At the beginning of the Arab Spring, the Obama administration thought it would be a good idea to get rid of Egyptian Dictator Hosni Mubarak. Although Mubarak passed away earlier this year after giving up his position and spending time in prison, he served as the peace keeper between much of the Arab world and Israel for 40 years. After his power was stripped, the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi was elected president of Egypt. Immediately after taking office, Morsi announced the possibility of not renewing the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, expressed strong interest in implementing Sharia law in the country, didn't bother stopping a 9/11 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Cairo when the American flag was ripped down and replaced with the flag of radical Islam, and although he is being credited with the cease fire between Israel and Hamas, it only happened because he needs the billions in aid the United States gives him every year. After all, Egypt's prime minister traveled to Gaza to show sympathy for Hamas, a terrorist organization, during the fighting before the cease fire. On top of all of this, last week Morsi made a power grab that gives him dictator powers, despite the goal of taking Mubarak out being to foster democracy in the country.
Egypt's Islamist President Mohamed Morsi assumed sweeping powers on Thursday, drawing criticism that he is seeking to become a "new pharaoh" and raising questions about the gains of last year's uprising which ousted Hosni Mubarak.
The move is a blow to the pro-democracy movement that toppled the long-time president, himself derided by many as a pharaoh, and raises concerns that Islamists will be further ensconced in power.
Naturally, this has caused protests to break out in Cairo because afterall, the point was to get rid of the dictatorship.
Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi's decision to assume sweeping powers caused fury amongst his opponents and prompted violent clashes in central Cairo and other cities on Friday.
Police fired tear gas near Cairo's Tahrir Square, heart of the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak, where thousands demanded Mursi quit and accused him of launching a "coup". There were violent protests in Alexandria, Port Said and Suez.
Opponents accused Mursi, who has issued a decree that puts his decisions above legal challenge until a new parliament is elected, of being the new Mubarak and hijacking the revolution.
"The people want to bring down the regime," shouted protesters in Tahrir, echoing a chant used in the uprising that forced Mubarak to step down. "Get out, Mursi," they chanted, along with "Mubarak tell Mursi, jail comes after the throne."
Bottom line? Egyptians elected this guy. Morsi is part of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is essentially a world wide religious dictatorship.
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