“Revolutionary Youth” in Egypt: Interfaith Relations Since the 2011 Revolution

Abstract

Due to their important role as the “revolutionary youth” (shabāb al-thawra) in the 2011 Egyptian revolution (known in part as the Arab Spring), they have attracted considerable attention from scholars. In the post-revolution era, discourse on the revolutionary youth has become prominent in Egypt. Compared to the social exclusion of the youth before 2011, it is noteworthy that the revolutionary youth emerged as the main focus of the interfaith relations between Muslims and Coptic Christians. Based on field research data, this article argues that since 2011, the “revolutionary youth” has become a new driving force of the solidarity movement among different sections of society, particularly interfaith harmony. By and large, the interfaith movement can be seen as an activist movement to maintain one’s ongoing revolutionary spirit by living differently. As a part of the global generation, Egyptian youth have been transformed by the revolution experience within the context of their historical–social location.