Contemporary trends in Egyptian intellectual movements

Abstract

This chapter discusses the contemporary trends in Egyptian intellectual currents after the 2011 revolution. It starts by shedding light on the contemporary intellectual transformations of political Islam and its manifestation in the Egyptian public sphere, and the most important transformations it faced as a result of the new political opportunities. In this context, the chapter discusses the different currents of Islamism in the state, like Salafism, Ikhwan (Muslim Brotherhood), and more liberal Islamists, and the role of Sufism and its relation to society and state bureaucracy. In addition to the description of their role, the chapter analyzes in depth the main intellectual transformations that occurred in the general perception of state and society after the revolution. Then it discusses the main trends in reforming religious discourse and the role of the state and its institutions vis-à-vis the political Islam currents, on one hand, and the struggle within the state institutions over the interpretation of the notion of “religious reform,” on the other hand, and the dispute between the various factions over controlling the public religious sphere. The third part spots the main transformations that took place in the contemporary Arab Nationalism trend and the main transformations it underwent after the revolution in Egypt, as the military dictatorship was considered as an outcome of this trend. The chapter discusses the main transformations in this trend as a result of the revolution, and the criticism that was directed to its ideas and practices and the endeavour for correcting its path and compass. In the final part, the chapter discusses the rise of the extreme national right in Egypt, supported by the military institution, within the main context of securitization of the public sphere in the wake of the 2013 military coup, with the state’s endeavour to regain its full control on the media and newspapers, and its impact on the intellectual atmosphere in the state.