www.reportage-bygeyimages.com Barely twelve months have passed since the erupon of Egypt's Tahrir revoluon, an unexpected mass movement which managed to unseat one of the Middle East's most established autocracies in just 18 days. But ending the rule of Hosny Mubarak and following a new democrac path for the most populous country in the Arab world has proven to be as tricky as deciphering the secret of the Sphinx. As the results of the first-ever compeve parliamentary elecons are made known, the polical configuraon of Egypt seems to be undergoing a massive shake-up. Aſter decades in the underground, the Islamist forces have finally become legimate polical pares, now backed by a strong popular vote. Secular voices, badly organized and divided, have become a minority in the People's Assembly. This parliament's tasks are extremely sensive: selecng the commiee which will draſt the next Egypan Constuon and therefore, defining the much expected presidenal elecons. All this in the context of a dire economic situaon, sectarian clashes between Muslims and Chrisans, disgruntled revoluonaries who feel betrayed by the turn of events and the ever-present military council changing deadlines and rules of the game. Through the eyes of Egypans who are taking part in the polical change, but also through its observers and detractors, we look into the current process by exploring the cizens' personal accounts and biases. Confusion, change of skin, hope, disappointment, conflicng legimacies, lack of fear, second revoluon are some of the words we heard during the encounters. A former military general, a provocave arst, a potenal female presidenal candidate, a student, a Copc acvist, a secular party member, a Salafist businessman, an elected parliamentarian from the Muslim Brotherhood, a Tahrir square camping revoluonary, a Muslim scholar from Al Azhar, an acvist from the worker's movement, and a bookseller in downtown Cairo tell us about their feelings regarding the so-called Egypan transion. Tahrir: 1 Year On Photographs by Alvaro Ybarra Zavala CAIRO, EGYPT - JANUARY 2012: Amr Zaki is a newly elected member of the People's Assembly as part of the Freedom and Jusce Party (The Muslim Brotherhood). He is an architect with master's degree in urban planning from the University of Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom. He says, "Polically, we are stood before a complete change of skin, which is economically paused, and in the making socially."
Transcript
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Barely twelve months have passed since the eruption of Egypt's Tahrir revolution, an unexpected mass movement which managed to unseat one of the Middle East's most established autocracies in just 18 days. But ending the rule of Hosny Mubarak and following a new democratic path for the most populous country in the Arab world has proven to be as tricky as deciphering the secret of the Sphinx.
As the results of the first-ever competitive parliamentary elections are made known, the political configuration of Egypt seems to be undergoing a massive shake-up. After decades in the underground, the Islamist forces have finally become legitimate political parties, now backed by a strong popular vote. Secular voices, badly organized and divided, have become a minority in the People's Assembly. This parliament's tasks are extremely sensitive: selecting the committee which will draft the next Egyptian Constitution and therefore, defining the much expected presidential elections. All this in the context of a dire economic situation, sectarian clashes between Muslims and Christians, disgruntled revolutionaries who feel betrayed by the turn of events and the ever-present military council changing deadlines and rules of the game. Through the eyes of Egyptians who are taking part in the political change, but also through its observers and detractors, we look into the current process by exploring the citizens' personal accounts and biases. Confusion, change of skin, hope, disappointment, conflicting legitimacies, lack of fear, second revolution are some of the words we heard during the encounters. A former military general, a provocative artist, a potential female presidential candidate, a student, a Coptic activist, a secular party member, a Salafist businessman, an elected parliamentarian from the Muslim Brotherhood, a Tahrir square camping revolutionary, a Muslim scholar from Al Azhar, an activist from the worker's movement, and a bookseller in downtown Cairo tell us about their feelings regarding the so-called Egyptian transition.
Tahrir: 1 Year OnPhotographs by Alvaro Ybarra Zavala
CAIRO, EGYPT - JANUARY 2012: Amr Zaki is a newly elected member of the People's Assembly as part of the Freedom and Justice Party (The Muslim Brotherhood). He is an architect with master's degree in urban planning from the University of Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom. He says, "Politically, we are stood before a complete change of skin, which is economically paused, and in the making socially."
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CAIRO, EGYPT - JANUARY 2012: Mohamed Nur is a physicist and also has a master's degree in business administration. He is director of a multimedia company which produces Islamic content for the iPhone and iPad. He is also a spokesman of the Salafist al-Nur political party. He says, "It was not a surprise winning such a high percentage of the vote, even with the aggression of other parties and the media. We have more surprises, such as the national initiative to ensure the success of the next parliament through coalitions that we have offered to all other parties."
CAIRO, EGYPT - JANUARY 2012: Bouthaina Kamel is a journalist who became famous for her 'Nocturnal Confessions' program. She could have participated in these elections but preferred the more difficult revolutionary way and presented herself as the only female presidential candidate. She says, "Personally I have no fear of any force and have faith in the future, but there has been an enormous amount of irregularities that have made parliament a weak body, which also has a short life of 10 months".
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CAIRO, EGYPT - JANUARY 2012: Ghada Kamal is a doctor in pharmaceuticals, but has been unemployed since being brutally beaten last November. She is an activist of the April 6 Youth Movement, which represents workers in the textile industry. She says, "Our people suffer from ignorance and much has been staked on religion and politics. They have been told that by voting for one party they will enter paradise while liberals are apostates, and they believe this".
CAIRO, EGYPT - JANUARY 2012: Khaled Hafez interrupted his medical career to retrain as a painter and visual artist. He says that his work has always been considered politically incorrect. His latest exhibition deals with the revolution and Stockholm syndrome through symbols. "We are in a moment of confusion," he says.
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CAIRO, EGYPT - JANUARY 2012: Mahmoud Azab is a former professor of Islamic civilization and religion at the University of Al Azhar and the Sorbonne. From October 2010, and at the request of the imam of Al Azhar, the seat of Sunni Islam, he is now director of the centre for dialogue within and outside the university. He says, "The Egyptians are aware of a change of the basis of society and we are trying to remember it. The real changes begin now and there will be many obstacles."
CAIRO, EGYPT - JANUARY 2012: Mahmoud Khalaf is a general who retired in 1999, and was previously in active duty in the wars of 1967 and 1973. He later went on to serve as Governor of Luxor, and is now an adviser at the higher military academy in Nasser, as well as a strategic expert frequently appearing in Egyptian media.
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CAIRO, EGYPT - JANUARY 2012: Rowan el Shimi is a journalist working as a freelancer for several Egyptian media titles, and writes primarily about culture and development issues.
CAIRO, EGYPT - JANUARY 2012: Nourane Sherif is a student and independent audiovisual artist. With regard to women's rights, she says, "We don't know what will happen with the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafists, but for now I am concerned that the military council have trampled the rights of all the Egyptians, that is the real danger."
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CAIRO, EGYPT - JANUARY 2012: Ehab Kharrat is a psychiatrist and program coordinator for the prevention and rehabilitation for drug addicts and HIV sufferers. He is one of the five founders of the Social Democratic Social Party of the center-left, who are integrated into the secular Egyptian Coalition Bloc. "We entered these elections with embryonic parties, contrary to our Islamic competitors," he says.
CAIRO, EGYPT - JANUARY 2012: Dalia Ziada is a member of the liberal El-Adl party, and was on the list of candidates, but didn't win a seat. In fact, for now, only one member of El-Adl has managed to gain a seat in parliament. Dalia is a blogger, feminist and human rights activist, and has been awarded with the Euro-Mediterranean Anna Lindh journalist award. She is also a member of the American Islamic Congress.
CAIRO, EGYPT - JANUARY 2012: Yara Mekawei is a commissioner and electronic music DJ. She says, "I feel that people are ready to make a second revolution to complete the first incomplete mission. Parliamentary elections were not fraudulent but a lot was risked with them. There is much confusion and there is nothing correct happening."
CAIRO, EGYPT - JANUARY 2012: Mark Gamal is a professor of Arabic and a translator. He is Coptic and had never participated in a demonstration before January 25th, 2011. He was arrested on the first day of the revolution and not released until 24 hours later.
CAIRO, EGYPT - JANUARY 2012: Salah Madbouli is the son of the owner and current manager of the famous Madbouli library. He says, "Before there was security, in times of Abdel Nasser and Sadat, and there was wellbeing. Now where is the life and freedom? I only see destruction and crime. Hopefully Hosni Mubarak will return. Those who spoiled the country were us."
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CAIRO, EGYPT - JANUARY 2012: Nasser Zamel is an activist and revolutionary, who is a hospitality graduate from the American University in Cairo, Egypt. He then taught yoga and scuba diving in Dahab, Sinai. He is currently unemployed, sleeping in Tahrir Square.
CAIRO, EGYPT - JANUARY 2012: Hany Hanna is the director of restoration of antiquities on the Supreme Council of Antiquities, and an activist head of the citizen-led Revolutionary Committee of Unity and Action. He says, "We are waiting for the completion of the revolution, it has not ended. The rights of the Copts are the rights of all the Egyptians."
CAIRO, EGYPT - JANUARY 2012: Hatem Seoudi works as an expert in social networking in a digital advertising agency.
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The full set of 17 images is available via your local Getty Images office.Full text / interviews available separately from their author, journalist Karim Hausser (contact info provided on request).
