Religion and Politics in Egypt Today: Ideological Trends and Future Prospects
The dynamics of Muslim-Copt relations and how they are managed by the Church and the State are part and parcel of Egypt’s transition post-Mubarak because they underlie the discussions concerning Egypt’s future as a civil State. The treatment of Copts and other religious communities under a new government will be a key indicator of the maturity of Egypt’s democratic transition.
The sudden opening up of political space since the uprising of 25 January 2011 began has given visibility to the range of political and religious streams of thought that exist in the Arab world’s most populous country. Although Egypt’s uprising was largely about reclaiming political agency and social justice for the Egyptian people, religion has contributed to the shape of Egypt’s struggle to redefine itself since the ouster of former president Hosni Mubarak on 11 February 2011. Under Mubarak the political scene was often presented in black and white terms as being divided between religious extremists (then normally represented by the Muslim Brotherhood) and Mubarak’s National Democratic Party. The latter was represented as the only force preventing Egypt from becoming a radical theocracy. This covered over the diversity that is now apparent. It is clear that Islamists are a powerful political force, yet they also face broad and varied opposition and do not represent the only ideological trend to emerge. Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood did not have an easy victory in Egypt’s presidential election in June 2012 and continues to face open and direct criticism. Nevertheless, the Muslim Brotherhood’s rise to power has caused alarm among sections of the Egyptian population and the international community. Evidently, the effect of religion on the political transition in Egypt cannot be ignored if the dynamics of the social and political changes are to be understood.
Available in:
Regions and themes
ISBN / ISSN
Share
Download the full analysis
This page contains only a summary of our work. If you would like to have access to all the information from our research on the subject, you can download the full version in PDF format.
Religion and Politics in Egypt Today: Ideological Trends and Future Prospects
Author(s)
Related centers and programs
Discover our other research centers and programs
Turkey/Middle East Program
Ifri's Turkey/Middle East Program aims to provide expertise on the trends and developments in politics, societies and economies across the region.
The programme has the following objectives:
- Proposing a new approach towards the MENA region through an analysis of local, regional, and international dynamics with the potential to guide and influence new policies.
- Highlighting the role of foreign powers which have traditionally been present in the region and analyzing the new role taken on by emerging countries ;
- Anticipating new directions and outlooks in each country.
- Interpreting risks and potentials and putting forward new templates for analysis.
The programme has built a dense network of researchers and experts who provide expertise on the MENA region and working together on a range of crosscutting themes.
Find out more
Discover all our analyses
Indonesia and the Palestinian Cause
During his inaugural presidential speech on October 20, 2024, Indonesia’s incumbent president, Prabowo Subianto, iterated certain principles central to the philosophical foundation of the Indonesian nation. He noted Indonesia’s longstanding foreign policy of non-alignment or “bebas dan aktif” (free and active) and its aversion to military pacts.
Middle Power Lawfare : South Africa, International Justice, and the Gaza Crisis
The intensification of violence in Gaza following Hamas’s 7 October 2023 Al Aqsa Flood attack and Israel’s military response prompted a broader reassessment of global diplomacy. Longstanding geopolitical alignments were disrupted, and questions about humanitarian obligations, institutional accountability, and the limits of state conduct returned to the centre of international debate.
Adıyaman, the “Ownerless City”: Story of a Political Emancipation
Over the past two years, the city of Adıyaman has made headlines for two major reasons: first, its devastation by the earthquake of February 6, 2023, which struck between Turkey and Syria, and second, its significant political shift following the municipal elections of March 31, 2024.
The Evolving Role of Nuclear Rhetoric in Iran’s Strategic Calculus
How has the Iranian strategic discourse about nuclear weapons and deterrence evolved?