On the State of Egypt: What Made the Revolution Inevitable

“Alaa Al Aswany is among the best writers in the Middle East today, a suitable heir to the mantle worn by Naguib Mahfouz, his great predecessor.” –Jay Parini, The Guardian (UK)   From one of Egypt’s most acclaimed novelists, here is a vivid chronicle of Egyptian society, with penetrating analysis of all the most urgent issues—economic stagnation, police brutality, poverty, the harassment of women and of the Christian minority, to name a few—that led to the stunning overthrow of the Mubarak government. Al-Aswany addresses himself to all the questions being asked within Egypt and beyond: who will be the next president, and how will he be chosen in a land where heretofore only simpletons, opportunists and stooges involved themselves with elections? What role will the Muslim Brotherhood play? How can democratic reforms be effected among a people used to such contradictions as the religiously observant policeman who commits torture? In a candid and controversial assessment of both the potential and limitations that will determine his country’s future, Al-Aswany reveals why the revolt that surprised the world was destined to happen.   “[The] star of a new generation of Egyptian novelists.” –The Independent (UK)

Table of Contents:
The Presidency and Succession The Egyptian Campaign against the Succession Three Fallacious Arguments for Supporting Gamal Mubarak The Art of Pleasing the President The Chameleons Attack ElBaradei Should Gaza Pay the Price for Hereditary Succession in Egypt? Why Are We Falling Behind as the World Progresses? The Only Way to Evict Mr. Battista What Do Egyptians Expect form ElBaradei? When Will President Mubarak Grasp This Truth? Does Rigging Elections Count as a Major Sin? Do We Need a Benevolent Dictator? A Story for Children and Adults A Surprise Dinner with an Important Person Thoughts on the President’s Health Why Don’t Egyptians Take Part in Elections?   The People and Social Justice Our Advice to the Butcher The Party of the Great Collapse Why Do Egyptians Harass Women? How Should We Overcome the Temptation Posed by Women? The Niqab and Flawed Religiosity Piety in Front of the Camera What Will Protect the Copts? Egypt Sits on the Substitutes’ Bench Are Egyptians Really Religious? The Sorrows of Miss Laurence Why Are Religious Fanatics Obsessed with Women’s Bodies? Nora and the National Squad Defending Egypt’s Flag The Importance of Being Human Who Killed the Egyptians on the Religious Holiday? Can President Obama Save the Copts? Egypt Awakened The Story of Mamdough Hamza Who is Killing the Poor in Egypt? Does Subservience Protect Us from Unjustice? Does Mistreating People Invalidate the Ramadan Fast?   Free Speech and State Repression How Do Police Officers Celebrate Ramadan? A Discussion with a State Security Officer Four Videos to Entertain President Mubarak Before we Damn Switzerland An Unfortunate Incident Befalls a State Security Officer Why Was the General Screaming? Should We Start with Moral Reform or Reforming the System? Are Freedoms Inseparable? The Fate of Ibrahim Eissa

About the Author :
Alaa Al Aswany is the author of The Yacoubian Building, which was long-listed for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 2006 and was the bestselling novel in the Arab world for more than five years; Chicago, named by Newsday as the best translated novel of 2006; The Automobile Club of Egypt; and the story collection Friendly Fire. He has received numerous awards internationally, including the Bashrahil Prize for the Arabic novel, the Kavafis Award from Greece and the Premio Grinzane Cavour from Italy. He was recently named by the London Times as one of the 50 best authors to have been translated into English over the last 50 years. Jonathan Wright is a British journalist and translator. He joined Reuters news agency in 1980 and was based in the Middle East for three decades in his capacity as a correspondent. He has been translating books from the Arabic since 2008, beginning with Taxi by Khaled al-Khamissi. His translations have since won the 2013 Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation and the 2014 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize.