As the unrest in Egypt builds, the political is personal for a few Colgate professors who have been drawn into the public discourse.
Bruce Rutherford, associate professor of political science and Middle Eastern and Islamic Civilization Studies, is the author of Egypt after Mubarak: Liberalism, Islam, and Democracy in the Arab World (Princeton Studies in Muslim Politics). He has been quoted widely after interviews with Bloomberg News (radio and TV), Radio Free Europe, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), The Huffington Post, al-Jazeera, and more.
In his 2008 book, Rutherford posited that while liberalism is likely to progress steadily in the future, the advance of true democracy would likely be slow.
“The key problem is the absence of a vibrant political opposition,” said Rutherford. “Mubarak went to great lengths to suppress his opponents. While opposition parties exist, they are weak and lack a broad popular following. As a consequence, there simply aren’t credible and well-organized parties or civil society groups that can participate in competitive elections. It will take some time for them to emerge and develop.”
Noor-Aiman Khan, assistant professor in history, has spent the past several days “more or less living online,” she said, “keeping up with the news through various sources on the ground or with Middle East expertise. Both my husband and I have done a lot of Facebook posting, especially translating Arabic news to English and answering questions.”
Khan’s husband, Nady Abdal-Ghaffar, is a lecturer in Arabic at Colgate.
Khan posted an Egypt primer (PDF) on her Facebook page, explaining why Egyptians are protesting. Soon thereafter, the primer was referenced by popular bloggers and Khan had dozens of friend requests from sympathizers following the conflict. She also has been contacted by national media for interviews.
“I am writing really for the layman — in other words, all the friends who are asking me,” Khan said. “I did not expect my posting to go viral, but since most of the news is talking in generalities, it seems my perspective is helpful for many in understanding the common people’s grievances.” Khan plans to continue posting her personal impressions as events evolve.
Daniel Monk, George R. and Myra T. Cooley Professor of peace and conflict studies and professor of geography and Middle East studies, focuses on the Israel-Palestine conflict. He, too, has been following the events in Egypt via web-based media coming out of the Middle East.
Monk said, “Conservatives within Israel and Palestine are already suggesting that what is taking place in Egypt supports their own convictions to hold firm, both against one another and against the moderates within their own nation. But both the Palestinian Authority and the government of Israel should understand that the real significance of the events in Egypt is that no government can ignore legitimate popular demands for basic rights of all citizens.”