POLI 231 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Mohamed Morsi, Sayyid Qutb, Arab Spring
17 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Religious Politis i Atio Durig Egypt’s Ara Sprig
Religion and politics
• Religion provides politicians with a powerful organizing principle
• Political struggles (over land and resources) are often couched in terms of religion
• Religious organizations often provide social-welfare networks, well-honed grassroots
elements
o Education and healthcare to lower classes especially in countries where the
government provides little to no services
o Makes them popular, provides them with a power base
• Successful organizing within civil society provides a platform for political activity
The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt (Ikhwan)
• Founded in Egypt in 1928 by Hassan al-Banana
• Advocated social welfare programs (literacy and education) and political participation
• Generally sought accomodation with secular leaders
• Persecuted by Nasser, Sadat, Mubarak governments
• Found a following in the lower classes in Egypt
• Did’t try to opely atagoize the goeret i poer
Brotherhood and the State
• Successive Egyptian governments tried to both repress and co-opt Brotherhood
• Al-Banana assassinated, likely by the state, in 1949
• Nasser cracked down on Brotherhood; sought to modernize al-Azhar U in Cairo (1961);
executed leader Sayyid Qutb (1966)
• Sadat freed imprisoned Brotherhood members, but was assassinated by extremist
Brotherhood plot in 1981
Musli Brotherhood’s ireasig poer i Egypt
• Widespread public support and social welfare programs made Brotherhood a force in
Egyptian politics
• MB won many seats in parliamentary elections in 2000, 2005
• Made the government in power feel threatened by an emerging power
Arab Spring and the Brotherhood
• When popular revolt toppled Pres. Mubarak in 2011, Brotherhood was the best-
organized political force in Egypt
• Most protesters were not from MB
• Yet it won almost half of 198 seats in 2011-12 parliamentary election
• Its candidate, Mohammed Morsi, won the 2012 presidential election
• There was no centralized figure during the Arab Spring
• Very horizontal organization
o Did’t hae a ertial poer struture
• Egypt is the second largest recipient of US military aid in the world
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