[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Egypt and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Egypt Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week's roundup to egypt@jadaliyya.com by Sunday night of every week.]
Egypt's Newly-Approved Constitution to be Followed By Tackling Key Political Laws
Gamal Essam El-Din says, “With Egypt's newly amended constitution gaining near unanimous popular approval, attention shifts to political laws as legislative and presidential elections approach.”
Interior Minister Reviews January 25 Security Plan
Ministry of Interior to tighten security on the January 25 Revolution’s third anniversary “in anticipation of potential violence.”
Egyptians’ Lives: Between Reality and Fantasy
Mohammed Nosseir writes on the publicized-national rhetoric used by Egyptian authorities to created false realities for Egyptians.
Stripping the Oppressor of His Means of Oppression is a Non-Violent Act: Salhen
Daily News Egypt interviews Youssof Salhen, Students Against the Coup (SAC) spokesperson.
A Referendum Caught Between Supporters and Traitors
Wael Iskandar says, “A democracy is measured by the strength of the opposition, but in Egypt there is no opposition, only supporters and traitors.”
Ex President and 25 Others Referred to Criminal Court For "Insulting Judiciary"
Ahram Online reports, “Fourth case in court for ousted president Morsi; Attorney General's referral is wildly varied, with accused including Islamist leaders, journalists, politicians, and a TV personality.”
Official Vote Result: 98.1% Approves Egypt's Post-30 June Constitution
Ahram Online releases official voting results on the referendum.
Known Unknown: Why the Egyptian Referendum is a Black Box
Matthew Hall argues that the limited number of domestic and international election observers precludes independent verification and assessment of election results.
Egypt's Constitutional Referendum: The Untold Story
Mariz Tadros argues, “By ignoring expressions of people power in the Egyptian constitutional referendum, some western political commentators and the media are showing a disconnect with the pulse of the citizenry and engaging in a dangerous politics of omission.”
Egypt: A Tale of Two Constitutions
Heather McRobie says, “Reading the 2012 and 2013 Egyptian constitutions together is less a tale of successive steps towards constitutional democracy and more an illustration of how the revolution was lost in two successive jolts–first Morsi’s Islamism without legitimacy, and then the violent militarism that accompanied Morsi’s removal from power.”
A Constitutional Mirage in Egypt
Islam Abdel-Rahman argues, “The constitutional draft and referendum are only cosmetic changes to cover up the atrocities of the military regime, and a way to obtain legitimacy.”
Egypt’s Photojournalists Exhibit 'Scars' From Revolution
Shadi Rahimi writes on photography exhibition titled Shouf (Look).
Sexual Harassment in Egypt Still Widespread
Enas Hamed explains reasons of the pervasiveness of sexual harassment in Egypt
Hosni Mubarak Asks to Vote in Egypt's Constitutional Referendum
The Guardian says former President Hosni Mubarak is advocating for a “yes” vote on the constitutional referendum.
Widespread Boycotts as Egyptian Voters Back New Constitution
Patrick Kingsley says, “Government likely to portray result as conclusive endorsement of direction country has taken since overthrow of Mohamed Morsi.”
Egypt’s Courts
Yasmin El-Rifae argues, “The judiciary has been caught up in the struggle between the military regime and the Muslim Brotherhood.”
The Square Root of The Egyptian Revolution
Khaled Diab argues, “True gains from [revolutionaries’] efforts will only be reaped by the next generation. Or maybe the one after that.”
On Egypt’s General Sisi
Nervana Mahmoud argues that “President Sisi” will not be as attractive as his current position as “General” because “the reality of governance will daunt on him and his supporters.”
Egypt’s Mafia Fund
Farah Halime writes on domestic and regional business connections Gamal Mubarak’s fund made.
Update: Engineers Vote No Confidence Against MB-Led Syndicate Board
Engineers Syndicate emergency poll assembly “showed that fifty-six percent of the engineers voted against the board.”
Update: Two Dead, Over 100 Arrested Nationwide in Friday Clashes
Mada Masr reports on clashes between Muslim Brotherhood supporters and security forces in a protest on Friday.
Update: Live Ammo Kills One, Critically Injures Another at Cairo University
Protesters clash with security forces on Cairo University campus.
US Reconsiders Canceling of Military Aid
“White House officials confirmed Tuesday that the American Senate is discussing plans to loosen restrictions on United States aid to Egypt.”
Political Climate Did not Allow 'Free and Fair Vote,' Warns Report
Transparency International (TI) released statement on the two-day voting process on the constitutional referendum.
Another Fatality and Seven Injured During Second Day of Voting
Mada Masr reports on the second day of voting on the constitutional referendum.
249 Arrested on First Day of Referendum
According to official statement released by Ministry of Interior all those arrested on first day of voting on the referendum were “members of the Muslim Brotherhood.”
Upper Egypt Copts More Politically Apathetic This Referendum
Mai Shams El-Din compares between Copts’ participation in the 2012 and 2013 constitutional referendums.
Stuck In The Middle On A Troubled Campus
Mai Shams El-Din argues that the situation on Al-Azhar University campus is complicated because “the Muslim Brotherhood [has] complete domination of the student movement at the grassroots level.”
The Referendum In Pictures
Virginie Nguyen publishes photos of the first and second day of voting on the constitutional referendum.
Say Whaat!?
Amr Ezzat writes on his personal position on the referendum, expressing his mistrust of the military-backed political roadmap.
Why Egypt’s Poor Need a Healthier Home
Isabel Bottoms analyzes environmental laws in the draft constitution.
Voters Come Out After Imbaba Blast
Sarah Carr writes on the second day of voting on the constitutional referendum.
A Short Errand Among 'Yes' Voters
Lina Attalah reports on “yes” voters on the first day of voting on the constitutional referendum.
In “The Square,” Hope Drags on for Egypt’s Ongoing Revolution
Amanda Rogers reviews The Square a documentary directed by Jehane Noujaim.
Egypt Votes On Constitution While Ghosts Of The Past Battle
Wael Nawara argues, “The Muslim Brotherhood will oppose the new constitution to show it still has influence.”
Egypt's General Prosecution Refers 1211 'Brotherhood' Members to Criminal Court
Ahram Online reports, “The Muslim Brotherhood members are charged with storming two police stations on 14 August in Minya governorate, which left one police officer dead and four others injured.”
Alaa Abdel-Fattah, Jailed Activists Denied Lawyer Access: Rights Body
Ahram Online reports, “Ahmed Maher, Mohamed Adel, Ahmed Douma, and Alaa Abdel-Fattah have not been allowed to see their families or their lawyers since their arrests in November/December.”
On Means And Ends
Mahmoud Salem argues that lower-middle class Egyptians, the most affected class by the events in the last three years, will vote “yes” on the constitutional referendum because “they will do anything that brings a semblance normality (and stable income) back into their lives.”
Egypt: Activists Arrested for ‘No’ Campaign
Human Right Watch decries the arrest of seven members of the Strong Egypt Party for advocating for a “no” vote on the referendum.
US Think Tank Pressures Obama Govt To Restore Full Aid To Egypt
Mada Masr reports that Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) encourages the United States government to resume friendly relations with Egypt.
6 Ain Shams University Students Arrested During Monday Protests
Six Students Against the Coup (SAC) arrested in Ain Shams University.
Security Forces Crack Down On MB Members Ahead of Referendum
Fifteen supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood arrested on Monday on charges of voting obstruction of the constitutional referendum.
Economy In A Week: Tourists Should Not Fear Terrorists
Sherif Zaazaa summarizes state institutions’ actions to “stimulate the economy.”
Narrow Space For A 'No' Campaign
Heba Afify says, “The few parties and movements campaigning against the constitution face obstacles from security, media.”
How Egypt Got So Dark
Mohamed Gabr unpacks the complex structure of the political and economic formula that allowed Mubarak’s regime to persist for thirty years.
Egypt’s Winding Path Towards A New Constitution
Ursula Lindsey prepares a timeline of events in Egypt since the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak up to the 2013 draft constitution.
2013 Draft Constitution
Mada Masr releases an unofficial translation of the 2013 draft constitution.
Ethiopia's Dam and Political Mistrust
Leyla Doss writes on the deep-rooted challenges and obstacles that stand in the way of an effective cooperation between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan.
Salafis Go To The Polls
Jahd Khalil says, “Nour Party aims to stay in politics by campaigning for a ‘yes’ vote in the referendum, but will its followers stay the course?”
In Arabic:
الكنيسة توجه رسائل قوية للولايات المتحدة..الأنبا موسى لوفد الكونجرس: 30 يونيه ثورة تحرك فيها الشعب بدافع ذاتى.. ويؤكد: المسلمون يحمون الكنائس والمسيحيون يعيشون بسلام.. والأقباط سيرشحون السيسى للرئاسة
Michael Faris writes on delegates of United States Congress’ meeting with representative of Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Church.
الإثارة الثورية والاستراتيجية الثورية
Omar Al-Shafe’e writes on the difference between revolutionary movements and revolutionary change.
!اليأس.. خيانة؟
Basem Zakariyya Al-Samargi argues that the revolution has taught Egyptians that social change is inevitable but results of such change are unpredictable.
"الرئاسة: وفد الكونجرس في لقاء منصور يشيد بالالتزام بخارطة الطريق "رغم عبء مكافحة الإرهاب
Delegates from the United States Congress visit Egypt to discuss Egypt’s commitment to the political roadmap and its “war on terror.”
السلفيون يذهبون إلى صناديق الاقتراع
Jad Khalil writes on Salafists’ voting turnout on the two-day constitutional referendum.
الاستبداد يكسب أرضًا
Reem Sa’ad argues that authoritarianism gains momentum because of the constitutional referendum’s results.
لماذا يكرهون «السيسي»؟
Tamer Abu Arab writes a hypothetical article on the probable challenges “President Sisi” will face as a result of newly approved constitution.
!وقالت الصناديق للديك نعم
Bilal Fadl comments on people’s reactions to constitutional referendum results.
نادر بكار: "النور" أفسد على الجماعة 80 عاما كاملة من ادعاء أن الإسلام هو الإخوان
Nadr Bakkar, Salafist Nour Party deputy president, lashes out on the Muslim Brotherhood.
سماء سليمان: إحنا آسفين يا سيدات مصر
Samaa Sulaim argues that while political participation of women has increased following the 25 January Revolution, but statistics still show that political representation of women remains low.
ابتزاز باسم 25 يناير
Sulaiman Juda explains reasons of low turnout among the youth on the constitutional referendum.
العدالة الاجتماعية
Ezz El-Din Shukri Fsheir writes on achieving social justice in Egypt.
العودة للأصل
Amr Khafaga writes on the public discourse on syndicates’ role in the political sphere before and after the 25 January Revolution.
نحو أجندة اقتصادية واجتماعية وسياسية لوقف التوظيف القمعى لمقولات الاستقرار
Amr Hamzawi writes on bargaining schemes of Egypt’s political forces-post January 25 Revolution-in which they promote security and stability instead of working towards true resolution of deep-seated socioeconomic issues.
استفتاء الدستور.. الحقيقة والأسطورة
Al-Shurouk clarifies true and mythical descriptions of number and percentage of overall voting turnout on the constitutional referendum, namely among women and youths.
حزب الكنبة وحزب الثورة
Fahmi Huwaidi comments on the media’s coverage of the constitutional referendum results.
ابن الدولة المعمم
Jamal Omar comments on the text messages that advocate for a “yes” vote on the referendum, and contain theological subtexts.
فى انتظار سيادة القانون
Amr Khafaga argues that Egyptians are still waiting for a true implementation of the rule of law since the 25 January uprising.
التصالح مع الناس.. وليس النخب
Amr Hamzawi argues that instead of focusing reconciliatory efforts on Egypt’s elites, they should be aimed to solving people’s social and economic grievances.
!هل ينسحب الإخوان من النقابات؟
Emad El-Din Hussein comments on voting Muslim Brotherhood members out of Engineers and Doctors Syndicates.
فى وهم صناعة التاريخ
Fahmi Huwaidi argues that the 2013 constitution has structural and fundamental problems, in the sense that it was written under socially and politically polarized atmosphere.
Recently on Jadaliyya Egypt:
Citizenship in Post-Awakening Egypt: Powers Shifts and Conflicting Perceptions
Jadaliyya’s Reports Page re-publishes a report on challenges citizenship in Egypt faced following the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak.
Press Release: CIHRS Issues Report on Egyptian Referendum Coverage of Twenty Media Outlets
Jadaliyya’s Reports Page releases CIHRS statement on twenty media outlets’ coverage of the referendum.
Boxed In
Sarah Carr comments on Egyptians’ reactions to the national constitutional referendum.
Cut and Paste: An Exhibition by Huda Lutfi
Medrar TV reports on “Cut and Paste” an exhibition that aims “to present a psycho-geographic archive of the emotions, gestures, figures of speech, and images that circulated in public space during Egypt’s transitional period.” (VIDEO)
Egypt's Terrible Three: Interview with Hossam El-Hamalawy
Malihe Razazan interviews activist Hossam El-Hamalawy.
An Analysis of Egypt's Draft Constitution
Jano Charbel analyzes articles related to labor rights and freedoms in the 2013 draft constitution.
يا أهلا بالمذابح
Khaled Fahmy comments on an article written by Ahmed Al-Musllamni in 2008 titled: The Great Massacre.
Genealogies and Balance Sheets of the Arab Uprisings
Maha Abdelrahman reviews The People Want: A Radical Exploration of the Arab Uprisings by Gilbert Achcar.