Lamia Egypt

8/6/2019 Lamia Egypt

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INTRODUCTION

Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with

the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a

transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean region, the

Middle East and the Islamic world. Covering an area of about 1,010,000 square

kilometers (390,000 sq mi), Egypt is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the

Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and

Libya to the west.

Egypt is one of the most populous countries in Africa and the Middle East. The great

majority of its estimated 79 million people live near the banks of the Nile River, in an

area of about 40,000 square kilometers (15,000 sq mi), where the only arable land is

found. The large areas of the Sahara Desert are sparsely inhabited. About half of Egypt's

residents live in urban areas, with most spread across the densely populated centres of

greaterCairo, Alexandria and other major cities in the Nile Delta.

Egypt is famous for its ancient civilization, with famous monuments such as the Giza

pyramid complex and its Great Sphinx. Its ancient ruins, such as those ofMemphis,

Thebes, and Karnakand the Valley of the Kings outside Luxor, are a significant focus of

archaeological study. The tourism and the Red Sea Riviera employ about 12% of Egypt's

workforce.The economy of Egypt is one of the most developed and diversified in the Middle East,with sectors such as tourism, agriculture, industry and service at almost equal productionlevels.

HISTORY:

ANCIENT EGYPT: A unified kingdom was founded c. 3150 BC by King

Menes, leading to a series of dynasties that ruled Egypt for the next three millennia.

Egyptian culture flourished during this long period and remained distinctively Egyptian

in its religion, arts, language and customs. The first two ruling dynasties of a unified

Egypt set the stage for the Old Kingdomperiod, c. 27002200 BC., famous for its many

pyramids, most notably the Third Dynastypyramid of Djoserand the Fourth Dynasty

Giza Pyramids.
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PTOLEMAIC AND ROMAN EGYPT: The Ptolemaic Kingdom was a

powerful Hellenistic state, extending from southern Syria in the east, to Cyrene to the

west, and south to the frontier withNubia. Alexandriabecame the capital city and a

center ofGreekculture and trade. To gain recognition by the native Egyptian populace,

they named themselves as the successors to the Pharaohs. The later Ptolemies took on

Egyptian traditions, had themselves portrayed on public monuments in Egyptian style and

dress, and participated in Egyptian religious life.

The last ruler from the Ptolemaic line was Cleopatra VII, who committed suicide with her

loverMarc Antony, afterCaesar Augustus had captured them. The Ptolemies faced

rebellions of native Egyptians often caused by an unwanted regime and were involved in

foreign and civil wars that led to the decline of the kingdom and its annexation by Rome.

Nevertheless Hellenistic culture continued to thrive in Egypt well after the Muslim

conquest.

ARAB AND OTTOMAN EGYPT: The Byzantines were able to regain

control of the country after a briefPersian invasion early in the 7th century, until in AD

639, Egypt was absorbed into the Islamic Empire by the MuslimArabs. When they

defeated the Byzantine Armies in Egypt, the Arabs brought Sunni Islam to the country.

Early in this period, Egyptians began to blend their new faith with indigenous beliefs and

practices, leading to various Sufi orders that have flourished to this day. These earlier

rites had survived the period ofCoptic Christianity.

Muslim rulers nominated by the Islamic Caliphate remained in control of Egypt for the

next six centuries, with Cairo as the seat of the Caliphate under the Fatimids. With the

end of the KurdishAyyubid dynasty, the Mamluks, a Turco-Circassian military caste,

took control about AD 1250. By the late 13th century, Egypt linked the Red Sea, India,

Malaya, and East Indies.They continued to govern the country until the conquest of

Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517, after which it became a province of the Ottoman

Empire. The mid-14th-century Black Death killed about 40% of the country's population.After the 15th century, the Ottoman invasion pushed the Egyptian system into decline.

The defensive militarization damaged its civil society and economic institutions.

MODERN EGYPT: Local dissatisfaction with Ismail and with European intrusion

led to the formation of the first nationalist groupings in 1879, with Ahmad Urabi a
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prominent figure. In 1882 he became head of a nationalist-dominated ministry committed

to democratic reforms including parliamentary control of the budget. Fearing a reduction

of their control, the UK and France intervened militarily, bombarding Alexandria and

crushing the Egyptian army at thebattle of Tel el-Kebir. They reinstalled Ismail's son

Tewfikas figurehead of a de facto British protectorate.

In 1914 the Protectorate was made official, and the title of the head of state, which had

changed frompasha to khedive in 1867, was changed tosultan, to repudiate the vestigial

suzerainty of the Ottoman sultan, who was backing the Central powers in World War I.

Abbas II was deposed as khedive and replaced by his uncle, Hussein Kamel, as sultan.

In 1906, the Dinshaway Incident prompted many neutral Egyptians to join the nationalist

movement. After the First World War, Saad Zaghlul and the Wafd Party led the Egyptian

nationalist movement to a majority at the local Legislative Assembly. When the British

exiled Zaghlul and his associates to Malta on March 8, 1919, the country arose in its first

modern revolution. The revolt led the UK government to issue a unilateral declaration of

Egypt's independence on February 22, 1922.

KINGDOM: The new government drafted and implemented a constitution in 1923based on aparliamentary system. Saad Zaghlul was popularly elected as Prime Minister

of Egypt in 1924. In 1936 the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty was concluded. Continued

instability due to remaining British influence and increasing political involvement by the

king led to the dissolution of the parliament in a military coup d'tatknown as the 1952

Revolution. The Free Officers Movement forced King Faroukto abdicate in support of

his son Fuad. British military presence in Egypt lasted until 1954.

REPUBLIC: On June 18, 1953, the Egyptian Republic was declared, with General

Muhammad Naguib as the first President of the Republic. Naguib was forced to resign in

1954 by Gamal Abdel Nasser the real architect of the 1952 movement and was later

put underhouse arrest. Nasser assumedpoweras President in June, 1956. British forces

completed their withdrawal from the occupied Suez Canal Zone on June 13, 1956. He

nationalized the Suez Canal on July 26, 1956, prompting the 1956 Suez Crisis.
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Three years after the 1967 Six Day War, during which Israel had invaded and occupied

Sinai, Nasser died and was succeeded by Anwar Sadat in 1970. Sadat switched Egypt's

Cold Warallegiance from the Soviet Union to the United States, expelling Soviet

advisors in 1972. He launched the Infitah economic reform policy, while violently

clamping down on religious and secular opposition.

In 1973, Egypt, along with Syria, launched the October War, a surprise attack against the

Israeli forces occupying the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. It was an attempt to

regain part of the Sinai territory Israel had captured 6 years earlier. Sadat hoped to seize

some territory through military force, and then regain the rest of the peninsula by

diplomacy. The conflict sparked an international crisis between the US and the USSR,

both of whom intervened. The second UN-mandated ceasefire halted military action.

While the war ended with a military stalemate, it presented Sadat with a political victorythat later allowed him to regain the Sinai in return for peace with Israel.

Sadat made a historic visit to Israel in 1977, which led to the 1979peace treaty in

exchange for Israeli withdrawal from Sinai. Sadat's initiative sparked enormous

controversy in the Arab world and led to Egypt's expulsion from the Arab League, but it

was supported by most Egyptians. A fundamentalist military soldier assassinated Sadat in

Cairo in 1981. He was succeeded by Hosni Mubarak.

In 2003, the Egyptian Movement for Change, popularly known asKefaya, was launched

to oppose the Mubarak regime and to establish democratic reforms and greatercivil

liberties.

In January 2011, a popular protest began against the Mubarak government, consisting of

a wide range of class demographics. The objective of the protest was the removal of

Mubarak from power. On February 11, 2011, Vice President Omar Suleiman announced

that Mubarak had stepped down as President of Egypt as a result of the popular protests

starting on January 25
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THE EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT

Egypt has been a presidency since the 23rd July revolution led by Gamal Abd El Nasser

in 1952 when the Free Army Officers' movement overthrew the current regime then and

expelled king Faroukwho has been known as the king of Egypt and Sudan backed by the

British.

The first Egyptian president in 1953 was Mohamed Naguib who has been a general in thearmy. Nasser was the second president of Egypt in 1954.

Hosny Mubarak is the current Egyptian president elected in 1981 after the assassination

of late president Anwar Sadat.

Until 2005 The constitution of Egypt put the rules of selecting a president every 6 years

by selecting a candidate by at least two thirds of the members of the Egyptian parliament

(People's Assembly) then holding a public referendum for people to vote for the selectedcandidate but in May 2005 a new article in the constitution ( article 76 ) set the rules of

electing a President by public vote for candidates who get support of 250 of elected

members of parliament or other elected bodies. Also political parties can present a

candidate with no need for the support of parliament members.

The last election held was in 7 September 2005 and Hosny Mubarak won by more than

85% of the votes.

There are three main Authorities in Egypt as stated by the Egyptian constitution :

The Government

The Parliament

The Judicial system
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The President chooses the prime minister who heads the government and selects

members of the governments (Ministers) and the president should approve his selection

for the government to start its assignments as dictated by the president.

The president as stated by the constitution is the supreme commander of the Egyptian

armed forces and he has the authority to choose the General commander of the Egyptian

army.

The parliament or Peoples' assembly as it is described in the constitution consists of 444

members elected by the people in a public election every 5 years in addition to 10

members at most assigned by the president. There is no need to be a member of a

political party in order to be a candidate in the election although there are over 15

political parties in Egypt. National party (Al Watany) is the ruling party currently holding

the majority in the parliament

THE POLITICAL SYSTEM IN EGYPT


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The Egyptian political system refers to the rules, regulation and practices, its political

structure and fundamental laws, all which shows how the government, its state power and

relationship between the state and society works. Egypt being a Republic with a

democratic system outlines the political system and defines its public authorities.

The Constitutional System

The Constitution of the Arab Republic of Egypt, adopted in 1971 and amended in 1980,

has its roots in the English Common Law and the Napoleonic Code . It declares Egypt as

an Arab Republic with a democratic system .

Executive Branch

The Head of the State is the President . Appointed by at least a one-third of the Majlis

ash-Sha'ab , the People's Assembly , approved by at least two-third and elected by a

popular referendum, he is elected for a time of six years and maybe re-elected for other

subsequent terms. The implementation of general state policy is formulated and

supervised by him. He is also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Force . The last

elected president of the republic was Mohammed Hosni Mubarak .

The supreme executive and administrative organ of the State is the government,

consisting of the Council of Ministers . They are headed by the Prime Minister and he

supervises the work of the government. The highest Executive and administrative organ

of the Egyptian Republic is the Council of Ministers. The Ministers are all jointly

responsible for the general policy of the State before the People's Assembly, and each

Minister is responsible for the performance of his Ministry.

The Parliament has the right to withdraw confidence from the Cabinet or from any

Cabinet member.

Legislative Branch

The Egyptian Parliament is bicameral in character and consists of the People's Assembly,

or Majlis El-Shaab and the Advisory Council or Majlis El-Shourah.


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The People's Assembly is the legislative branch of the State consisting of 444 directly

elected members and 10 members appointed by the President , who serve for a term of

five years . It has the power to approve the general policy, new laws, the budget and the

development plans of the government. It also has the authority to undertake

investigations and to levy taxes, besides appointing the Presidential candidate and passing

a vote of no-confidence in the cabinet.

The Advisory Council with 140 members, out of which 70 members are nominated by

the President , is Egypt's consultative council. It offers advices and consultation and

proposes to the Assembly new laws and regulations.

Judicial Branch

The Egyptian Judicial System introduced into the country in 1854 and based on the

English common law, Islamic law , and Napoleonic codes system is exercised through

four categories of courts of justice. The highest judicial body, the Supreme Constitutional

Court , the Court of Cessation , the Seven courts of Appeal in the various Governorates ,

and the Summary Tribunals in the districts are the principal court system in Egypt. It

guarantees the independence of the judicial system.

The Party in Power

The Egyptian system is based on a Multi-party system . The Law 40 of 1977 regulates the

development of political parties in Egypt. Though there is currently 17 active political

parties representing various stands across the political spectrum, the law prohibits the

creation of religious-based political parties in the state. Presently the National Democratic

Party holds the majority of seats in the People's Assembly .

Local Government

Headed by a Governor who is appointed by the President, Egypt is administratively

divided into 26 Governorates . Within their districts, local government units establish and

run all public utilities, provide services and designate industrial areas. Working closely at

various levels with local government is the Local Popular Councils .


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THE POLITICAL PARTIES IN EGYPT:

By its constitution, Egypt has a multi-party system, however in practice the National

Democratic Party is the long-time ruling party and is dominant in the Egyptian political

arena. Opposition parties are allowed, but are widely considered to have no real chance of

gaining power.

Law 40 of 1977 regulates the formation of political parties in Egypt. This law prohibits

the formation of religious-based political parties, although there are growing political

pressure groups such as Kefaya movement and the Muslim Brotherhood, who are seeking

more balance in political power.

PARTY LAW REVIEW: Talk of political reform has never before come

naturally to the NDP, a party which has often been accused of rigging elections to secure

its overwhelming parliamentary majorities. The NDP now says it wants to remove the

constraints hampering the political activities of other parties in the country.

"There is thinking about reviewing the law on political parties to give more freedom for

new parties to be established and more freedom of action to those which already exist,"

said Mohamed Kamal a member of the Policy Secretariat.

So far the scope of the proposed reforms has not been made clear. The party also says it

wants to improve the relationship between citizens and the police - an important issue in

a country accused by human rights groups of the systematic use of torture inpolice

stations.

THE 2011 REVOLUTION

BACKGROUND: Hosni Mubarakbecame head of Egypt's semi-presidential

republic government following the assassination of President Anwar El Sadat, and
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continued to serve until his departure in 2011. Mubarak's 30-year reign made him the

longest serving President in Egypt's history. Mubarak and his National Democratic Party

(NDP) government maintained one-party rule under a continuous state of emergency

since 1981. Mubarak's government earned the support of the West and a continuation of

annual aid from the United States by maintaining policies of suppression towards Islamic

militants and peace with Israel. Hosni Mubarak was often compared to an Egyptian

pharaoh by the media and by some of his harsher critics due to his authoritarian rule.

Emergency law

An emergency law (Law No. 162 of 1958) was enacted after the 1967 Six-Day War,

suspended for 18 months in the early 1980s, and continuously in effect since President

Sadat's 1981 assassination. Under the law, police powers are extended, constitutionalrights suspended, censorship is legalized, and the government may imprison individuals

indefinitely and without reason. The law sharply limits any non-governmental political

activity, including street demonstrations, non-approved political organizations, and

unregistered financial donations. The Mubarak government has cited the threat of

terrorism in order to extend the emergency law, claiming that opposition groups like the

Muslim Brotherhood could come into power in Egypt if the current government did not

forgoparliamentary elections and suppressed the group through actions allowed under

emergency law. This has led to the imprisonment of activists without trials,illegalundocumented hidden detention facilities, and rejecting university, mosque, and

newspaper staff members based on their political inclination. Aparliamentary election in

December 2010 was preceded by a media crackdown, arrests, candidate bans

(particularly of the Muslim Brotherhood), and allegations of fraud involving the near

unanimous victory by the ruling party in parliament. Human rights organizations estimate

that in 2010 between 5,000 and 10,000 people were in long-term detention without

charge or trial.

Police brutality

The deployment of plainclothes forces paid by Mubarak's ruling party,Baltageya, has

been a hallmark of the Mubarak government. The Egyptian Organisation for Human

Rights has documented 567 cases of torture, including 167 deaths, by police that occurred

between 1993 and 2007. On 6 June 2010, Khaled Mohamed Saeed died under disputed
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circumstances in the Sidi Gaberarea ofAlexandria. Multiple witnesses testified that

Saeed was beaten to death by the police. Activists rallying around a Facebook page called

"We are all Khaled Said" succeeded in bringing nationwide attention to the case.

Mohamed ElBaradei, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, led a rally

in 2010 in Alexandria against alleged abuses by the police and visited Saeed's family to

offer condolences.

Economic challenges

The population of Egypt grew from 30,083,419 in 1966[49] to roughly 79,000,000 by

2008.[50] The vast majority of Egyptians live in the limited spaces near the banks of the

Nile River, in an area of about 40,000 square kilometers (15,000 sq mi), where the only

arable land is found and competing with the need of human habitations. In late 2010,

around 40 percent of Egypt's population of just under 80 million lived on the fiscal

income equivalent of roughly US$2 per day with a large part of the population relying on

subsidised goods.

According to the Peterson Institute for International Economics, the basic problem Egypt

has is unemployment driven by a demographic youth bulge: with the number of new

people entering the job force at about 4 percent a year, unemployment in Egypt is almost

10 times as high forcollege graduates as it is for people who have gone through

elementary school, particularly educated urban youth, who are precisely the people

currently seen out in the streets.

Egypt's economy was highly centralized during the rule of former President Gamal AbdelNasserbut opened up considerably under former President Anwar Sadat and Mubarak.

The Mubarak-led government from 2004 to 2008 aggressively pursued economic reforms

to attract foreign investment and facilitate GDP growth, but postponed further economic

reforms because of global economic turmoil. The international economic downturn

slowed Egypt's GDP growth to 4.5 percent in 2009. In 2010, analysts assessed the
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government of Prime MinisterAhmed Nazifwould need to restart economic reforms to

attract foreign investment, boost growth, and improve economic conditions for the

broader population. Despite high levels of national economic growth over the past few

years, living conditions for the average Egyptian remained poor.

Corruption

Political corruption in Mubarak administration's Ministry of Interiorhas risen

dramatically due to the increased power over the institutional system necessary to

prolong the presidency.[53] The rise to power of powerful business men in the NDP in

the government and the People's Assembly led to massive waves of anger during the

years of Prime Ministers Ahmed Nazif's government. An example of that is Ahmed Ezz's

monopolizing the steel industry in Egypt by holding more than 60 percent of the market

share. Aladdin Elaasar, an Egyptian biographer and an American professor, estimates that

the Mubarak family is worth from $50 to $70 billion.

The wealth of Ahmed Ezz, the former NDP Organisation Secretary, is estimated to be 18

billion Egyptian pounds; The wealth of former Housing Minister Ahmed al-Maghraby is

estimated to be more than 11 billion Egyptian pounds; The wealth of former Minister of

Tourism Zuhair Garrana is estimated to be 13 billion Egyptian pounds; The wealth of

former Minister of Trade and Industry, Rashid Mohamed Rashid, is estimated to be 12

billion Egyptian pounds; and the wealth of former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly isestimated to be 8 billion Egyptian pounds.

The perceptions of corruption and its beneficiaries being limited to businessmen with ties

to the National Democratic Party have created a picture "where wealth fuels political

power and political power buys wealth."

During the Egyptian parliamentary election, 2010, opposition groups complained of

harassment and fraud perpetrated by the government. As such opposition and civil

society activists have called for changes to a number of legal and constitutionalprovisions which affect elections.

In 2010, Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index report assessed Egypt

with a CPI score of 3.1, based on perceptions of the degree of corruption from business

people and country analysts (with 10 being clean and 0 being totally corrupt)
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LEAD UP TO THE PROTESTS

In background preparation for a possible overthrow of Mubarak, opposition groups had

studied the work ofGene Sharp on non-violent revolution, including working with

leaders ofOtpor!, the student-led Serbian uprising in 2000. Copies of Sharp's list of 198

non-violent "weapons", translated into Arabic and not always attributed to him, were

circulating in Tahrir Square during its occupation.

Tunisian revolution

After the ousting of Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali due to mass protests,

many analysts, including formerEuropean Commission President Romano Prodi, sawEgypt as the next country where such a revolution might occur. The Washington Post

comments on this saying "The "Jasmine Revolution," should serve as a stark warning to

Arab leaders - beginning with Egypt's 83-year-old Hosni Mubarak - that their refusal to

allow more economic and political opportunity is dangerous and untenable." However,

others argued on the contrary citing little aspiration of the Egyptian people, low

educational levels and a strong government with the support of the military. The BBC

said "The simple fact is that most Egyptians do not see any way that they can change

their country or their lives through political action, be it voting, activism, or going out onthe streets to demonstrate."

Self-immolation

On 17 January due to rising discontent with the country's state and the poor living

conditions, and following the self-immolation ofMohamed Bouazizi in Tunisia, a man

set himself ablaze in front of the Egyptian parliament; about five more attempts of self-

immolation followed suit.

National Police Day protests

One of the protestors holding the Egyptian flag during the protests that started on 25

January 2011 in Egypt that demanded the removal of the regime and for Mubarak to step

down
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Opposition groups were planning a day of revolt for 25 January coinciding with the

National Police Day. The goal for the protests was to protest against abuses by the police

in front of the ministry of interior These demands expanded to be the resignation of the

minister of Interior, the restoration of a fair minimum wage, the end of Emergency Law

and the limitation of the presidency to two terms. A major supporter for the protests was

the April 6 Youth Movement, which distributed 20,000 leaflets saying "I will protest on

25 January to get my rights".

Security forces however deemed the protests as "illegal", not having the required

permissions to proceed and would therefore deal with it strictly. Many political

movements, opposition parties and public figures chose to support the day of revolt

including Youth for Justice and Freedom, the Popular Democratic Movement for Change

and theNational Association for Change, however, its leaderMohamed El Baradei did

not support the protests saying that he "would like to use the means available from within

the system to effect change". The Ghad,Karama,Wafd and Democratic Frontparties also

lend their support to the protests. Public figures including novelist Alaa Al Aswany,

writerBelal Fadl and actors Amr Waked and Khaled Aboul Naga announced they would

also participate, while the facebook group set for the event attracted 80,000 attendees.

However, the Tagammu Party and the Muslim brotherhood stated they would not

participate. The Coptic church also urged Christians not to participate in the protests.

THE TIME LINE:

25 January 2011: The "Day of Revolt", nationwide protests against the government of

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak began. Tens of thousands of protestors gathered in

Cairo, with thousands more in cities throughout Egypt. The protests were generally non-

violent, but there were reports of some casualties among both civilians and police.

28 January 2011: The Friday of Rage protests began. Shortly after Friday prayers,

hundreds of thousands gathered in Cairo and other Egyptian cities. Opposition leader

Mohammed ElBaradei traveled to Cairo to participate. Some looting was reported.

Prisons were opened and burned down forcing inmates to escape after orders from the

corrupt Minister of Interior Habib El Adly in what was believed to be a fear tactic to
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horrify the protesters. Police forces withdrew from the streets completely. The Egyptian

government ordered the military to assist the police. International fears of violence grew,

but no major casualties were reported. President Husni Mubarak addressed the nation for

the first time after 4 days of ongoing protests and asked the government to hand in it's

resignation.

29 January 2011: Protests continued as military presence in Cairo increased. A curfew

was instituted, but protests continued throughout the night. The military showed restraint,

reportedly refusing to obey orders to use live ammunition; there were no reports of major

casualties.

1 February 2011: After continued nationwide unrest, Mubarak addressed the people and

offered several concessions. In addition to proclaiming he would not run for another term

in the September 2011 elections, he promised political reforms. He said that he would

stay in office to ensure a peaceful transition. Pro-Mubarak and anti-Mubarak groups

began to clash in small but violent interactions throughout the night.

2 February 2011: "The Scene of Camels". Several Camels and Horses were unleashed

into Tahrir Square following orders believed to be given by the corrupt Minister of

Interior Habib El Adly, resulting in hundreds of casualties. Violence escalated as waves

of Mubarak supporters met anti-government protestors. The military limited the violence,

constantly separating anti-Mubarak and pro-Mubarak groups. President Mubarak, in

interviews with various news agencies, refused to step down. Violence toward

international journalists and news agencies escalated; speculation grew that Mubarak was

actively increasing instability as a way to step in and end the protests.

5 February 2011: Protests in Cairo and throughout the nation continued. Egyptian

Christians held Sunday Mass in Tahrir Square, protected by a ring of Muslims.

Negotiations began between Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman and opposition

representatives. The Egyptian army increased its security role, maintaining order and

protecting Egypts museums. Suleiman offered political and constitutional reforms while

other members of the Mubarak regime accuses nations, including the US, of interfering in

Egypts affairs.

10 February 2011: Mubarak formally addressed Egypt amid reports of a possible

military coup, but instead of his expected resignation, he stated his powers would transfer

to Vice President Suleiman, and he would remain in Egypt as its head of state. Anger and


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disappointment spread through crowds in Cairo, and demonstrations began to escalate in

number and intensity throughout Egypt.

11 February 2011: The "Friday of Departure", massive protests in response to

Mubaraks speech continued in many Egyptian cities. At 6:00 p.m. local time, Suleimanannounced Mubarak's resignation and that the Supreme Council of Egyptian Armed

Forces would assume leadership of the country.

13 February 2011: The Supreme Council of Egyptian Armed Forces dissolved Egypts

parliament and suspended the Constitution. The council also declared that it would hold

power for six months or until elections could be held, whichever came first. ElBaradei

urged the council to provide more details to the Egyptian people regarding its plans.

Major protests subsided but uncertainty remained, and many pledged to keep returning to

Tahrir square until all demands had been met.

THE CITIES AND REGIONS AFFECTED

Cairo

Cairo has been at the epicentre of much of the crisis. The largest protests were held in

downtown Tahrir Square, which was considered the "protest movements beating heart

and most effective symbol." On the first three days of the protests, there were clashes

between the central security police and protesters and as of 28 January, police forces

withdrew from all of Cairo. Citizens then formed neighbourhood watch groups to keep

the order as widespread looting was reported. Traffic police were reintroduced to Cairo

on the morning of 31 January. An estimated 2 million people protested at Tahrir square.

Alexandria

Alexandria, the home ofKhaled Saeed, had major protests and clashes against the police.

Demonstrations continued and one on 3 February was reported to include 750,000people..There were few confrontations as not many Mubarak supporters were around,

except in occasional motorized convoys escorted by police. The breakdown of law and

order, including the general absence of police on the streets, continued through to at least

the evening of 3 February, including the looting and burning of one the country's largest

shopping centres Alexandria protests were notable for the presence of Christians and
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Muslims jointly taking part in the events following the church bombing on 1 January.

Mansoura

In the northern city ofMansoura there were protests against the Mubarak regime every

day from 25 January onwards. One protest on 1 February was estimated at one millionpeople, while on 3 February, 70,000 people were reported on the streets.

Siwa

The remote city ofSiwa has thus far been reported as relatively calm. Local sheikhs, who

were reportedly in control of the community, put the community underlockdown after a

nearby town was "torched."

Suez

The city ofSuez has seen the most violence of the protests thus far. Eyewitness reports

have suggested that the death toll there may be higher, although confirmation has been

difficult due to a ban on media coverage in the area. Some online activists have referred

to Suez as Egypt's Sidi Bouzid, the Tunisian city where protests started. A labor strike

was held on 8 February. Large protests took place on 11 February.

Tanta

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets from the first day (Jan. 25th) and most

of the days after until Feb. 11th. It exceeded a hundred thousand many times. Some

hospitals reported casualties during the clashes of Friday Jan. 28th.

Beni Suef

City of Beni Suef have seen repeated protests in front of the City Hall On el Kourneish,

in front of Omar abd el Aziz Mosque, and in El Zerayeen Square, on most days of the

protests and demonstrations. 12 protesters have been killed when Police Opened fire at

Mass groups protesting in front of the Police Station in Beba, South Beni suef. Many

others got injured. Thugs and outlaws have robbed many Governmental garages and

burned down several Governmental buildings.

Sinai Peninsula

Bedouins in the Sinai Peninsula fought the security forces for several weeks

Sharm-El-Sheikh

No protests or civil unrest took place in Sharm-El-Sheikh on 31 January. All was still

calm as Hosni Mubarak and his family left on 11 February.
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Deirout

Police opened fire on protesters in the Deirout near the southern suburbs ofCairo and

Asyut, on 11 February.

Shebin el-KomTens of thousands of protesters took to the streets ofShebin el-Kom on 11 February.

El-Arish

Thousands protested in the city ofEl-Arish, in the Sinai Peninsula on 11 February.

Sohag

Large protests took place in the southern city ofSohag on 11 February.

Minya

Large protests took place in the southern city ofMinya on 11 February.

Ismailia

Nearly 100,000 people protested in and about the local government headquarters in

Ismailia on 11 February.

Kafr El SheikhLarge protests took place on 28 January and 4 February all overKafr el-Sheikh.

INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS TO THE

PROTEST

International reactions have varied with most Western states saying peaceful protests

should continue but also expressing concern for the stability of the country and the

region. Many states in the region expressed concern and supported Mubarak, while others
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deirout&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asyuthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shebin_el-Komhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El-Arishhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sohaghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minya,_Egypthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ismailiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kafr_el-Sheikhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deirout&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asyuthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shebin_el-Komhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El-Arishhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sohaghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minya,_Egypthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ismailiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kafr_el-Sheikh


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like Tunisia and Iran supported the protests. Israel was most cautious for change, with

Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu asking his government ministers to maintain

silence and urging Israel's US and European allies to curb their criticism of President

Mubarak; however, an Arab-Israeliparliamentarian supported the protests. There were

also numerous solidarity protests for the anti-government protesters around the world.

NGOs also expressed concern about the protests and the ensuing heavy-handed state

response. Many countries also issued travel warnings or began evacuating their citizens.

Even multinational corporations began evacuating theirexpatriate workers.

Post-ousting

Amid the growing concerns for the country, on 21 February, David Cameron, Prime

Minister of the United Kingdom, became the first world leader to visit Egypt since

Mubarak was ousted as the president 10 days previously. A news blackout was lifted as

the prime minister landed in Cairo for a brief five-hour stopover hastily added at the start

of a planned tour of the Middle East.

THE CONCLUSION TO THE PROTESTS

Two days of wild clashes between protesters and regime supporters that killed 11 people

this week seemed to have pushed the United States to the conclusion that an Egypt with

Mubarak at the helm is potentially more unstable than one without him.

For the first time in the 11-day wave of protests, varying scenarios were being put

forward by two opposing camps in Egypt and by the United States on how to usher the

country into a post-Mubarak era after nearly 30 years of his authoritarian rule.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Israelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Netanyahuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab-Israelihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multinational_corporationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expatriatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Cameronhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Israelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Netanyahuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab-Israelihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multinational_corporationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expatriatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Cameronhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom


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President Barack Obama said that discussions have begun in Egypt on a turnover of the

government and he called for "a transition period that begins now."

"We want to see this moment of turmoil turned into a moment of opportunity," Obama

said in Washington. He did not explicitly call for Mubarak to step down immediately, butU.S. officials said the administration has made a judgment that Mubarak has to go soon if

the crisis is to end peacefully.

Under one U.S. proposal, the 82-year-old Mubarak would step down and hand power to

a military-backed temporary government headed by his newly appointed vice president,

Omar Suleiman, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the

sensitive talks. The government would prepare for free and fair elections later this year.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. www.google.com

2. www.newyorktimes.com

3. www.essays.com

4. www.toi.in

5. The Times Of India

6. The Hindu

7. The Hindustan Times
http://www.google.com/http://www.newyorktimes.com/http://www.essays.com/http://www.toi.in/http://www.google.com/http://www.newyorktimes.com/http://www.essays.com/http://www.toi.in/


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Lamia Egypt

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