Turmoil in Egypt: Faith, Nationalism, and the Apparent Inadequacies of Liberalism

Abstract

This paper will analyze the fundamental importance of religion in contemporary Egyptian politics, as illustrated by the conflict between liberalism and Islamism leading up to the nation’s first election and the protests in the year following the election of the Islamist Mohammed Morsi that led to the overthrow of the regime. Also to be analyzed is the authoritarian regime of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, which was initially thought by many to be the rescuer of liberalism but which has proven to be extraordinarily repressive to both members of the Muslim Brotherhood and liberals alike, while simultaneously claiming to offer governance informed by Islam.