Violence Escalates Between Security Forces and

Protesters in Egypt http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/2013/08/egypt-update

Clashes between Egyptian law enforcement and supporters of the ousted Egyptian President

Mohammed Morsi continue to escalate, prompting fears that Egypt could follow nearby Syria

into civil war.

The current violence in Egypt began when military leaders ousted democratically elected

President Morsi in a coup in early July, barely a year after he took office.

Members of the Muslim Brotherhood, Morsi’s main support base, protested the coup and built

camps around Cairo to sustain their opposition. But the military cracked down on the

demonstrations, killing at least 72 protesters in one day in late July.

Since then, the military and police have vowed to crush the protests. Their harsh tactics have

resulted in the deaths of nearly 1,000 people and more than 100 police officers.

“The objective wasn't to use massive force,” Mohamed Tawfik, Egypt’s ambassador to the

United States, told the NewsHour about the crackdown. “The objective wasn't to get anyone

killed. The objective was to apply the rule of law.”

However, the violence seems has bolstered the case of the Muslim Brotherhood, who have

traditionally held the role of the oppressed opposition group within Egypt.

“We have no guns. We have no -- we have water, only water. We have our bodies, only our

bodies,” said one protester.

“They have stolen our votes, and we want our votes back,” said another. “And we are not going

to leave the streets, whatever happens, before getting the democracy back.”

Recently, Mohammed al-Baradei, a Nobel laureate and prominent secular political leader who

helped organize the Egyptian revolution in 2011, stepped down from his post as Egypt’s interim

vice president in protest over the violent tactics of the military.

Crackdown considered threat to a democratic Egyptian future

The military removed President Morsi from office July 3 after citizens held massive rallies to

protest his job performance. Frustration stemmed from the bleak economy, high

unemployment, a tourism industry that has not recovered from the 2011 uprising and major

fuel shortages that have caused transportation pains.

“No, the army didn’t carry out a coup,” said Egyptian protester Rida Abdul Malak. “This is the

people’s will. The Muslim Brotherhood has failed. They failed to govern.”

However, as the country failed to accept its first-ever democratically elected leader, some

worry that the country is not yet ready for a democratic system of government.

“Incremental change produces more durable results; liberal democracies must be constructed

from the ground up,” wrote Georgetown University professor Charles A. Kupchan in a recent

New York Times op-ed. “Constitutional constraints, judicial reform, political parties, economic

privatization — these building blocks of democratic societies need time to take root.”

Egypt waits on elections

As the military, police and protesters battle on the streets of Cairo, the Egyptian people wait to

vote in new elections.

Judge Adly Mansour has been sworn in as the country’s temporary leader. Mansour is the

former chief justice of Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court, who says he will uphold the spirit

of the 2011 revolution while quickly organizing new presidential and parliamentary elections.

“I vow to safeguard the republican system and to respect the law and constitution and to look

after the interests of the people and to preserve the independence of the homeland and its

safety,” he said at his swearing-in ceremony.

Despite these promises, no dates have been announced for elections.

Using NewsHour Extra Feature Stories

Violence Escalates Between Security Forces and

Protesters in Egypt http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/2013/08/egypt-update

August 22, 2013

WARM UP ACTIVITY

Egypt Revolution Basics

1. Give students the Egypt Pre-Quiz (located below) to test what they already know about the

country. Collect their quizzes for now. You will return them at the end of the class and let them

re-take the quiz on the bottom of the Pre-Quiz sheet.

2. Share the Egypt Basic Facts page with students and answer any questions that come up

during the review.

3. As a class, go through the Egypt Timeline that covers the important recent history of Egypt.

You may choose to watch some of the videos as you scroll through depending on how much

time you have.

4. After you go through the timeline hand out the Important Dates in Egyptian Revolution

spreadsheet and ask students, in pairs, to go back through the list of events. Instruct them that

they need to:

Choose the 15 most important events from the timeline.

Explain its importance in column four.

5. As a class go through the entire sheet together and have students raise their hands when an

event they ranked as a top 15.

Main Activities

1. Different Points of View

1. Have students read the article “Egypt” for more information about the current situation in

Egypt and as a class ask the students to do the following:

How do supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood see the situation?

What is military’s the point of view on the situation?

What other points of view may exist?

2. You be interim President Adly Mansour! (A 4 Corners Activity)

The country of Egypt is on the brink of a bloody civil war. President Mubarak- who ruled for 40

years- was thrown out of office, and was replaced in a democratic election by President

Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. After mass demonstrations against Morsi, who

had achieved little of what he had promised in the last year, he stepped down from

power. Although the majority of the country had supported the ousting of Morsi, Egyptians

from the Muslim Brotherhood protested his removal by setting up tent cities in the capital and

refusing to leave until Morsi was reinstated.

Last week the military decided to use lethal force to remove the tent cities, resulting in the

deaths of hundreds of people and injuring thousands more. You are receiving increasing

pressure from outside influences to put an end to the violence or military and financial support

will be taken away. With your country in crisis, what do you do!?

Do nothing- waiting this out is the best solution.

Return disposed President Morsi to power immediately.

Call for new elections immediately.

Decide to run the country yourself as a dictator and make sweeping changes with the

support of the military.

1. Read students the scenario and the four choices. Ask students to choose which solution they

would pick if they were in charge and to go stand in that corner.

2. Allow students several minutes to come up with reasons supported by evidence that their

solution is the best as a group.

3. Have each group share out their arguments as to why their solution is the best, and then

allow students to change corners if their minds have been changed after listening to the other

groups.

Egypt Fact Sheet

The modern country of Egypt, spanning between the far northeast corner of Africa and the westernmost tip of

Asia, is located in one of the most geographically important places on the planet. At around 85 million people, it is

one of the most populous countries in the Middle East and Africa, and home to the region’s largest city, Cairo.

Before the Arab Spring protests of 2011 paved the way for democratic elections in Egypt, the country had been

ruled for 30 years by President Hosni Mubarak, a strong-armed leader who justified his tactics by claiming that he

was maintaining security and order in the face of religious extremists.

Egypt may be best known for being a “cradle of civilization”, as one of the

world’s first major civilizations. Its strategic location along the Nile River

helped foster a cultural legacy that includes mummies, the pyramids and the

predecessor to paper.

EGYPT FACTS – from the CIA World Factbook

Geography

Total area: 1,001,450 sq km (30th largest in the world, and slightly more than

three times the size of New Mexico)

Water: Bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to

the East. Egypt has control over the Suez Canal, the only sea link between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean

Sea.

People

Languages: Arabic is the official language, though English and French are widely understood

Religion: 90 percent of Egyptians are Muslim (majority Sunni), 9 percent are Coptic Christian, while 1 percent are

other types of Christians

Population: 85.3 million people (15th most in the world)

Government

Capital: Cairo (population 11 million)

Executive: Interim President Adly Mansour

Type of government: currently in flux

Economy

GDP: $548.8 billion (27th largest in the world)

Unemployment rate: 13.5 percent (134th in the world, but nearly double that of the U.S.)

Egypt Pre-Quiz

1. Name one country that Egypt shares a border with:

2. What is the largest city in Egypt?

3. What is a revolution? Are they always violent? Name one you have studied before.

4. What kind of government does Egypt have?

5. Who is President Hosni Mubarak?

6. Who is President Mohammed Morsi?

7. Who is the Muslim Brotherhood?

8. What is significant about Tahrir Square?

9. What is the military’s role in Egypt?

10. What is the state of the current relationship between the US and Egypt?

Egypt Pre-Quiz

1. Name one country that Egypt shares a border with:

2. What is the largest city in Egypt?

3. What is a revolution? Are they always violent? Name one you have studied before.

4. What kind of government does Egypt have?

5. Who is President Hosni Mubarak?

6. Who is President Mohammed Morsi?

7. Who is the Muslim Brotherhood?

8. What is significant about Tahrir Square?

9. What is the military’s role in Egypt?

10. What is the state of the current relationship between the US and Egypt?

Number Date Event Votes

1 1/25/2011 The "Day of Anger"

2 1/28/2011 Egypt goes offline

3 1/29/2011 Mubarak fires cabinet

4 2/4/2011 The "Day of Departure"

5 2/11/2011 Mubarak steps down

6 2/12/2011 The military takes power

7 3/4/2011 A new prime minister

8 3/19/2011 Constitutional referendum

9 4/13/2011 Mubarak arrested

10 5/24/2011 Mubarak trial announced

11 10/9/2011 Troops kill protesters

12 11/21/2011 Government to resign

13 4/14/2012Muslim Brotherhood candidate disqualified,

Morsi Emerges

14 5/23/2012 Presidential elections

15 6/14/2012 Parliament dissolved

16 6/16/2012 Presidential runoff election

17 6/30/2012 Morsi takes oath of office

18 8/12/2012 Military leaders to retire

19 11/19/2012 Constitutional assembly boycott

20 11/22/2012 Morsi takes more power

21 11/30/2012 Islamists take over constitution

22 12/4/2012 Demonstrators protest new constitution

23 12/15/2012 New constitution approved

24 12/29/2012 Egyptian economy in peril

25 1/25/2013 Revolution passes two-year mark

26 1/26/2013 Protesters killed in Port Said

27 4/7/2013 Religious tension escalates

28 6/23/2013 Shiites under attack

29 6/30/2013 Calls for Morsi resignation

30 7/1/2013 Morsi recieves ultimatum

31 7/3/2013 Military overthrows Morsi

32 7/4/2013 Mansour sworn in

33 7/8/2013 Brotherhood protesters killed

34 7/27/2013 Crackdown on protesters kills at least 72

35 8/7/2013 Diplomatic efforts fail

36 8/14/2013Security forces attack pro-Morsi protest

camps

37 8/16/2013 Morsi supporters stage "Day of Rage"

38 8/19/2013 Mubarak to be released from prison

39 8/20/2013 Muslim Brotherhood leader arrested

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