Exactly. This was the tragedy of post-"Arab Spring" Egypt: the country had been run as a military dictatorship under a permanent "state of emergency". In 2011 it was overthrown by what we might glibly call Twitter liberals, through the takeover of Tahrir Square and struggles with the police.
Reasonably free and fair elections were held for the first time. And who did the people elect? The Muslim Brotherhood, an international illiberal Islamist group in favour of mandatory veils.
So there had to be another military coup, the establishment of a constitution banning religious parties, and another go at elections.
Ah, the good old Western pundit view of the Egyptian revolution. I was waiting for this!
There had to be a coup? What happened to elections? And it is unfair to omit the fact that said coup involved a brutal massacre.
If you don’t deny that the elections were free and fair, then it is none of your business who the citizens of a sovereign state decide to elect. This is democracy 101.
Reasonably free and fair elections were held for the first time. And who did the people elect? The Muslim Brotherhood, an international illiberal Islamist group in favour of mandatory veils.
So there had to be another military coup, the establishment of a constitution banning religious parties, and another go at elections.