How Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood lost hold of the social conversation

Since their fall in 2013, the Muslim Brotherhood have failed to dominate the online narrative despite their repeated calls for protest. (Reuters/File Photo)
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Updated 29 September 2021
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How Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood lost hold of the social conversation

  • Although around half of Egyptians are active on social media, they lean toward trends far from those of the Muslim Brotherhood’s

CAIRO: There once was a time when an Egyptian would open Facebook or Instagram and most of the content they saw would be Muslim Brotherhood-related. Today, however, this is far from the reality.

Since their fall in 2013, the Muslim Brotherhood have failed to dominate the online narrative despite their repeated calls for protest. A decade on from the Arab Spring that saw social media networks act as mobilization mechanisms, why is social media in general, and Facebook in particular, now no longer a potential trigger for revolution in Egypt?

Although around half of Egyptians are active on social media, they lean toward trends far from those of the Muslim Brotherhood’s and in contrast to what was dominating social networks in 2011.

Since then, Muslim Brotherhood loyalists have made significant efforts to take advantage of Egyptians’ heavy use of social media. They take advantage of any local crisis and use it as a Trojan horse for their demands, and as has been seen many times in the fake videos aired by Al Jazeera and other pro-Muslim Brotherhood bias as recent as Sept. 2020.

At the outset, it can be claimed that the Muslim Brotherhood are suffering their deepest crisis since their establishment in 1928 due to their fall in June 2013. 

This crisis is incarnated in the popular political fall of the brotherhood, with both Tunisia and Egypt having thwarted their efforts to have any political or social role in the future. Popular opinion and secular forces have shown little sympathy for them.

Similar to Tunisia was the Egyptian case. Despite their massive media machine, sleeper cells, and media platforms and outlets that work in support of their agenda, the Muslim Brotherhood did not succeed in regaining their presence or maintaining their influence on Egyptian society. In addition, they lost their power to mobilize masses or stir up uprisings as they used to in the past at the height of the Arab Spring.

According to political expert and Egypt’s former consul general in Riyadh, Fawzi Ashmawy, the main space for action and expression for Egyptians, which is social media, has expanded. He notes that this is due to the decline of party and political mobility and performance on the one hand and the partial lifting of civil society restrictions and other laws as part of the country’s official National Human Rights Strategy which launched earlier this month.

In Jan. 2021, Egypt’s population amounted to approximately 103.3 million, an increase of 1.9 million people over January of last year. The number of internet users, however, reached 59.9 million with an increase of 4.9 million more than in Jan. 2020 — a rise that exceeded the increase in the population, according to a number of official sources.

Among these internet users, 49 million are regular consumers of social media as of Jan. 2021, an increase of 7 million over 2020, or 17 percent over the previous year, highlighting how the increase in social media users is rapidly higher than that of the population.

Social media is a real, albeit virtual, avenue where Egyptian public opinion develops. It is a major platform that allows people to express critical views, pains and interactions not only locally but also on regional and international events directly and indirectly affecting them.

For the first time in history, the Muslim Brotherhood had come to power in free elections in 2012 through Mohammed Morsi, the group’s first president, complete with dominance over the country’s Parliament and civil unions.

Instead of implementing their alleged 100-day program — known as the Muslim Brotherhood’s Nahda presidential program — that tackled everyday issues of fuel, food, security and traffic, the group usurped all authorities to solidify its grip on power in Egypt which led him to be late in forming a cabinet.

This discredited the principles of the group and fuelled public resentment against it. Both the Muslim Brotherhood’s discourse and their two-faced strategy in addressing citizens’ demands have led to a rise in public fury against them. Thus, these are the reasons why the Muslim Brotherhood have lost their power on social media:

First: Egypt’s nationwide stability

Egyptians’ stances on social media are balanced between supporting and being critical of their government, especially with regard to the cost of living through basic services such as groceries, fuel and electricity. However, Egyptians do not hesitate to praise and support what they see as positive steps in building and attracting investment.

According to a Reuters survey, Egypt’s economy is predicted to grow 5 percent in the fiscal year that ends in June next year, unchanged from analysts’ expectations in a similar poll six months ago and slightly below the government's target of 5.4 percent. In addition to that, the gross domestic product of the Arab world's most populous country was seen growing 5.5 percent in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023.

Second: A distinction between Islam and Islamists

While Egyptians are widely known for their religious and conservative nature that includes reservations about any online confrontation to what they see as sacred or religious, they mostly differentiate between Islam and Islamists as well as religion and extremism.

Although myriad Islamist groups attempt to implement any call to renew religious discourse and skew any critique of the religious history to their favor, they could not achieve their goals due to Egyptians’ reluctance to repeat their previous experience under Morsi’s rule.

Such an experiment intimidated everyday civil peace and destabilized the well-established Egyptian identity, an identity that finds no discrepancy between religion and race. It is the same identity that is averse to relegating the homeland “Egypt” and promoting the concept of an Islamic nation or the Islamic caliphate over it. This is clear every September, when the Muslim Brotherhood’s media platforms call for protest and demonstrations but always fail to attract a significant following.

In addition to that, the counter and critical discourse against Islamist groups’ ideology, arguments and foundational notions has been active, heated and alive, thanks to the information revolution and digital outlets. Egyptians are now able to read and become aware of the critique of fundamentalism and the differentiation between Islam, Islamists and Islamic history.

Third: The stagnation and hostility of the discourse

By continuously classifying the Egyptian state as takfiri (apostate) and maintaining a discriminatory tone against Christian minorities and secular civil society groups, the Muslim Brotherhood’s narrative has become dormant and stagnant in communicating with current changes occurring within the evolving Egyptian society.

The clearest example of this comes from Wagdy Ghoneim, a Muslim Brotherhood preacher who was barred from entering Tunisia in 2019 after his description of Tunisian former President Beji Caid Essebsi as an “apostate” who had been fighting against god and Islam.

In many Egyptians’ understanding, the experience under the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013 remains the biggest reason for citizens’ fear of their return, or of responding to their call for mobilization and demonstrations once again.

Fourth: The weight of experience: Egypt from a Pan-Arab perspective

Security, order and stability are the three basic demands of Egyptians and are at the core of their conversations on social media platforms. Critical voices are expressed through the framework of the state that maintains order and security, and Egyptians take into serious consideration next-door models of failed states along with the rise Islamist groups in neighboring countries or other countries in the region.

Also playing an important role is Egypt’s diplomatic role in the region as citizens praise their government because of its regional active role in the conflict between Palestine and Israel, in Iraq and toward Libya, in its strong ties with the Gulf countries, and in their strategic efforts to halt any chance for a return of extremists to the country. This would not have been possible through a Muslim Brotherhood-led government or through an online narrative dominated by the group.


Hundreds of media figures accuse BBC of acting as ‘PR’ for Israel, urge removal of board member

Updated 02 July 2025
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Hundreds of media figures accuse BBC of acting as ‘PR’ for Israel, urge removal of board member

  • Open letter by media professionals, BBC staff say Gaza coverage ‘falls short’ of editorial standards
  • Sir Robbie Gibb, former chief of Jewish Chronicle, accused of ‘ideological allegiances’ to Israel

LONDON: Hundreds of media professionals, including over 100 current BBC staff, have signed an open letter accusing the broadcaster of acting as “PR for the Israeli government,” and called for the removal of BBC board member Sir Robbie Gibb over alleged conflicts of interest.

The letter, sent to BBC Director-General Tim Davie and the broadcaster’s board, follows a string of controversies — including the BBC’s live broadcast of anti-Israel chants by the punk-rap duo Bob Vylan at Glastonbury, and the decision to pull a commissioned documentary on Gaza.

“All too often it has felt that the BBC has been performing PR for the Israeli government and military. This should be a cause of great shame and concern for everyone at the BBC,” the letter stated.

The signatories — which include actress Miriam Margolyes, filmmaker Mike Leigh, actor Charles Dance, and historian William Dalrymple — claim the BBC’s coverage of Gaza “falls short” of its editorial standards and fails to reflect the reality on the ground.

The letter also raises concerns over the BBC’s decision to withdraw from airing “Gaza: Doctors Under Attack,” a documentary it originally commissioned, which will now be broadcast by Channel 4.

The BBC said it pulled the film because it “risked creating a perception of partiality.”

“This appears to be a political decision and is not reflective of the journalism in the film,” the letter stated. “This illustrates precisely what many of us have experienced first hand: an organisation that is crippled by fear of being perceived as critical of the Israeli government.”

Much of the criticism focuses on Gibb, a former head of the BBC’s Westminster political team and ex-spin doctor for Prime Minister Theresa May.

Gibb helped lead the consortium that purchased The Jewish Chronicle in 2020 and served as a director until August 2024.

The letter describes his position on the BBC board — including on the editorial standards committee —  as “untenable,” citing the Jewish Chronicle’s alleged history of publishing “anti-Palestinian and often racist content.”

The letter accuses Gibb of a conflict of interest and highlights what it sees as a double standard: “For many of us, our efforts have been frustrated by opaque decisions made at senior levels of the BBC without discussion or explanation. Our failures impact audiences.

“As an organisation we have not offered any significant analysis of the UK government’s involvement in the war on Palestinians. We have failed to report on weapons sales or their legal implications. These stories have instead been broken by the BBC’s competitors.”

The statement alleges Gibb has a “conflict of interest” which “highlights a double standard for BBC content makers who have themselves experienced censorship in the name of ‘impartiality.’”

The letter further stated: “In some instances staff have been accused of having an agenda because they have posted news articles critical of the Israeli government on their social media.

“By comparison, Gibb remains in an influential post with little transparency regarding his decisions despite his ideological leanings being well known. We can no longer ask licence fee payers to overlook Gibbs’s ideological allegiances.”

A BBC spokesperson said: “Robust discussions amongst our editorial teams about our journalism are an essential part of the editorial process.

“We have ongoing discussions about coverage and listen to feedback from staff and we think these conversations are best had internally.

“Regarding our coverage of Gaza, the BBC is fully committed to covering the conflict impartially and has produced powerful coverage from the region.”

The spokesperson added that in addition to “breaking news, ongoing analysis, and investigations,” the BBC has produced award-winning documentaries such as “Life and Death in Gaza,” and “Gaza 101.”


Paramount to pay $16 million in settlement with Trump over ‘60 Minutes’ interview

Updated 02 July 2025
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Paramount to pay $16 million in settlement with Trump over ‘60 Minutes’ interview

  • Paramount said the money will go to Trump’s future presidential library, not to the president himself

NEW YORK: In a case seen as a challenge to free speech, Paramount has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over the editing of CBS’ ” 60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in October.
Paramount told media outlets the money will go to Trump’s future presidential library, not to the president himself. It said the settlement did not involve an apology.
Trump’s lawyer said the president had suffered “mental anguish” over the editing of the interview by CBS News, while Paramount and CBS rejected his contention that it was edited to enhance how Harris sounded. They had sought to get Trump’s lawsuit dismissed.
There was no immediate word from the White House about the settlement of the case, which Trump filed in Amarillo, Texas.
The case has been closely watched by advocates for press freedom and by journalists within CBS, whose lawyers called Trump’s lawsuit “completely without merit” and promised to vigorously fight it after it was filed.
In early February, “60 Minutes” released a full, unedited transcript of the interview.
Under the settlement reached with help of a mediator, Paramount agreed that “60 Minutes” will release transcripts of future interviews of presidential candidates, “subject to redactions as required for legal and national security concerns,” CBS News cited the statement as saying.
Trump, who did not agree to be interviewed by “60 Minutes” during the campaign, protested editing where Harris is seen giving two different answers to a question by the show’s Bill Whitaker in separate clips aired on “60 Minutes” and “Face the Nation” earlier in the day. CBS said each reply came within Harris’ long-winded answer to Whitaker, but was edited to be more succinct.
The president’s lawyer, Edward Andrew Paltzik, said that caused confusion and “mental anguish,” misleading voters and causing them to pay less attention to Trump and his Truth Social platform.
Paramount and controlling shareholder Shari Redstone were seeking the settlement with Trump, whose administration must approve the company’s proposed merger with Skydance Media. CBS News President and CEO Wendy McMahon and “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens, who both opposed a settlement, have resigned in recent weeks.
The Freedom of the Press Foundation, a media advocacy group that says it is a Paramount shareholder, has said that it would file a lawsuit in protest if a settlement was reached.
In December, ABC News settled a defamation lawsuit by Trump over statements made by anchor George Stephanopoulos, agreeing to pay $15 million toward Trump’s presidential library rather than engage in a public fight. Meta reportedly paid $25 million to settle Trump’s lawsuit against the company over its decision to suspend his social media accounts following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol.


Asharq to bridge US-Arab divide with new Arabic politics podcast

Updated 02 July 2025
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Asharq to bridge US-Arab divide with new Arabic politics podcast

  • America Bi Lahjetna (“America in Our Dialects”) is the first journalist-led Arabic-language political podcast produced in the US capital
  • Hosted by Hiba Nasr, Zena Ibrahim, Kareem Yousry, and Azouz Allilou, the show dives into American political developments with fresh, localized insight

RIYADH: From the heart of Washington DC, Asharq Podcasts launches America Bi Lahjetna, which translates to “America in Our Dialects”, the first journalist-led Arabic-language political podcast produced in the US capital. The show delivers weekly episodes that bring American headlines closer to home, in a voice that speaks directly to the region. 

Hosted by Hiba Nasr (Bureau Chief), Zena Ibrahim (Reporter and Producer), Kareem Yousry (Reporter and Producer), and Azouz Allilou (Reporter and Producer), the show dives into American political developments with fresh, localized insight. Each episode moves beyond the headlines to draw meaningful connections to the realities, concerns, and interests of Arab audiences across the region — precisely when and where it matters most. 

In line with growing demand for content that feels less formal, simpler, and more conversational, America Bi Lahjetna moves away from traditional news delivery. Instead, it offers a smart, approachable format that reflects how today’s audiences, especially younger listeners — consume political content: through relatable voices, contextual storytelling, and accessible language. 

“This podcast isn’t about translating the news, it’s about explaining why it matters to us,” said Hiba Nasr, Asharq’s Washington Bureau Chief. 

“Every week, we unpack the headlines that dominate the American conversation and connect them to the Arab world, politically, emotionally, and strategically. From our base in Washington, we bring clarity to a chaotic media landscape and give our region both a window into and a voice within US political discourse. That’s what makes America Bi Lahjetna different. We’re not observers. We’re participants.” 

In its first episodes, the team breaks down some of the most pressing stories in US politics, offering Arab audiences’ critical context often missing from international coverage, and linking Washington’s decisions to their regional implications. 

America Bi Lahjetna is now streaming on YouTube and Asharq NOW.  


Screening of ‘Rewriting Arab News’ documentary held at EU Embassy in Riyadh

Updated 02 July 2025
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Screening of ‘Rewriting Arab News’ documentary held at EU Embassy in Riyadh

  • Film focuses on relaunch of Saudi Arabia’s first English-language daily and its coverage of the Kingdom’s reforms
  • EU Ambassador: “You are part of Vision 2030 and many of you in this room are an embodiment of this new Saudi Arabia”
  • Faisal J. Abbas: “This documentary tells a small — albeit an exciting — chapter in the history of our newspaper and the country”

RIYADH: A special screening of the documentary “Rewriting Arab News” took place at the EU Embassy in Riyadh on Tuesday as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of Saudi Arabia’s first English-language newspaper.

The film, presented by the London-based Global Arab Network, sheds light on the 2018 relaunch of Arab News, at a time when the Kingdom itself was transforming.

A ceremony, held in honor of Arab News, was attended by European ambassadors to Saudi Arabia and other notable guests, including Saudi dignitaries, diplomats, policymakers, media industry professionals, and staff of the Arab News Riyadh bureau.

Speaking at the ceremony, Christophe Farnaud, the EU ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said: “It’s a great pleasure to be here with you on … the 50th anniversary of Arab News.”

He added: “You don’t just cover the news; you also analyze them. You decipher what’s going on in the world, in the Kingdom, in the region. And you also allow dialogue and comments. And you are an open space, which I think every country needs.

“And I think it comes at the very right time, right now in the Kingdom. So, when you are also part of Vision 2030 and I must say this new Saudi Arabia and many of you in this room are an embodiment of this new Saudi Arabia.

A ceremony, held in honor of Arab News, was attended by European ambassadors to Saudi Arabia and other notable guests. (AN Photo)

“It is something that we not just support, but also, admire, in a way, my European colleagues, they came tonight in numbers — I think would share what I’ve just said.

“Once again I want to congratulate you and your team at Arab News for your work.”

Also speaking at the ceremony, Arab News’ Editor-in-Chief Faisal Abbas said: “On behalf of the Arab News family, we wish to extend our gratitude to the EU ambassador in the Kingdom for hosting this screening occasion as part of our 50th anniversary celebrations this year.

“This documentary tells a small — albeit an exciting — chapter in the history of our newspaper and the country as it accounts for an exciting and transformative period in our country’s progress.

“Of course, Arab News would have not been where it is today without the hard work, passion and dedication of my predecessor editors in chief, and of course, not without our founders — the Hafez Brothers — who started the newspaper in 1975.”

Part of the documentary is narrated by Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the former Saudi ambassador to the US, who in the film delves into the paper’s origins.

Arab News’ Editor-in-Chief Faisal Abbas. (AN photo)

Arab News was established in Jeddah in 1975 by brothers Hisham and Mohammed Ali Hafiz under the slogan to give Arabs a voice in English while documenting the major transformations taking place across the Middle East.

In April 2018, Arab News changed its 43-year-old logo with a new one as well as its motto to “The Voice of a Changing Region.” The newspaper relaunched with a new design and a new approach to stories that it believed was better suited to the internet age.

In June, an event hosted by the Global Arab Network at the Frontline Club in London paid tribute to Arab News and its founders by screening a preview of the documentary for leading editors, reporters, diplomats, and analysts.

Asked following Tuesday’s screening whether he believed the documentary reflected the changes that had been taking place in the region, EU Ambassador Farnaud said: “I would say even more. I mean, it’s one of the embodiments of these changes.

“The Kingdom is undergoing incredible changes. And so is Arab News. And I particularly appreciated, by the way, the historical dimension when it was created in 1975, that was also a project corresponding to the new role of the Kingdom, in a way.

“And yes, now the Kingdom has entered a new phase, a spectacular phase of transformation. And we see that Arab News, in its own ways, is also going through a huge phase of transformation and a successful one at that.

“I was really impressed.”

Also responding to the film, Saudi philanthropist Ameera Al-Taweel said: “A lot of the transformational story for Arab News reminded me of the transformation that was happening in Saudi Arabia back in 2015, 2016 to get to Vision 2030.

Arab News was established in Jeddah in 1975 by brothers Hisham and Mohammed Ali Hafiz. (AN Photo)

“It was right around that time that Arab News was also transforming. It’s very interesting how it aligned with a youthful leader (Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman) who was injecting a lot of changes, believing in the younger generation, believing in keeping the legacy, but building on it.

“So a lot of what I saw in Vision 2030 and of course, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, you see it happening in the private sector or the public sector, even in the journalism sector, and the transformations that have that are happening in it.”

Although she only moved to the region in the spring, Ville Linnala, deputy head of mission at the Embassy of Finland, said the film raised pertinent issues.

“I have been in Riyadh and Saudi Arabia since May 5, so I’m very fairly fresh in the region, but I can really see these issues that were mentioned and raised in the documentary,” she said.

“For example, of course, when it comes to women’s rights and all these kinds of things, and with the Saudi Vision 2030 happening and moving forward.

“It was really, really, really interesting to see. I enjoyed this documentary a lot, so much.”

“Rewriting Arab News” is a short film about the newspaper’s relaunch and digital transformation between 2016 and 2018, presented by Global Arab Network.

 


Clashes in Istanbul over blasphemous cartoon

Updated 02 July 2025
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Clashes in Istanbul over blasphemous cartoon

  • The incident occurred after Istanbul’s chief prosecutor ordered the arrest of LeMan magazine editors

ISTANBUL: Clashes erupted in Istanbul Monday with police firing rubber bullets and tear gas to break up an angry mob after allegations that a satirical magazine had published a blasphemous cartoon, an AFP correspondent said.
The incident occurred after Istanbul’s chief prosecutor ordered the arrest of the editors at LeMan magazine on grounds it had published a cartoon which “publicly insulted religious values.”
“The chief public prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the publication of a cartoon in the June 26, 2025 issue of LeMan magazine that publicly insults religious values, and arrest warrants have been issued for those involved,” the prosecutor’s office said.
As the news broke, several dozen angry protesters attacked a bar often frequented by LeMan staffers in downtown Istanbul, provoking angry scuffles with police, an AFP correspondent said.
The scuffles quickly degenerated into clashes involving between 250 to 300 people, the correspondent said.
In several posts on X, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said police had arrested the cartoonist responsible for “this vile drawing”, the magazine's graphic designer and two other staffers.
Police had also taken over the magazine’s offices on Istiklal Avenue and arrest warrants had been issued for several other of the magazine's executives, presidential press aide Fahrettin Altin wrote on X.
In a string of posts on X, LeMan defended the cartoon and said it had been deliberately misinterpreted to cause a provocation.
“The cartoonist wanted to portray the righteousness of the oppressed Muslim people by depicting a Muslim killed by Israel, he never intended to belittle religious values,” it said.
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said an investigation had been opened on grounds of “publicly insulting religious values.”
“Disrespect toward our beliefs is never acceptable,” he wrote on X.
Istanbul governor Davut Gul also lashed out at “this mentality that seeks to provoke society by attacking our sacred values.
“We will not remain silent in the face of any vile act targeting our nation's faith,” he warned.