Article-2 of Egypt's Constitution is in Question!
Egypt's Supreme Council of Armed Forces, in its Communique No. 5 following its interim assumption of the country's leadership, suspended the constitution and dissolved both houses of the parliament. Reportedly, it did not, however, suspend Article-2 of the Egyptian constitution which states: "Islam is the Religion of the State. Arabic is its official language, and the principal source of legislation is Islamic Jurisprudence [Sharia]." This article was amended years ago by former President Sadat in his attempt to appease particular segments of the society. [See Egypt's Constitution, under: PART ONE - THE STATE]
The bulk of the revolutionaries, including the Egyptian youth, have been angered by finding out that this Article was not also suspended. They insist that Article-2 contradicts the whole intent and purpose of the revolution. They want to ensure that the revolution does not get hijacked by religious extremism, and want to make certain that the main goal of the revolution remains unchanged, that is: "to provide for a civilian and secular State devoid of any extreme religious ideology, a State that provides equality and fairness to every Egyptian citizen without alienating any minorities or religious groups within the society." They intend to make their case clearly known this Friday.
The bulk of the revolutionaries, including the Egyptian youth, have been angered by finding out that this Article was not also suspended. They insist that Article-2 contradicts the whole intent and purpose of the revolution. They want to ensure that the revolution does not get hijacked by religious extremism, and want to make certain that the main goal of the revolution remains unchanged, that is: "to provide for a civilian and secular State devoid of any extreme religious ideology, a State that provides equality and fairness to every Egyptian citizen without alienating any minorities or religious groups within the society." They intend to make their case clearly known this Friday.
i agree 100% This is something that has to be watched!!!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree on this, but miniorities in Egypt should do something about it right now and try to reach as many moderate Muslims as possible and make their voices heard.
ReplyDeleteAt the conclusion of an article authored by the Egyptian liberal thinker Sayyed el-Qoumny, he wrote:
ReplyDeleteWords expressed about the Rage [Egyptian] Revolution:
1) American President: we need to train our youth to become like the Egyptian youth.
2) Italian Prime-Minister: nothing new in Egypt--Egyptians made history as usual.
3) Norwegian Prime-Minister: today we are all Egyptians.
4) Austrian President: Egyptian people are the greatest people on earth--they deserve the Nobel Prize for Peace.
5) British Prime-Minister: we must teach the Egyptian revolution in our schools.
6) CNN: the first time in history we see a population starting a revolution, then cleaning the streets afterwards.
He is urging the youth, after this glory, not to have their revolution stolen by extremist elements.
See article at:
http://www.ahewar.org/debat/show.art.asp?aid=246180&sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4d5b49e4df511c1d,0
• أقوال مأثورة عن ثورة الغضب:
o الرئيس الأمريكي: يجب أن نربي أبناءنا ليصبحوا كشباب مصر.
o الرئيس الإيطالي : لا جديد في مصر فقد صنعوا المصريون التاريخ كالعادة.
o الرئيس النرويجي: اليوم كلنا مصريون.
o الرئيس النمساوي: شعب مصر أعظم شعوب الأرض و يستحق جائزة نوبل للسلام.
o الرئيس البريطاني: يجب أن ندرس الثورة المصرية في مدارسنا.
o CNN: لأول مرة في التاريخ نرى شعبا يقوم بثورة ثم ينظف الشوارع بعدها.
• يا من صنعت هذا المجد هل ستتركهم يسرقون الثورة ، ابدأوا برفض طارق البشر من الآن حتى لايتحول الحلم المتحقق إلى كابوس مرعب .
Egypt protests: fears that the army will install a 'new Mubarak' to keep its power and privilege
ReplyDeletehttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/egypt/8335955/Egypt-protests-fears-that-the-army-will-install-a-new-Mubarak-to-keep-its-power-and-privilege.html
The wave of protests has spread to Djibouti now
ReplyDeletehttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41677950
Middle East protests country by country
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-12482313
There has been a lot of noise in the news in Egypt about "counter-revolution." The youth who own this revolution are determined not not let it slip from their fingers.
ReplyDeleteNow the wave of protests has spread to Morocco!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2052901,00.html?xid=rss-mostpopular
Time magazine special report - the Middle East in Revolt, includes lots of stuff about Egypt:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/0,28757,2045328,00.html
Wikipedia Category:2010–2011 Arab world protests
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:2010%E2%80%932011_Arab_world_protests
Protests have been happening in all of these countries:
Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Yemen, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Djibouti, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq , Oman
And add Pakistan to the list (sort of):
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2049747,00.html
Bilo, I think you should add an article about the protests that are happening across the Arab world, just for the sake of keeping your web site organized, and keeping the Egypt-only articles separated from the comments about what is happening across the Arab world.
ReplyDeleteI see your point, but this would be outside the scope and purpose of this blog.
ReplyDeletejust herd a report that 2 houses belong to Baha'is were burnt down TODAY.... I bet the Muslim brotherhood had their hands in this ..!!!
ReplyDeleteWhere is the LAW and ORDER????
Watch PBS Frontline full program "Revolution in Cairo" at the link below:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/revolution-in-cairo/?utm_campaign=revolutionincairo&utm_medium=googlead&utm_source=keywordApril6
Yes I did watch it and the program is rather interesting. HOWEVER, are they playing the same game that the Ayatollah Khomeini played back in 1979 to get some American Leaders to compare him with Gandhi when as Bahá'ís we know of their treacherous nature against members of the Bahá'í faith and other religious minorities???...
ReplyDeleteMy only suggestion is to keep a watchful eye on them and make sure the WORLD is watching too...
Here is an Op Ed piece that seems a bit pessimistic:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/u-s-should-direct-mideast-storm-of-change-toward-iran-1.345363
Under the heading of "democratization," the Shi'ite Muslims will take over a considerable part of the Arab states of the Persian Gulf. Under the heading of "liberation," radicals will take over a considerable part of the Arab world. Peace between Israel and the Palestinians, and between Israel and Syria will become impossible. The Israeli-Egyptian and Israeli-Jordanian peace treaties will fade away. Islamic, neo-Nasserist and neo-Ottoman forces will mold the Middle East. The 2011 revolution could end up the same way as the 1789 French Revolution did - some Bonaparte will hijack it, take advantage of it and turn it into a long succession of bloody wars....
For three weeks, most of the Western media told us that the Tahrir Square revolution was the faceless revolution of the Google generation. But on February 18, 2011, when a million Egyptians celebrated their liberation in Cairo's central square, it turned out that the revolution's face is that of the fanatic Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi. If the Western powers don't come to their senses quickly, they could discover that the face of the new Middle East is al-Qaradawi; Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan; Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The face of those who are trying to turn the winds of change blowing across the Middle East into a violent, fanatic hurricane.
Sometimes I wonder if we are NOW in the middle of that 7 year period of TRIBULATION predicted in the book of Revelations....
ReplyDeleteYou should google Qaradawy and read about his background...very alarming. The forces of evil are indeed taking advantage of the idealistic aspirations of the youth and determined to steel the moment. On that Friday of celebration in Cairo, the leaders of the youth movement who own this revolution were prevented by force by Qaradawi's goons from speaking at the podium, and a repeat of Khomeni's day in Tehran emerged as a real threat to Egypt.
ReplyDeleteHere is an interesting article that expresses some pessimistic concerns about the current Arab uprisings:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.modernghana.com/news/318092/1/arab-uprising-not-yet-uhuru.html
ARAB UPRISING, NOT YET UHURU
The recent wave of popular uprising across the Arab world triggered by the self immolation of Tunisia's Mohammed Bouazzi has fuelled joyous speculations of democratic change sweeping Arabia, not unlike the 1989 collapse of communism in Eastern Europe.
First Tunisia, then Egypt, Yemen, Algeria, Jordan, Bahrain and now Libya; the protests seem to be spreading like wild fire. But before we get carried away by such lofty ideals like “freedom” and “democracy” which have different meaning for Muslims, it is necessary to tamper such delusions with a dose of realism.
In all the aforementioned Arab countries experiencing mass uprising, Islamists are the best organized opposition groups poised to take advantage of the political turmoil and seize power.
In Egypt it's the Muslim Brotherhood, in Tunisia it's Ennhada, in Yemen Al-Qaeda and Shiite Houthis are running amok, in Bahrain it's the pro-Iranian Shiite group Al-Wefaq, in Libya it's the LIFG (Libya Islamist Figthing Group) based in Benghazi where the on-going anti-Ghaddafi protests started.
Not surprisingly, a group of Islamic clerics in the Arab world recently issued a communiqué endorsing the current popular revolts, but warned against democracy.
Despite the military takeover, Egypt is not yet out of the Islamist woods as the post-Mubarak junta has invited the Muslim Brotherhood to partake in the on-going review of Egypt's constitution that already proclaims Islam state religion.
Consequently, hundreds of Coptic Christians recently demonstrated for a secular constitution, but it is unlikely their protests will be heeded.
Even under the supposedly religiously tolerant Mubarak, Copts suffered terribly as they were discriminated against, violently assaulted, denied permits to build churches, and their women were frequently abducted then forcibly converted for marriage to Muslims.
One can only imagine their horror as the Muslim Brotherhood the best organized opposition group, waits in the wings to for the right opportunity to seize power.
The prospect of impending Islamist takeover and oppressive imposition of totalitarian Sharia that negates democracy, is not at all far-fetched as it happened 3 decades ago in Iran after a similar popular revolt against the Shah.
Little did Iranians then know that they had jumped from fry pan to fire as the Mullahs later proved to be more brutal and tyrannical, murdering tens of thousands of Iranians over the last 3 decades - including the infamous 1983 hanging of 10 Bahai women for heroically refusing to convert to Islam.
Not surprisingly, the present Iranian tyranny (Ahmedinajad and Ali Khamenei) has been goading Arab demonstrators even as the despotic duo brutally repress Iran's own resilient pro-democracy movement which gathered momentum after Ahmedinajad rigged himself to power in June 12, 2009.
Already, Egypt's post-Mubarak junta has started hobnobing with the Mullah tyranny in Iran - allowing Iranian navy ships through the Suez canal for the first time in 30 years.
Furthermore, Iran is suspected to be behind the protests of the Shiite majority in Bahrain, which Teheran claims used to be part of Iran. Agent provocateurs from Hezbollah - the Shiite Iranian proxy in Lebanon - were arrested during the recent Bahraini protests.
Here is a better link to the above article, the "Print" version. It is longer than what I've quoted above.
ReplyDeleteARAB UPRISING, NOT YET UHURU
http://www.modernghana.com/print/318092/1/arab-uprising-not-yet-uhuru.html
you just CONFIRMED my WORST FEAR...
ReplyDeletejust remember We LIVE in the USA and we have the BILL of RIGHTS protecting us...
AND the 2nd amendment...
to quote my 5th Grade teacher
"a word to the wise is sufficient.."
Terry,
ReplyDeleteSorry, I don't get the relevance of your point. What does living in the USA has to do with this subject?