“Egypt’s Opposition Parties: A ‘Loyal’ Opposition”
Samy Asfour

Since the establishment of the multi-party system in Egypt, opposition parties have been either co-opted or attempted to have an advisory function rather than making an effort to alter Government’s policy. However, their weakness cannot only be explained by the restrictions of their activities under the current authoritarian regime, but can be traced back to the origins of the multi-party system and the defective party structures. This paper tries to look at the opposition parties from another perspective, so that they are shown as being inefficient and incapable of forming an alternative policy to the ruling party.

“Islamic Movements in Political Reform”
Hanya El Bahar

This paper focuses on the political implications and effects of inclusion of Islamist movements in the political process in Egypt in light of the debate over the issue of democratization in the Middle East in general. The purpose of the paper will be to prove that inclusion indeed fosters moderation among proponents of political Islam and allows for a more constructive relation with the state that fosters pluralism and advances democracy.

“KEFAYA – An Egyptian Movement for Change”
Bahaa Ezzelarab

KEFAYA is a word Egyptians might get accustomed to in the coming period. Everyone agrees that Reform is desirable and necessary, yet almost everyone disagrees about what should be reformed and how reform should occur. This paper deals more with domestic calls for reform, focusing on Gamal Mubarak as the bet of the Egyptian government and the Egyptian Movement for Change –a.k.a. KEFAYA- as the representative of other reform-seekers. Through comparing them both, the paper will assess which party intends or has better chances of achieving desired levels of reform.

“Patterns of Democratization and State Controlled Pluralism”
Ahmed Dardir

Free elections, reform of the constitution, reform initiatives, political prisons, emergency law: the usual ingredients of the Egyptian political scene. Does all this lead to a process of democratization? While the regime is widening, can democracy work without mass participation? Is democracy a procedure or a nation wide project? Can democratization work under emergency laws? Can democratization work from above?

“Connotations of Urfi Marriage: Views of AUCians”
Yulia Akinfieva

The research looks at the attitudes of AUC students towards Ürfi marriage since the phenomenon is gaining popularity among university students. The government being aware of the trend is moving towards recognizing it and accommodating those who choose Úrfi being the most convenient and sometimes the only available option for being together.

“Egyptian Culture and the Role of AUC”
Iraj Sheidaee

Edward Said quite often lamented the reception of his book Orientalism in the Arab world, saying that it was not as deeply understood there as elsewhere, in India, in Europe, in Japan. Indeed, Arab intellectual life appears to be in a crisis. What is this crisis? How does this crisis bring to bear upon teaching and learning at AUC? How can we define AUC’s unique position within the cultural and intellectual landscape of Egypt and the Arab world, and its reform?