Egypt’s coup: Mr. Obama, it’s time to speak up for democracy

Egypt has ushered in an era of new ambiguities that are straining and, in some instances, distorting our fundamental understanding of time-honored principles. The ambiguities, especially the one contemplative of appropriately classifying the military overthrow of a legitimately elected democratic government in Egypt, and the one that seeks to establish a ‘coup’ as a continuum in democratization — thereby allowing us the intellectual and moral laxity to freely relitigate, brand and justify a coup as necessary to attaining a unique type of democracy, are worrisome.

While the biggest fraud is in legitimizing this path to democracy by self-appointed proponents and custodians of democracy, the unintended symbolism and negative repercussions of justifying Egypt’s coup-backed democratization, primarily on democracy itself, even though largely overlooked, are as dire as they’re likely.

Mr. Obama reaching out to the Muslim world from Cairo in 2009,  in a speech titled “A New Beginning”. Photo Credit, CNN

Not to disregard or make light of the protests that have reflected the collective aspirations of a faction of the Egyptian people – doing that would only undermine critical rights and freedoms, which is a cardinal principle of ‘government of the people by the people’. But then, when did we need a military overthrow of a legitimate government to strengthen democracy, when did that become an element of democratization?

Apparently that happens only when a super power like the United States tacitly implies it – which in itself is not entirely surprising considering its record of destabilizing democratically elected governments (think Mossadegh, think Aristide) – by pussyfooting around classifying what happened in Egypt as a ‘coup’. It happens also when a section of the global media apparatus capitalizes on general gullibility to push for a new principle, that coups are cool and necessary in the course of democracy.

The Obama administration by its silence and symbolic redefinition of the act of a coup, regardless of the means or the end, has consequently laid a platform for present and imminent abuse of democracy. For instance, say, Nigerians were to decide to follow the Egyptian example, would a military overthrow of a legitimately elected government in whatever guise be condoned or condemned?

Nigeria might be geo-politically strategic with some (depending on how it plays its cards, negligible) global influences, but it is not Egypt, thereby not a stabilizing force in Middle Eastern peace matters and thus, not influential to the security of Israel. More so, a combination of factors like effective drilling technologies and the substantial discovery of new crude oil sources around the world that have led to abundant supply of the product, and intensified struggle for alternative energy sources might dilute Nigeria’s ‘mythical’ relevance to the US, – a country whose foreign policy is primarily shaped and guided by its interests.

Since Nigeria does not enjoy a superior, politically and regionally advantageous positioning like Egypt, and is progressively squandering its worth, it might easily be dispensable, i.e., if it, Nigeria, were to decide to follow the example laid by the Egyptian Generals and the Obama administration’s convenient confusion, a coup would certainly be a coup, no ambiguities. And yes, such clunky analogies are necessary to contextualize, and bring to home the reality of the politics that’s playing out and its general implications for democracy.

The Obama administration will have to unravel this web of confusion for the sake of democracy, and it has to start by calling a coup just that – the African Union already has. Doing that would not in any way negate or diminish its respect for the essence of the popular protests, but will reaffirm America’s role as a ‘champion’ of democracy. It has to propose and carry out bolder policies with respect to its aid relationship with Egypt. Continuation of economic support in the form of aid to Egypt will have a very loud inference and violates America’s stance on fraternizing, especially through economic support, with countries where legitimate governments have been overthrown.

Not to mention the irresponsible way Morsi sought to govern a pluralistic society, would be insulting to the aspirations of the Egyptian protesters and even democracy – you would think he would have known better considering how his government was birthed. But again it is ironic, even smile-inducing that Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood are the voice of democracy today – considering the fact that Muslims are habitually considered innately averse to democracy and in essence, undemocratic.

Egypt has indeed pushed the limits of our fundamental understanding of critical ideologies and practices thereby expanding, but not too encouragingly, the discourse on democracy. But we must not allow the Obama administration, the media, and the Egyptian Generals to smuggle and implant the nobility of a coup into our psyche; we must remember the principle of cause and consequence and the power of symbolism. Mr. Obama, quit pussyfooting around, it is time to speak up for democracy.

Zainab Sandah writes from Abuja, Nigeria. She blogs at www.zainabSandah.wordpress.com and tweets from @zainabsandah