Researching the 2014 Constitutional Formation

Language: 
English
Sent On: 
Fri, 2014-06-20
Year: 
2014
Newsletter Number: 
25

One of the chief post-revolutionary battlegrounds in Egypt has been the writing of the nation’s constitution. In 2012 this struggle took place between Islamists and non-Islamists, the former of which had a controlling share in proceedings.

Exactly how much control is a matter of debate. Arab West Report studied the context and conducted interviews with concerned observers, resulting in a publication for the German organization Missio to illumine the issues. While Missio published in German, Arab-West Report published in English here.

One of the chief authors of that publication was AWR researcher Diana Serodio of Portugal, who has returned to Egypt to research similarly the 2014 constitution.

This document is nowhere near as contested along Islamist lines, for most Islamists boycotted the process following the overthrow of President Mursī. But the question for 2014 is not the overt struggle to control the process, but the internal workings which produced key articles.

For this task AWR conducted several interviews with members of the Committee of Fifty, tasked to amend the 2012 constitution. Serodio’s eventual publication will consider their direct testimony in addition to analysis concerning the context of the process.

This newsletter features three interviews and one analysis.

Click here for the perspective of Mus’ad Abu al-Fajr, in particular as concerns his region of the Sinai.

Click here for the perspective of Sayyid Hijāb, who had the task of writing the constitution’s preamble.

Click here for the perspective of Sa’d al-Dīn al-Hilālī, an Azhar scholar opposed to its religious clauses.

Click here for analysis of the Supreme Constitutional Court and sharī‘ah, tasked by the constitution with its interpretation.

Serodio’s publication is due for publication by Missio later this year. Arab West Report will provide further updates as it progresses. Meanwhile, those interested in the topic are more than welcome to join our Forum Meeting on June 24. During this interactive lecture Serodio shall be discussing the evolution and changes in the Egyptian Constitutional texts of 2012 and 2014, shedding light on major themes such as religion, the status of women, basic rights and freedoms, the structure of the government and the system of checks and balances.

For more information please check our Facebook event here.

 

Jayson Casper

Researcher AWR