Restraint on all sides is a necessary prelude to the beginning of political processes, which will have to include all sides and which must take place sooner or later. The future must lie in a peaceful and negotiated transition to an Egypt that is not simply “majoritarian”, but where democracy also means the rule of law and respect for fundamental freedoms, including those of expression, belief, and movement, regardless of gender or religion.
I have, for long, argued that if the gains of the authentic Nahda, or Renaissance, over a century ago, are not to be lost, Egypt needs a bill of rights. It is, perhaps, inevitable that, in a country like Egypt, Sharia will play a role in framing the law of the land, but how much of a role, and what understanding of Sharia, are the crucial questions here. There should be no compromise on the basic principle of one law for all, the equality of all before the law and respect for the common citizenship of all Egyptians.
Thanks, Kendall, for posting this wise, insightful analysis by +Nazir-Ali. His calm but incisive assessment gets to the heart of the matter, and is especially valuable when so much confusing nonsense is being said about the crisis in Egypt.
One thing that really caught my attention. One Coptic expert claims that this is the worst pogrom to break out in Egypt since 1321. Wow, the worst persecution in almost 700 years. And it’s probably going to get worse before it gets better (if Philip Jenkins is right).
David Handy+