As fellow anti-Morsi protesters roam the streets cheering his ouster, I feel alienated — not sad, but not really happy. And as I recall the glorious moments of the 2011 revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak, I know that today’s triumph cannot resemble them. Back then, I had not yet lived through the transitional military rule that would follow. I had not yet seen protesters crushed to death by armored vehicles, dragged on the streets and undressed by soldiers, and I had not yet known of women subjected by army officers to forced virginity tests.
Make no mistake: there is no democracy under military rule. Yet I supported the June 30 protests knowing that military rule was imminent, because Mr. Morsi’s rule had not been democratic, either.
Throughout the year of his presidency, protesters who opposed him were violently crushed by the police and by Muslim Brotherhood members. He supported the Interior Ministry in its violent tactics against demonstrators and failed to investigate incidents in which protesters were killed. Journalists and activists were arrested, and the president issued an edict giving him immunity from judicial review. The presidential election, conducted without a clear legal framework, was not enough to make Mr. Morsi’s rule democratic.
Despite Mr. Morsi’s constant claims that someone was undermining his efforts, his actions always seemed aimed at extending the Muslim Brotherhood’s domination of state institutions. He was in constant conflict with the judiciary, most recently with a proposal to lower the retirement age to clear the way for the appointment of his allies.
I still recall the companionship of my Muslim Brotherhood friends on Tahrir Square before Mr. Mubarak was toppled. I now lament that they and their leaders gave me no choice but to endorse a military coup.
Yes, this is a military coup. But without people power, no change could have taken place. I hold on to a hope that Egyptians have learned a lesson from the past two and a half years, that they will ensure that this new “transitional period” will be a time for laying the groundwork for true democracy.
We must avoid the sort of vague legal roadmap established by the military after Mr. Mubarak’s departure, which left us in constant dispute over the allocation of powers among the branches of government. That plan was supported by the Muslim Brotherhood because it helped them take power. And the military temporarily aligned itself with the Brotherhood because it was then the most powerful political force.
I hope that the military has sided with the people this time because it has realized that the people are the more powerful force. One priority now is to oppose any violation of the rights of Brotherhood members and their families.
Am I certain that this second round will lead Egypt to true democracy? No. But whoever rules Egypt next will be aware of the fate of rulers who lose the faith and support of the Egyptians.
We are back at square one. We have paid a high price for it the past two and a half years, but democracy is worth it.
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Sara Khorshid is an Egyptian journalist who writes about Egypt and Muslim-Western relations. IHT