Egypt, Under New Management
Since I arrived in Cairo in September 2014, Egypt has been under the rule of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who was elected president a few months earlier in May. While he has elicited both love and its hate from his fellow Egyptians, the most interesting change from my past trips to the country was the overwhelming and at times unrealistic hopes that so many pinned to Sisi. As head of military intelligence under Hosni Mubarak and the minister of defense under Mohamed Mursi, Sisi has been a figure in government for a long time. But after leading the ouster of Mursi following protests against the Muslim Brotherhood-led rule, Sisi has become the face of Egyptians' aspirations of restoring their country as a regional and global power.
Over this year, it's become clear that much of life in Egypt has gone on just as it has before, with little or no change despite those lofty dreams. The economy has improved, though not in a way most Egyptians can feel. Islamic extremism has become worse as those whose comrades and family were swept up in a far-reaching crackdown seek revenge. Violence has begun to reach parts of the country thought to be immune as homegrown jihadists reach out to al Qaeda and Islamic State extremists for guidance. And while many still profess their unshaken admiration for the man at the top, others begin to worry that their faith was misplaced, or that placing so much faith in any man, no matter who he is, is a recipe for disappointment.
A butcher hangs a piece of meat during a festival celebrating the birthday of Sayeda Zainab, the granddaughter of the Prophet Mohammad, near her shrine in Cairo, May 12, 2015.
Young men on al-Qasr al-Aini hand out juice and water to drivers as the muezzin calls out marking the Maghrib prayer that indicates the end of a day of fasting during Ramadan in Cairo, June 27, 2015.
Nurses at the hospital treating the mortally wounded public prosecutor look down on the security forces below, in Cairo, Egypt, June 29, 2015. Egypt's top prosecutor was assassinated by an extremist group in retaliation for what government critics say is a crackdown on Islamists.
Police officers and civilians gawk at the damage done to cars and buildings at the scene of the car bomb that killed Egypt's top public prosecutor, in Cairo, Egypt, June 29, 2015. Hesham Barakat was the most senior Egyptian government official assassinated in decades.
Aboard a ship on a tour of Egypt's expansion to the Suez Canal
A cow is transported in al-Haram, Cairo, on Eid al-Adha, the Muslim celebration of Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son for God, October 4, 2014
Beach on the Red Sea in Alexandria, Egypt
A ride at a festival celebrating the birthday of Sayeda Zainab, the granddaughter of the Prophet Mohammad, near her shrine in Cairo, May 12, 2015.
A view of the working class neighborhood across Salah Salem Street from the lush Al Azhar Park in Cairo, Egypt, January 31, 2015.
The mask of King Tutankhamun on display at the Egyptian Museum on Saturday January 24, 2014 in Cairo, Egypt. The museum admitted on Saturday that workers had accidentally unattached the beard of one of Egypt's most treasured artifacts and then tried to reattach it using epoxy glue in August 2014. The museum did not acknowledge the incident until photographs showing a ring of glue around the boy king's beard began to circulate this week. The incident has brought into question whether Egypt can take care of its many priceless artifacts.
A woman walks near sacks filled with wheat in the inaugural warehouse of Egypt’s new nationwide wheat storage system, designed by U.S. based Blumberg Grains, in Alexandria, Egypt, July 7, 2015. The sites are connected to a “command centre” in Cairo where the government can keep track of how much wheat is in storage nationwide and monitor for fraud and spoilage. If all goes according to plan, the warehouses could help Egypt, the world's top wheat importer, achieve a goal of cutting its $3 billion bread subsidy bill by reducing waste and corruption in the supply line. REUTERS/Shadi Bushra
Am Tayeb shades himself in Shubra Kheit, Egypt, about 150 km north of Cairo, on July 29, 2015. Recent reversals in cotton policy have left cotton producers questioning the government's commitment to the once-prized export. (Reuters/Shadi Bushra)
Egypt, Under New Management
Since I arrived in Cairo in September 2014, Egypt has been under the rule of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who was elected president a few months earlier in May. While he has elicited both love and its hate from his fellow Egyptians, the most interesting change from my past trips to the country was the overwhelming and at times unrealistic hopes that so many pinned to Sisi. As head of military intelligence under Hosni Mubarak and the minister of defense under Mohamed Mursi, Sisi has been a figure in government for a long time. But after leading the ouster of Mursi following protests against the Muslim Brotherhood-led rule, Sisi has become the face of Egyptians' aspirations of restoring their country as a regional and global power.
Over this year, it's become clear that much of life in Egypt has gone on just as it has before, with little or no change despite those lofty dreams. The economy has improved, though not in a way most Egyptians can feel. Islamic extremism has become worse as those whose comrades and family were swept up in a far-reaching crackdown seek revenge. Violence has begun to reach parts of the country thought to be immune as homegrown jihadists reach out to al Qaeda and Islamic State extremists for guidance. And while many still profess their unshaken admiration for the man at the top, others begin to worry that their faith was misplaced, or that placing so much faith in any man, no matter who he is, is a recipe for disappointment.