About the Book
Egypt is at the axis of the Arab world. With the largest population, the largest industrial economy and the longest tradition of modern political activity it has profound influence across the region. But there have been few attempts to understand contemporary Egyptian society, in particular growing internal pressures for change and their implications for the Middle East and the wider world.
This book is the first for over 20 years to comprehensively and accesibly examine contemporary issues in Egypt. It presents a series of analyses of politics, culture and society, including many by Egyptian academics and activists. It addresses the turmoil created by imposition of neo-liberal economic policies, the increasingly fragile nature of an authoritarian regime, the influence of movements for democratic opening and popular participation, and the impacts of Islamism.
The authors argue that Egypt has entered a period of instability during which the "low-intensity democracy" embraced by the Mubarak regime faces multiple challenges, including demands for radical change. The book assesses the ability of the state to resist the new movements and the latters' capacity to fulfill their aims and suggests that events in Egypt have implications across the Global South.
What People Have Said About the Book
'Combines passion, scholarship and vision – a focused snapshot of this troubled moment in Egypt’s history with a competent resumé of how we got here. Its passion, clarity of thought and its vision should be an important contribution to the change we Egyptians know we have to make happen.' – Ahdaf Soueif
'Egypt is often referred to in the Western media as "a moderate Arab state" solely on the grounds of its friendly relations with the United States and Israel. But there is nothing moderate about its poverty, corruption, and political repression, as this book so ably demonstrates. Egypt: The Moment of Change is a valuable contribution to understanding the uncertain predicament of this important country.' – Talal Asad, City University of New York, Graduate Center
'The Editors produced an excellent and needed work, on that will certainly fill a void in the literature. In highlighting the basic issues in a straightforward manner and bringing these distinguished scholars together under one cover while at the same time, keeping their aims and discourse clear throughout the text, all involved in this project deserve our appreciation. This is one of the most up to date, critical, but academic, and well balanced work on today’s Egypt. For anyone and everyone interested in Egyptian or Middle Eastern politics and society, this is the book to read.' – Tareq Ismael, Professor of Political Science, University of Calgary