Egypt's Future Is Now in Play and the Egyptian People Must Decide

What everyone has been worried about has finally happened in Cairo. Friday’s march for freedom turned into sectarian marches, led by religious conservatives calling for the Sharia law to be established in Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood, calling for recognition of the Islamist identity of Egypt.

The marchers were peaceful but noisy as speakers tried to deliver messages to the crowds that have occupied

Tahrir Square

since January.

The laic majority in the Square and the conservatives and Brotherhood had negotiated to hold the Friday rally as usual, that is, to defend their right to a more democratic government. But, some of the laic groups broke away when they learned that the Islamists and Brotherhood would have Islamist banners.

It would be silly to be surprised by these events, because the struggle now in Egypt is between the Islamists and laics. Which group will finally control the Egyptian government is not yet decided, but it makes the adoption of the constitution and first parliamentary elections very important for the future of the country.

What needs to be done now in Egypt can only be done by its citizens. The great debate about the future of the country should be engaged publicly and in a serious manner. Marches are good for breaking the chains of despots but debate is the only way forward from here.

I think that the less western governments try to intervene, the more useful the debate will be. Egyptians know what the alternatives are - laic democratic institutions or creeping religious absolutism. It is for them to decide which path they will choose. All the rest of the world can do is to try to offer the safeguards needed to insure that the debate and votes are fair and representative of the will of the majority of the Egyptian people.