54 Dead in an Egypt Polarized between pro-Military, anti-Coup on Revolution Anniversary

[unhappycamper]

http://www.juancole.com/2014/01/polarized-revolution-anniversary.html

54 Dead in an Egypt Polarized between pro-Military, anti-Coup on Revolution Anniversary
By Juan Cole | Jan. 26, 2014

January 25 marked the third anniversary of the revolution that overthrew dictator Hosni Mubarak, and Egyptians observed it in three distinctively different ways.

In the iconic Tahrir Square downtown, thousands of supporters of the military coup of July 3, 2013, gathered for a big party. People never used to dance to patriotic songs, but now it is becoming customary. Footage at one point showed a stage with Nubian folk dancers performing in a mixed troupe that included men and a woman dancer. That performance would have been frowned on by the Muslim Brotherhood government that was in power a year ago, and which had pressured Cairo’s five star hotels to stop belly dancing performances at their night clubs. The not so subtle message was that the coup government is pushing back against the puritanical policies of the Brotherhood, which had threatened personal liberties and artistic expression (the Cairo Opera performers went on strike last spring over such issues).

Some in Tahrir are alleged to have chanted “The people want the execution of the Brotherhood,” blaming the fundamentalist organization for Friday’s bombings.

The Tahrir crowd wants Minister of Defense Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to run for president. This move is extremely problematic. Al-Sisi is likely behind many of the paranoid and horrific human rights violations of the past 7 months. He gives the impression of being both a narcissist and a sociopath, and the Arab world has had enough such leaders. Pakistan adopted a law that no military officer could serve as president unless he had been out of uniform for at least two years prior to being sworn in, and Egypt should think seriously about a similar ban.

[rafeh1]

1. sisi like pinochet

Both sisi and pinochet had us supported coups against the legally elected presidents dr morsy and dr Allende. Both presidents were demonized by us right wing media prior to coup.