The Role of the Military in the Process of Egypt's Islamic Awakening

From a political and cultural point of view, Egypt is one of the most important countries in the Arab world and the Middle East that has invariably experienced a complicated relationship between the military, government and the Islamic groups. As a part of this, it is very important to address this specific complex relationship in the wake of the Islamic awakening and the developments that originate from the high-profile presence of the military in the pro-Mobarak Egypt. It follows that this article addresses the role played by the military in the trend of Egypt’s Islamic awakening. The finding of this research indicate that in the pre-Revolution period, the policy adopted by the military was to endeavor to approach the people, and increase its legitimacy in the eyes of its people with the aim of acquiring political posts and strengthening its position in the pro-Revolution regime. After the victory of the Revolution, and the fall of Mobarak, the military tried to consolidate the foundations of its power by stabilizing their position in the Constitution, and securitizing the issue. On the other hand, the policy adopted by the military is to contain the process of the Islamic Awakening in Egypt by introducing the Muslim Brotherhood as a destabilizing factor that spreads violence in Egypt, and generates division between the Islamist groups.