EGYPT'S COUP, OR NOT? The events in Egypt today have put the country on a path towards a very insecure future. President Morsi has been ousted by the military forces who have formally declared their commitment to the freedom of expression and the freedom of the media, wasting no time undermining their own claims by immediately closing down three local TV stations that were affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, even arresting the crew of the Misr25 channel. General al-Sisi stated that the armed forces have responded to the cries for help of the Egyptian people, and in a sense they have. Without the support of the military the masses on the street could never have ousted the increasingly authoritarian Morsi. Even now, the former president refuses to admit his loss and has released a statement in which he asks the people to reject the military coup d'état and asks the population not to respond to it - oblivious to the millions and millions of exuberant Egyptians flocking the streets as we speak. In order to prevent an irreparable rupture from dividing Egyptian society, the army has to make clear that there is a future for the Muslim Brotherhood within political arena, but fears are that it is already too late. Reports of clashes between supporters and opponents of Morsi, and attacks from both camps feed fears of a civil conflict. At the time it is impossible to say whether we have witnessed a coup d'état by the Egyptian military, it all depends on which route they will take from here. If they abide by the rules set out by their 'roadmap', all could end well. If, however, they will be corrupted by the taste of power they have now experienced, and decide to demand a larger piece of the national pie (of which they already own 25%!) the revolutionary story of Egypt is all but over.
via Roar Magazine
