Egyptian Revolution Five W’s Background

What: The Egyptian Revolution• The Egyptian Revolution is a popular movement by Egyptian citizens

of all backgrounds with the goal of ending tyranny and establishing a new government in their nation. While several groups have different goals, they have been working to reshape their government and society.

• Currently there have been several leaders who have come and gone, many protests, and large conflicts between the Egyptian people.

Who: Husni MurabakMubarak was the President of Egypt for over three decades. He was elected in 1981 and immediately declared emergency powers. During his 30 years in power, he used secret police, censorship, and corruption to maintain control.The January 25th Revolution aimed to remove Mubarak and his regime from power. He left office on February 11, 2011 he resigned from office. He is later arrested for corruption.He is significant because his power and reign is representative of the problems that Egypt was facing before the Revolution and showed how disconnected he was with the people of Egypt.

When: A Timeline of the Egyptian Revolution

• January 25th, 2011: Thousands of Egyptians take to the street in a planned protest of Mubarak. Thousands more spontaneously join. They call for his resignation. This was important because it showed that the Egyptian citizens were committed to change and were dedicated to their many vision for the future.

When: A Timeline of the Egyptian Revolution

• February 11, 2011: After weeks of widespread protests, President Mubarak agrees to step down from power. The military takes control over the government and promises to hold power until elections can be held. This was significant because it was a unifying victory for the citizens. They would soon however become divided over their vision for the future. This was not the end of the revolution, rather, only the beginning.

Where: Egypt’s 2012 Election Results

This map shows which providences voted for whom in the 2012 election. This is important because it shows that people living in Cairo largely voted for Shafiq, who was a part of the military, while the country voted for Morsi, who represented the Muslim Brotherhood. From this, I can conclude that the less populated areas in Egypt are more religious than the major city centers where most of the protests occurred.

Why: A Changing World or a Repeat?This topic matters today not only because it is a test of the power of democracy in our world today, but because it shows if history will repeat itself. Time and time again, Revolutions have rid an autocratic ruler from power only to replace them with another leader who is equally as powerful, if not worse. If Egypt can avoid this fate, it may show that our world population is ready to take a more active role in governing themselves and securing basic human rights that they deserve. It also shows what role religion will play in the government in the Middle East going forward. Finally, this is a test of whether the United States and the Western world truly cares about spreading democracy, or if they are more concerned with maintaining stability in the region by suppressing the rise of elected Islamic groups.

My Question• Should the United States support President

Sisi’s regime in Egypt?– I am answering this question because it will help

me understand what is happening in the aftermath of the Revolution and whether or not the United States should support a leader who is not helping the Egyptian people achieve the goals they strove for during the Revolution.