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MENASource

Apr 4, 2013

The Buck Dies Here: Why Egypt’s Interior Ministry Refuses to be Tamed

By Amro Ali

Ambushes, kidnappings, torture and murder have come to characterize Egypt’s security sector’s engagement with the Egyptian public in both pre- and post-revolution Egypt. This has left many asking: How did the interior ministry survive its pre-Mubarak incarnation given that one of the revolution’s key demands was police reform?  The issue is more complex than simply […]

MENASource

Apr 3, 2013

Libya Needs National Reconciliation, Not Retribution

By Karim Mezran

If a strong initiative is not undertaken rapidly by the Libyan government and its Western allies, the state of Libya risks implosion or a return to authoritarianism. The confluence of internal fragmentation, continued attacks against the central authorities in Tripoli, and ongoing human rights violations throughout the country is putting the very existence of the […]

Libya United States and Canada

MENASource

Apr 3, 2013

Top News: Government Threatens to Shut Down Satellite Channel CBC

By Egypt Source

State body the General Authority for Investment (GAFI) has warned television channel CBC it will revoke its licence if prominent satirist Bassem Youssef’s weekly show ‘al-Bernameg’ does not comply with the standards of the media free zone, where the channel is based.

MENASource

Apr 3, 2013

Egypt’s Top Prosecutor: From the Court of Appeals to a Media Circus

By Nancy Messieh

Despite a court ruling on March 27, reinstating former prosecutor general Abdel Meguid Mahmoud after his dismissal by President Mohamed Morsi, the struggle between Mahmoud and his successor Talaat Abdallah continues. It is the latest in many collisions between the presidency and the judiciary, with many a politicized verdict preceding it.

MENASource

Apr 2, 2013

Top News: US Blasts Arrest Warrant Against Egypt Satirist Bassem Youssef

By Egypt Source

The US State Department says arrest warrants and the investigation of a popular Egyptian satirist and other critics of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi highlight a "disturbing trend" of growing restrictions on freedom of expression in Egypt.

MENASource

Apr 2, 2013

Fingers, Foreign Elements, and the Former Regime

By Basil El Dabh

“There is no room for confrontations or mistrust.” This sentence, delivered by president-elect Mohamed Morsi on June 24, 2012 was part of his first speech to the Egyptian people amid a section stressing the importance of “national unity.” Trust was a critical point to highlight moving forward after a contentious election when accusations were lodged […]

MENASource

Apr 1, 2013

Top News: Bassem Youssef Questioned for Insulting Morsi, Released on LE15,000 Bail

By Egypt Source

TV host and prominent political satirist Bassem Youssef has been released on LE15,000 ($2,200) bail after reporting to the Public Prosecution’s office. Youssef faces charges of insulting the president, contempt for Islam and publishing false news. 

MENASource

Apr 1, 2013

The Salvation of the National Salvation Front

By Fady Salah

In June 2012, 13 candidates from across the political spectrum ran for the presidency of Egypt. Revolutionary candidates with similar ideological stances competed against each other, although the prospect of some of them winning the presidential seat was near impossible. A few months after President Morsi secured the seat and came out victorious, leaders of several […]

MENASource

Mar 29, 2013

Top News: Al-Azhar Asserts Role, Clashes with Brotherhood

By Egypt Source

  Al-Azhar said on Thursday its clerics must be consulted on a law allowing the state to issue sukuk (Islamic bonds), setting it at odds with the Muslim Brotherhood which drove the legislation through the Shura Council last week. It marks the first time Al-Azhar, a thousand-year-old seat of Islamic learning, has said its Senior […]

MENASource

Mar 29, 2013

The Curious Case of Old Politics in the New Libya

By Karim Mezran

The sudden arrest of prominent Libyan exiles in Egypt and their swift extradition raises questions about the legitimacy of both the Libyan and Egyptian governments’ behavior. The revolts that swept North Africa brought down some of the most brutal and corrupt autocracies of the world. In their wake, one would expect new democratic political systems […]

Libya North Africa