Morsi's involuntary departure has been hoped for by many Egyptians, both Christian and Muslim. It is both the lack of results and the ideology that is causing widespread discontent among the population. Mursi began his tenure with fine declarations of wanting to be president for all Egyptians, regardless of faith, but his sometimes blatant lack of unequivocal condemnation of Islamist attacks on Christians and his complicity in the failure of security forces and police to protect and sometimes directly attack Christians during their protests has added insult to injury, according to Christians.
Most Egyptian Christians I personally know are rejoicing, and when Patriarch Tawadros of the Coptic Orthodox Church and the top Muslim scholar, Sheikh al-Azhar, Muhammad Ahmad al-Tayyib (who is partly educated at the Sorbonne University in Paris) stood on the same platform and addressed the Egyptian people on the occasion of Morsi's fall, the euphoria knew no bounds. It was a real sign of hope, a sign of a new Egypt where everyone would stand together, regardless of religion, and build the country together. It is said that 33 million Egyptians took to the streets to celebrate the fall of Morsi!
The newly appointed interim president is almost completely unknown, which may be an advantage, as is the fact that the military has chosen a civilian to run an interim government. The last time the military took power, the government was also in their hands, which didn't endear them to the people, neither among Christians nor Muslims.
Cautious optimism now prevails among Morsi's opponents. The optimism is cautious because those who supported the revolution have been repeatedly disappointed. However, they are encouraged by the fact that Morsi's many mistakes have most likely convinced many that the Islamist ideology espoused by the Muslim Brotherhood is not worth as much as they might have thought. If a credible presidential candidate emerges, someone unencumbered by links to the Mubarak regime or a strong ideology, there is realistic hope that a democracy can emerge.
However, the Muslim Brotherhood is so strongly organized across the country and has such a strong representation in civil society institutions, not least the large powerful trade unions, that their influence cannot be ignored. The army can expect strong resistance and that there will be armed Islamist groups fighting it and the new government. The Brotherhood has tasted the sweetness of power and will not willingly let go, which will also be dangerous for Christians and their institutions. They are usually soft targets for terrorist acts and unfortunately there is a great dislike for Christians among the Muslim population. This is due in no small part to the distorted teaching of history in schools. Egyptian history textbooks for primary schools easily and elegantly skip from the end of the Pharaonic period of history up to the Islamic takeover in 642 and make no mention of the advent and centuries-long history of Christianity. As a result, many Egyptians believe that the Christians, the Copts, are an alien element even though they have solid, millennia-old roots in the country.
The mood right now among Egyptian Christians is generally joyful that Mursi is gone, but also concerned about what might happen next. The situation is far from stable and the ordinary Egyptian needs to put food on the table, often for a large family. What about energy supplies? What about bread prices? What about gasoline? Under Mursi, there was a supply crisis. There were days when it was impossible to find fuel for cars, including trucks and buses, and of course this also affects the supply of goods and the ability to hold a job - if you have one.
To win the trust of the people, a new regime must address the dire social and economic problems that have plagued the country for decades. Mursi faced the same situation and failed to deliver the necessary improvements. Ordinary Egyptians did not see the results they were hoping for, and reversing the negative trend seems impossible unless ordinary Egyptians see a glimmer of hope in the form of tangible change. This requires, among other things, that tourism revenues are not threatened, prices are kept in check and corruption is fought effectively. A new government must also be able to counteract the strong influence of Islamism, which unfortunately is also sponsored from outside by powerful groups on the Arabian Peninsula and with more than willing jihad troops recruited from Egypt and other Muslim countries as an armed threat. It is a good sign, however, that the Saudi Arabian government welcomes Morsi's resignation.
Trust between Christians and Muslims must also be restored. Therefore, it is important that Muslim and Christian leaders show that they stand together. Religion means a lot in Egypt, and Western governments will also have to take this into account when they want to get involved in supporting the country's emerging democratic development.
