CAIRO: While Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi mulls over the ongoing violence that has resulted from his recent decree last Thursday, Bikyamasr.com spoke to some of Egypt's educated youth in a bid to understand the sort of reaction the president's recent declaration has provoked. On Thursday, President Morsi gave himself new powers and blocked the judiciary's ability to challenge any of his decisions. This has many people accusing Egypt's first democratically elected president of assuming dictatorial powers, whilst others claim that, faced with a judiciary full of former regime figures, he had no choice but to act as he did. The youth were asked three questions: First, they were asked to give their opinion on the recent constitutional decree by the President. They were then asked if they thought the response by the protestors was warranted, and finally if they would personally go to Tahrir to protest. The most commonly used word in the responses was “dictator." All but one of those interviewed was of the belief that the president had overstepped his authority. The one person who did support the decision claimed that, in order to overcome the former regime-ridden judiciary, the president had to act as he did and that the decree should only exist temporarily. Several references were made to the Mubarak era and how such a decision represents a broken promise on the part of both the president and the Muslim Brotherhood. One interviewee even said that “I used to defend the Brotherhood until I heard of this decision," with another stating that by doing so, “he officially announced himself as a dictator." Another interviewee claimed that, by taking this decision, Morsi had shown his true intentions and those of the Brotherhood as a whole. If he had a problem with the judiciary, he could have just worked to cleanse its membership,” she argued. “This is just another indirect way of taking control." Regarding the popular response to the decision, however, the answers became much more varied. While most of those interviewed claimed to oppose any violence whatsoever, some were more understanding of those who committed violence against the Brotherhood and security forces. “What did they expect?" answered one angry activist. “If the president silences any form of verbal or other disagreement, then all the people are left with is violence.” She also pointed a finger at Islamists as a whole, citing their ever-increasing hardline attitudes as a cause. “I don't like it but that's how it's going to be." Another interviewee was even less hesitant in justifying violence, claiming that because the Brotherhood's supporters were committing violence with the aid of the security forces there was no other imaginable reaction. Most of the interviewees, however, were more pacifist in their leanings. “We are not barbarians,” replied one interviewee who viewed the recent attacks on Muslim Brotherhood offices with distaste. The general belief was that peaceful protests would achieve more than violence. “It's not only Morsi who's embarrassing the country, it's everyone else,” stated one interviewee who identified as a pacifist. “With the whole world's eyes on Egypt, we should not behave in such a way,” she said. One of the interviewees argued the point that those who commit violence are those who have been essentially abandoned by the state. These are the people who have nothing and thus nothing to lose, hence why they try to find purpose by placing themselves in the line of fire and fighting back. Regarding going to Tahrir Square itself, between a quarter and a third had already been there. Most of those who had been to Tahrir also expressed a willingness to go again. Over one-third, however, said that they would not go to Tahrir. The reasons given ranged from a disbelief in the effectiveness of protesting to a desire to look after one-self's safety. One of those interviewed had worked in the field hospitals in Tahrir, and emphasized the need to go to Tahrir as way to see what is really happening. In a bid to reassure opposition, the president announced on Sunday that the constitutional declaration of last week is only “temporary in nature.” Whether this will calm people's fears or be met with skepticism remains to be seen.
