time through May of 2010. The emergency law, which has been in force almost continuously for the past half century, is one of the principal ways that the Egyptian government maintains its control over opposition. Among other measures, the emergency law prohibits public gatherings, enables the police to detain citizens without charge, and provides for trial before emergency state security courts.

Like clockwork, this state of emergency has been continuously extended in order to maintain the regime’s grip on power. However, the periodic renewal of emergency powers may finally be in its last cycle for the first time in a half-century. You might think that pro-democracy advocates are celebrating in the streets of Cairo, but they are not.

Taking a Stand for Rule of Law

By Tamir Moustafa Reposted from the BaltimoreSun.com

It's conventional wisdom these days that the Arab World has a thing or two to learn from the United States when it comes to democracy.

After all, the region is plagued by recalcitrant regimes willing to sacrifice most everything to stay in power. Even in Iraq, where a brutal dictator was deposed, the new government is barely able to function.

It might, therefore, come as a surprise to suggest that we Americans might have something to learn from the Arab world about standing up for democracy.

Protests Hint at New Chapter in Egyptian Politics

By Tamir Moustafa Reposted from Middle East Research and Information Project

The week marking the first anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq saw a flurry of demonstrations across Egypt. A protest in central Cairo marking the beginning of the war was followed by a series of demonstrations at al-Azhar and other major universities, as well as the lawyers' and journalists' syndicates, upon the Israeli assassination of Hamas founder and spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin just three days later. While none of the protests matched the magnitude of those that rocked the Egyptian capital in March 2003, the constant recurrence of public demonstrations over the past year reveals much about how regional crises continue to exacerbate domestic economic and political tensions.

A New Kind of Dissent

On the morning of March 20, as they had the previous year, central security forces marched into downtown Cairo's Tahrir Square, making it once again resemble an army barracks. The estimated 5,000 security personnel easily contained the 2,000 demonstrators assembled, but the enormous security presence did not deter protesters from publicly indicting the government in a way that was unimaginable only two years ago. In the shadow of the massive government building in the square, Nasserists, Islamists, leftists and liberals condemned the US occupation of Iraq and bitterly criticized the inaction and impotence of Arab governments. A coffin carried through the crowd bore the epitaph, "Here lies the Arab League," and demonstrators cried out: "What is happening now in Iraq will happen tomorrow in Cairo!"