Sunday, 7 January 2018

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Egyptian revolution of 2011

Egyptian revolution of 2011

Source - wikipedia
The Egyptian revolution of 2011, locally known as the January 25 Revolution(Egyptian Arabic: ثورة 25 يناير‎; Thawret 25 yanāyir),[21] began on 25 January 2011 and took place across all of Egypt. The date was set by various youth groups to coincide with the annual Egyptian "police day" as a statement against increasing police brutality during the last few years of Mubarak's presidency. It consisted of demonstrations, marches, occupations of plazas, non-violentcivil resistance, acts of civil disobedience and strikes. Millions of protesters from a range ofsocio-economic and religious backgrounds demanded the overthrow of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. The revolution started by calls for protests from online youth groups. Initially these included liberal, anti-capitalist, nationalist, and feminist elements, but they finally included Islamist elements as well. Violent clashes between security forces and protesters resulted in at least 846 people killed and over 6,000 injured.[22][23] Protesters retaliated by burning over 90 police stations across the country.[24] The protests took place in Cairo, Alexandria, and in all major cities across the nation.
2011 Egyptian revolution
Part of the Egyptian Crisis and the Arab Spring
Tahrir Square during 8 February 2011.jpg
Demonstrators in Cairo's Tahrir Square on 8 February 2011
Date25 January 2011 – 11 February 2011
(2 weeks and 3 days)
LocationEgypt
Caused by
Methods
Resulted in
Number
2,000,000 at Cairo's Tahrir square[15]
See: Regions section below.
Casualties
Death(s)
Injuries6,467 people[16]
Arrested12,000[20]
The Egyptian protesters' grievances focused on legal and political issues,[25] includingpolice brutality, state-of-emergency laws,[1]lack of free elections and freedom of speech, corruption,[2] and economic issues including high unemployment, food-price inflation[3] and low wages.[1][3] The protesters' primary demands were the end of the Mubarak regime and emergency law, freedom, justice, a responsive non-military government and a voice in managing Egypt's resources.[26]Strikes by labour unions added to the pressure on government officials.[27]
During the uprising, the capital Cairo was described as "a war zone"[28] and the port city of Suez saw frequent violent clashes. Protesters defied a government-imposedcurfew, which was impossible to enforce by the police and military. Egypt's Central Security Forces, loyal to Mubarak, were gradually replaced by military troops. In the chaos, there was some looting by gangs which was instigated (according to opposition sources) by plainclothes police officers. In response, watch groups were organized by civilians to protect neighbourhoods.[29][30][31][32][33]
International reaction has varied, with most Western nations condoning peaceful protests but concerned about the stability of Egypt and the region. The Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions have influenced demonstrations in other Arab countries, including Yemen,Bahrain, Jordan, Syria and Libya.
Mubarak dissolved his government, appointing former head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate Omar Suleiman vice-president in an attempt to quell dissent. Mubarak asked aviation minister and former chief of Egypt's air force Ahmed Shafik(who ran for presidency later) to form a new government. Mohamed ElBaradei became a major opposition figure, with all major opposition groups supporting his role as negotiator for a transitional unity government.[34] In response to mounting pressure, Mubarak, in another attempt to contain the crisis, announced he did not intend to seek re-election in September.[35]
On 11 February 2011, Vice President Omar Suleiman announced that Mubarak would resign as president, turning power over to theSupreme Council of the Armed Forces(SCAF).[36] The military junta, headed by effective head of state Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, announced on 13 February that the constitution would be suspended, both houses of parliament dissolved and the military would rule for six months (until elections could be held). The previous cabinet, including Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik, would serve as a caretaker government until a new one was formed.[37]Shafik, seen by the masses as another Mubarak figure, resigned on 3 March, a day before major protests to force him to step down were planned, and was replaced by former transport minister Essam Sharaf.[38]On 24 May 2011, Mubarak was ordered to stand trial on charges of premeditated murderof peaceful protesters and, if convicted, could have faced the death penalty.[12] On 2 June 2012, Mubarak was found guilty of complicity in the murder of protesters and sentenced to life imprisonment, but the sentence was overturned on appeal and a retrial ordered.[39]A number of protesters, upset that others tried with Mubarak (including his two sons) were acquitted, took to the streets.[40]Mubarak was eventually cleared of all charges on 29 November 2014,[41] although Egypt's prosecutor general announced he would appeal the verdict.[42]
After the revolution against Mubarak and a period of rule by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, the Muslim Brotherhood took power in Egypt through a series of popular elections, with Egyptians electing IslamistMohamed Morsi to the presidency in June 2012.[43] However, Morsi's government encountered fierce opposition after his attempt to pass an Islamist constitution that followed extreme Islamist views. Morsi attempted also to change laws granting himself unparalleled powers like no other president in Egyptian history. It sparked general outrage from secularists and members of the military, and mass protestsbroke out against his rule on 28 June 2013.[44]On 3 July 2013, Morsi was deposed by a coup d'état led by the minister of defense, General Abdel Fattah El-Sisi[45] as millions of Egyptians took to the streets in support of early elections.[46] El-Sisi went on to become Egypt's president by popular election in 2014.[47]
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1327 King Edward II of England is deposed.

Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also called Edward of Caernarfon, wasKing of England from 1307 until he wasdeposed in January 1327. The fourth son ofEdward I, Edward became the heir to the throne following the death of his older brotherAlphonso. Beginning in 1300, Edward accompanied his father on campaigns to pacify Scotland, and in 1306 he was knightedin a grand ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Edward succeeded to the throne in 1307, following his father's death. In 1308, he married Isabella of France, the daughter of the powerful King Philip IV, as part of a long-running effort to resolve the tensions between the English and French crowns.
Edward II
Edward II - detail of tomb.jpg
King of England (more...)
Reign7 July 1307 – 25 January 1327
Coronation25 February 1308
PredecessorEdward I
SuccessorEdward III
Born25 April 1284
Caernarfon Castle, Gwynedd, Wales
Died21 September 1327 (aged 43)
Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire
Burial20 December 1327
Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucestershire, England
SpouseIsabella of France (m. 1308)
Issue
Detail
HousePlantagenet
FatherEdward I of England
MotherEleanor of Castile
Edward had a close and controversial relationship with Piers Gaveston, who had joined his household in 1300. The precise nature of Edward and Gaveston's relationship is uncertain; they may have been friends, lovers or sworn brothers. Gaveston's arrogance and power as Edward's favouriteprovoked discontent both among the baronsand the French royal family, and Edward was forced to exile him. On Gaveston's return, the barons pressured the King into agreeing to wide-ranging reforms called the Ordinances of 1311. The newly empowered barons banished Gaveston, to which Edward responded by revoking the reforms and recalling his favourite. Led by Edward's cousin, the Earl of Lancaster, a group of the barons seized and executed Gaveston in 1312, beginning several years of armed confrontation. English forces were pushed back in Scotland, where Edward was decisively defeated by Robert the Bruceat the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.Widespread famine followed, and criticism of the King's reign mounted.
The Despenser family, in particular Hugh Despenser the Younger, became close friends and advisers to Edward, but in 1321 Lancaster and many of the barons seized the Despensers' lands and forced the King to exile them. In response, Edward led a short military campaign, capturing and executing Lancaster. Edward and the Despensers strengthened their grip on power, formally revoking the 1311 reforms, executing their enemies and confiscating estates. Unable to make progress in Scotland, Edward finally signed a truce with Robert. Opposition to the regime grew, and when Isabella was sent to France to negotiate a peace treaty in 1325, she turned against Edward and refused to return. Isabella allied herself with the exiled Roger Mortimer, and invaded England with a small army in 1326. Edward's regime collapsed and he fled into Wales, where he was captured in November. Edward was forced to relinquish his crown in January 1327 in favour of his fourteen-year-old son, Edward III, and he died in Berkeley Castle on 21 September, probably murdered on the orders of the new regime.
Edward's relationship with Gaveston inspiredChristopher Marlowe's 1592 play Edward II, along with other plays, films, novels and media. Many of these have focused on the possible sexual relationship between the two men. Edward's contemporaries criticised his performance as a king, noting his failures in Scotland and the oppressive regime of his later years, although 19th-century academics later argued that the growth of parliamentary institutions during his reign was a positive development for England over the longer term. Debate has continued into the 21st century as to whether Edward was a lazy and incompetent king, or simply a reluctant and ultimately unsuccessful ruler.

Tuesday, 17 October 2017