Democracy is the Answer

Alaa Al Aswany is the author of The Yacoubian Building and many other novels. Sarah Cleave is an editor at Gingko Library. Aran Byrne is the editor of East-West Divan, also published by the Gingko Library. Russell Harris is a curator, author, and translator. He works as an academic consultant at the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London and is the translator of Amin Maalouf's Samarkand and Ahmed Faqih's Gardens of the Night. Paul Naylor works as a researcher and translator for media clients such as Al Arabiya and PBS.

Al Aswany [is the] greatest living Egyptian novelist and the finest weather vane of the country s contemporary up-again, down-again revolutionary history. --Robert Fisk"

• Introduction ixChronology xiii2011The President Has Fallen but the Regime Still Stands, 1 March 1The Sickness of Dictatorship, 8 March 5Five Attitudes Towards the Revolution, 15 March 8Before the Revolution Becomes a Wasted Opportunity, 22 March 12What Did the Monkey Say to the Lion? 29 March 18Masters of Egypt, 5 April 21How to Fight Counter-revolution, 12 April 24The Writing on the Wall, 19 April 28Whale Like an Egyptian, Roar Like a Lion, 26 April 32How Did the Revolution Reach Montreal? 3 May 36Who Is Pushing Egypt Towards Chaos? 10 May 40Who Killed General al-Batran? 17 May 44Tyranny Begets Tyranny, 24 May 48Are We Living with Cannibals? 31 May 52Who Will Protect Egypt From the Police? 7 June 57Would a Civil State Allow Sharia Law? 14 June 62What to Expect from the Military Council, 21 June 67An Egyptian Mother to Field Marshal Tantawi, 28 June 70What is Holding the Military Council Back? 5 July 72Has the Revolution Gone Awry? 12 July 76The Story of Abu Shama, 19 July 80Do You Support the Revolution? 26 July 84How to Abolish the Revolution in Six Steps, 2 August 89How to Save the Revolution, 9 August 93The Interrogation of Asmaa Mahfouz, 16 August 97How Should We Respond to Israeli Aggression? 23 August 101God Bless Your Hands, Ali Farzat, 30 August 104Tomorrow You Will Stand Accused, 6 September 107The Revolution Must Continue, 20 September 111What Does Egypt Lack? 27 September 119Muslim, Christian or Human Being? 4 October 124Religious Fascism in Egypt, 11 October 127The Moment of Truth has Arrived, 17 October 131What the Military Council Didn’t Hear, 25 October 135A Conversation Between Two Important Men, 1 November 138Anxiety for the Future, 15 November 143The Emperor Has No Clothes, 22 November 148Five Questions About the Crisis, 29 November 152What Happened to the General? 13 December 156Defending Egypt’s Revolution, 20 December 160See No Evil, 27 December 1632012Five Types of Honourable Citizen, 3 January 167A Conversation Between a Revolutionary and an Honourable Citizen, 10 January 170What Does Mohamed ElBaradei Want? 16 January 175Why Should We Demonstrate Tomorrow? 24 January 179What Can We Expect from the Brotherhood and the Salafists? 31 January 183Four Telephone Calls in a Deluxe Hospital, 6 February 188When Will the Mubarak Regime Fall? 13 February 191Are They Really Religious? 20 February 195A Secret Report on a Consensus Candidate, 27 February 199When Will They Stop Insulting Us? 5 March 203Awaiting Military Trial, 12 March 207Who Will Welcome Pope Shenouda? 19 March 211You Can Have Your Constitution; We Will Have the Revolution, 26 March 216Do They Represent Islam? 2 April 220How to Become an Extra, 9 April 228How to Save the Revolution in Four Steps, 16 April 232Who Pays the Price for Dignity? 30 April 236A Conversation Between a Presidential Candidate and an Important Person, 7 May 239Are These Elections Fair? 21 May 244Before You Cast Your Vote, 4 June 248The Phenomenon of the Tame Citizen, 12 June 252How Did Mohamed Morsi Win? 25 June 256Are We Repeating el-Senhouri’s Mistake? 9 July 260A Future Imagined, 16 July 265Truth is a Virtue, 23 July 269Should We Support the Brotherhood or the Military Council? 30 July 273What is Egypt Waiting For? 6 August 277Heartfelt Joy and Rightful Concerns, 13 August 281Do Egyptians Resent Success? 27 August 284Are Egyptians Civilised? 3 September 289How to Make a Dictator, 11 September 292In Defence of the Prophet, 17 September 297Where is the President Taking Us? 24 September 301When Will the West Respect Us? 1 October 305The Art of Putting on Shoes, 8 October 309A President Who Serves Two Masters, 15 October 313On State Prestige and National Symbols, 22 October 318In Defence of Women, 5 November 322A Great Writer and a Good Friend, 12 November 326Before You Chop Off Our Hands, 19 November 332Some Questions and Answers About the Crisis, 26 November 336Who Can Cure the President? 10 December 337In Secret, 17 December 342How to Lie and Maintain Moral Purity, 24 December 346Where Does Your Money Come From? 31 December 3512013Being a Muslim in Britain, 7 January 359A Conversation Between a Revolutionary and a Good Citizen, 21 January 362Why Is Morsi Killing Egyptians? 28 January 367Six Ways to Keep Hold of Power, 4 February 371Exercises Upon Seeing the Sun, 11 February 375How Can Flexibility Kill Us? 18 February 379What Do You Do With Blood? 25 February 383An Angry Discussion in Mokattam, 4 March 387When Will Morsi Go? 11 March 392Who Respects Women? 18 March 396How Did the Faithful Muslim Become a Torturer? 25 March 400Having a Divine Mandate from God, 1 April 404Will Mubarak Keep His Smile? 15 April 408When Will Don Quixote Come to His Senses? 22 April 412How the News Will Look in the Future, 29 April 417Morsi and the Three Fish, 6 May 422A Conversation Between a Young Revolutionary and a Frustrated Citizen, 20 May 426Who Will Drive Out the Sheep? 27 May 431How to Break Free from Fascism, 3 June 435The Importance of Cinema, 10 June 439How Can the President Sleep at Night? 3 June 444Revolt or Die, 24 June 449Candid Thoughts on a Wonderful Scene, 8 July 453A Conversation Between a Revolutionary and a Muslim Brother, 15 July 457The Fate of Fujimori, 22 July 462Thoughts on the Course of the Revolution, 29 July 467An Emergency Meeting at the Zoo, 5 August 471Who Is Letting Egypt Down? 19 August 476Mistakes Made in the Midst of Battle, 26 August 480The Tragedy and Farce of Egypt’s Democracy, 2 September 485What Have We Learnt from the Disaster? 9 September 490Who is Iskandar Tusi? 16 September 494A Piece of Candy, 23 September 498The Disadvantages of Expediency, 30 September 503Are We Building a State or an Authority? 7 October 507Reflections from a Chambre de Bonne, 21 October 512Citizens or Tribesmen? 29 October 516The Story of the Hall of Mirrors, the Lord and His Servants, 4 November 520An Altercation at Maadi Hospital, 11 November 524How to Build a Modern Democratic State, 18 November 529Our Justice, May God Protect It, 2 December 532What Disturbed Rocca? 9 December 536Should We Approve the Constitution? 16 December 539Will You Detain All of Egypt? 23 December 544Old Realities Impact the Future, 30 December 5482014Does General el-Sisi Like Poetry? 6 January 552Some Remarks on a “Yes” Vote, 13 January 557What Do You Know About Chairophilia? 20 January 561Are Egyptians Looking for a Father? 27 January 565Let’s Listen to Them This Time, 3 February 569When Will Hajj Saleh Respond? 10 February 574The Revolution Is Going Backwards, 24 February 578In Defence of Adversaries, 3 March 582Down with the Virtual Republic, 10 March 586Reviewing the Lessons of History, 17 March 591From Albert Einstein to General el-Sisi, 31 March 595How Can We Stop the Conspiracy? 7 April 600On the Evils of Brainwashing, 14 April 604Our Way to Good Morals, 21 April 608What Happened to General el-Sisi? 28 April 612How to Become a Strategic Expert? 7 April 616A Conversation Between a Revolutionary and a Law-abiding Citizen, 5 May 620Who Dares Speak? 2 June 625Egyptians Who Missed the Celebration, 9 June 630A Message from an Undercover Agent, 16 June 635Afterword 639Glossary 641Index 649