In the aftermath of the 2011 protests that ousted Egyptian Dictator Muhammad Hosni El Sayed Mubarak (May 4, 1928 – February 25, 2020), the political landscape in Egypt has taken a gloomy turn. General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi‘s 2013 overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi marked a drastic shift, eroding genuine political discourse and leading to a severe crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood, labelling them a terrorist organisation. Egypt, once a central player in the Arab World, now seems a shadow of its former self.

This historical context is crucial to understanding Egypt’s ideological battleground in the 20th Century, particularly during the Liberal Era of the 1930s and 1940s. The struggle for the nation’s soul unfolded after the dissolution of the Ottoman Caliphate in 1924, with secularists, socialists and Islamists competing for legitimacy. The 1952 revolution led by Gamal Abdel Nasser (January 15, 1918 – September 28, 1970) marked a turning point, shaping the enduring conflict between Secular Nationalism and Islamism.

In Fawaz Gerges‘ ‘Making the Arab World’, the intricate interplay of two influential figures, Nasser and Sayyid Ibrahim Husayn Qutb (October 9, 1906 – August 29, 1966), is explored. While remembered as adversaries, Gerges has unveiled a more nuanced narrative, exposing the complex motivations behind their ideologies.

Nasser’s early association with the Muslim Brotherhood, later strained by power struggles, and Qutb’s transformation from a literary critic to a prominent Islamist, highlight the fluidity of political affiliations during this crucial period.

Gerges’ meticulous research emphasises the contingency of ideologies, illustrating how events shape and redefine political landscapes. The divergent paths of Nasser and Qutb, driven by personal ambitions and power dynamics, unravel a captivating story of Egypt’s past.

As the struggle between Secularists and Islamists persists in the Middle East, Making the Arab World serves as both a historical reflection on a troubled revolution and a cautionary tale for the region’s future.

Talk Diplomacy first published this article on February 13, 2024.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das