The conundrum brought on by the overthrow of the Muhammed Morsi government in Egypt represents the greatest test for democracy as we know it. It represents the limited power of the ballot as we know it and breeds perpetual disorder.
There seems a growing trend of taking to the streets to achieve political change, which is being seen across the world as a major challenge to the ideal of democratic change by the orderly process of the ballot box.
The bedrock of democracy is majority rule with minority rights and there should be some checks and balances on the exercise of power. The problem for the Middle East is that while many in the West profess the need for democracy, they sometimes loathe the outcome of the ballot.
This, unfortunately, is what happened in Egypt. It is being suggested that Islamic parties viewing Morsi’s fate will be justified in asserting that democracy is not the genuine path to power. After all, if street demonstrations can topple elected governments, why bother with the process?
It should not be forgotten that the Brotherhood is used to repression. Ever since the party was formed in 1928, it has been a largely underground force, with hundreds of members arrested, tortured and executed.
As a result of this long persecution, it was the only organized opposition party to seize the opportunity offered by the popular uprising against Hosni Mubarak. In one sense, the mass demonstrations in Tahrir Square against the increasingly unpopular Morsi mirrored the protests in Turkey’s Taksim Square.
It is said that both events represent the fault line in many Muslim countries between conservative and secular elements in the society.
This clash of opposing ideologies is at the heart of the struggle in Egypt.
Even though Morsi was seen as an ineffective pawn of the Brotherhood, he was hindered by the judiciary and the bureaucracy. The economy suffered as tourism – Egypt’s major foreign exchange earner – was badly affected by persistent unrest.
The reality is that while many powers in Europe and the United States talk about democratic reform in the Middle East, they would rather prefer to see secular, pro-Western governments in office, even if headed by army generals.
The celebration in Tahrir Square is not as a result of the resignation of an iron-fisted dictator; it’s actually the ouster of a democratically elected president.
Though Morsi might have failed in many ways, the unrest was responsible for destroying the tourism industry and the economy. If it is democracy Egyptians want, it will not cure all of Egypt’s problems in a few months.
