For more than 80 years the Muslim Brotherhood craved the possibility of ruling Egypt. This difficult and at times seemingly insurmountable goal was finally reached in July 2012 with the historical election of Mohammed Morsi as Egypt’s first civilian president. Elected with a razor thin majority, President Morsi began his term hoping to realize the aspirations of millions of Egyptians who in 2011 rose up against the 30-year rule of President Hosny Mubarak.  However, only a year later, Morsi himself was toppled by a combination of yet another popular uprising and an ensuing intervention by the Egyptian military. Why and how did this occur? This seminar aims to critically evaluate one year of Muslim Brotherhood rule. It will provide an understanding of the various factors, players and dynamics that have led to Morsi’s ouster, and discuss the potential ways forward for Egypt’s turbulent transition to democracy.

Adel Abdel Ghafar is a PhD scholar at the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies and a Visiting Fellow at the American University in Cairo (AUC). His research investigates the political economy of the 2011 Egyptian uprising. He has recently returned from Egypt after 10 months of fieldwork research where he experienced much of the ongoing upheaval first hand. The seminar will include photos and video footage personally taken during the most recent June 30th protests that lead to the ouster of President Morsi.