The Quest for Democracy: Examining Civil-Military Relations in Muslim Societies

Abstract

In countries where democracy is still in crisis, a wider debate about civilmilitary relations and interactions has emerged. The Egyptian experience, in this context, is crucial when examining the political role of the military and civil-military relations. After the 2011 Arab Spring, the issue raised serious academic debates, especially due to the interference of the army in politics, and its unprecedented concentration of power, whether through its alignment with the masses or in undermining the democratization process in 2013. Accordingly, this paper addresses the realities of civil-military relations and the challenges of civilian control of the military in Egypt. It starts with a literature review of democratic civil control with a special focus on the Egyptian experience. The paper also will re-examine the factors and motives of the military’s involvement in politics, as well as the challenges of institutionalizing civilian control and consolidating an emerging democratic system. However, the paper cautions that successfully achieving civilian control over the military in Egypt remains a long and complex process that may last for many years.