Turmoil in Egypt

It is easy to dethrone a dictator; hard to find an acceptable replacement. That is the lesson from Egypt, which has been thrown into violent turmoil since the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in February 2011. The elections that followed saw the rise of Muslim Brotherhood on the back of a mere 25 per cent of the vote. Mohamed Morsi ran a most sectarian government, offering no security to those who did not subscribe to the narrow Islamist world-view. Minorities suffered heavily under his shortlived regime. And the economy virtually crashed. Therefore, the popular uprising against him instigated the army to overthrow him. Last month’s uprising has since pitted the Islamists and the army in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation. Ordinary Egyptians, who crave peace and economic betterment, are the clear victims. Undoubtedly, the army was ruthless in going after the Morsi supporters, demanding his reinstatement. More than a thousand people on a conservative estimate, were killed in attempts to clear the Cairo streets and mosques of the sitins staged by the Brothers. Even western nations, no friends of the Brothers, disapproved the police-army action. Clearly, the most urgent task is to restore order. Unfortunately, the positions on both sides have hardened, making reconciliation further difficult. The economy is in a shambles, compounding the misery of ordinary Egyptians. Western military and economy aid might be hard to come by until the army draws up a time-frame for the return of a civilian rule. Islamists asked for trouble by seeking to impose their arbitrary will. Egypt needs a period of calm before another election can clear the situation. Without a degree of restraint by the army and moderation in Islamist zeal by the Brothers, things could go from bad to worse in the largest country in the Arab world. It is a hopeless situation at this stage.