Over the past month, we have been witnessing a Turmoil in the largest Arab country, Egypt, for the past month, we have seen on Youtube, images of Radicals calling for demolishing the Sphinx, and the Pyramids, we have seen radicals calling for child labor, and other mobs moving around burning down Political parties, whether they are the ruling party, or other parties such as the Wafd.
In the past Month, we have seen the first Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi, demolishing major institutions in the country, following a systematic plan to control the entire country, and keep a strong grip on the country for more decades to come.
Yet how did they do this... and why... is the question...
the whole issue started with President Morsi announcing a decree which is made up of six parts, only two of these parts caused the chaos we are witnessing in Egypt.
The First part in the decree which gave Morsi full power and immune all decisions he takes, which pretty much puts him above the law, in his defense, he stated that the country is going through a transitional period, and he needs such authorities to clean the decay of corruption that was passed on by the Mubarak Regime...
The Second part of the decree is Morsi's orders of impeaching the Egyptian General Prosecutor (GP), which was put into post by Morsi's predecessor, Mubarak. According to Egyptian law, the GP has immunity, and by law, the only method to get rid of him is through his resignation.
Naturally, this massive "bitch slap" on the Egyptian Judicial system, has caused massive anger in the society, and has increased hatred to the ruling Muslim Brotherhood.
Studying the post-Iranian revolution, i have realized that the clerics of Iran have targeted what they called "the Secular" European inferior system, which was adopted and implemented in Iran in the year 1907, and The clergy's power to exercise near monopolistic control in civil cases was due primarily to the absence of any effective centralized governmental control over the country's fragile legal system.
This enabled the Islamists to control the country, and demolish the legal system to start their own courts, and legislative authority that would not oppose decisions made by the higher Religious council in Iran.
It has become very obvious to me that in this past month, the Muslim Brother hood were trying to imply the same methods done in Iran, but they have failed to realize several important factors that will not allow them to succeed in monopolizing the Authorities and powers in Egypt, made up of Judicial system, the Ministry of Interior affairs, the Army, the Media, the Parliament and naturally, the Palace (President) and even the Movies and Music...
The Muslim Brotherhood might succeed in controlling a few of these powers, but they fail to realize that Egypt's Institutions are older than the entire history of the United States... and certainly older then Iran's...
Lets take a specific influential power ....
The Judicial system in Egypt... the history of the judicial system in Egypt dates back to the year 1151, when the first court was built in Cairo, and still remains to date, also known among Egyptians as "Beit Al-Qadi", or the Judges House... yet the Egyptian Judicial system was modernized, and properly established in 1805, which is only 6 years after writing the Bill of rights in 1789, and only 1 year after the Napoleonic-Code... making it one of the oldest civil legal systems in the world, and by far the oldest in the Islamic world, Africa and Asia... yes, even older then that of the mighty Ottoman Empire...
This might not mean so much to the Muslim Brotherhood other then that it is some romantic idea of how leading we once were, but the fact is, they need to pay attention that this simply means that the regular Egyptian, understands the importance of the Judicial system, and Highly respected in the culture of the country, and demolishing it will not be easily taken, and will be defended by the public, and indeed this is what we have seen going on in the past month, of millions heading to the streets, to defend the country's second oldest Institutions (the first being the Azhar of course).
What the Ikhwan have failed to realize when they wished to imply the Iranian scenario on Islamizing the Egyptian revolution, was that the times are not the same, communication is much easier, and the flow of ideas and information is unstoppable, in addition to the long history of having strong civil institutions, and secular authorities and institutions, such as the Media, the Army, the Ministry of Interior affairs, and naturally, the Independence of the Judicial System, and its historical movement, for decades...
For the past month, almost all marches i participated in, have chanted that "Egypt is too big for you" (you being refereed to the Muslim Brotherhood, and not Morsi alone), and only yesterday did i understand this, when the GP has finally resigned, after pressures from the Judges Syndicate.
Egypt is not some small unstable, easy to manipulate country like other African states, it is not a newly established young country like the Arabian Gulf States, it is not a country easily terrorized of Civil war such as the Arab Mashreq of Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria, it is not a newly post-imperial country, such as the Arab Maghreb, Egypt might be illiterate today, might be a poor country, might have been neglected from the political scene in the region and the world, but it is a country of deep in-rooted institutions, strong institutions that each has the ability to oust any regime, no matter how strong that regime is, the institutions of the country are what makes it impossible for Egypt to fall like Iran, Pakistan or Saudi Arabia has fallen to Islamists, its impossible to keep information hidden in a country that was the third to start a Newspaper, 200 years ago, in a country that is the 6th in the world to start its own Television channels 60 years ago, and a Radio institution that has encouraged Egyptians to fight in the 1st world war.
Basically, how i'v seen it, is that Egypt is not Iran, and will never be Iran, our History, and our strong Institutions, with the help of Modern social mediums, and massive public organization is what will certainly save it from any MB monopoly, the MB does NOT have the support of the Military, which is starting to show its anger from the instability Morsi and his groupies have caused, the MB has no support from the Ministry of Interior affairs, the Media, the Public, and now, the Judicial system...
Lets see how Morsi and the MB will get out of this mess, alive...
[references]
*(History of Egyptian Judicial System)
*(History of Iran's Judicial System)
