Lessons from Egyptian irony

The difficulty in judging Egypt's latest political development stems from confusion over what kind of democracy to embrace

The Egyptian military's decision to remove President Mohamed Morsi from power and suspend the constitution was said to be a response to days of mass street protests demanding the president step down. That huge crowds celebrated in Cairo's Tahrir Square amid clashes between opponents and supporters of Morsi in 12 governorates across the country, which left at least 30 people dead and more than 1,000 injured by Sunday, is clear testimony of how serious the divides are in Egyptian society.

Confrontation between secular and religious forces and the showdown between an elected president and the military have pushed Egypt's democratization process to a new turning point.