“There are obviously forces who want democracy and progressive change (in Egypt), but there are clearly some forces that would want something that's probably worse than what we had before…so we’ve always been a little bit hesitant on Egypt,” he said.
PM Harper. (Photo by: Wikipedia)
These remarks represent the growing pessimism of the Canadian government about the evolving situation in the region. This is following the initial optimism that swept the Arab world and Western governments with the Arab Spring, a grassroots uprising that began in Tunisia and spread across North Africa and to the Middle East. Canada’s cautious stance placed it in stark contrast to its allies who preferred to emphasize the advancement of a culture of elections and human rights.
"The unrest of recent days shows the scale of the challenges which Egypt's political system must address including the need to build full respect for human rights," William Hague, British Foreign Secretary was quoted as saying.
While the openness of elections was described as a “pretty positive thing”, Harper remained concerned for the persecution of minorities, in particular the Coptic Christians that form approximately 10% of Egypt’s population. “There’s been riots, there’s been persecution of minorities, in particular Coptic Christians and others, and this is a big concern,” he concluded.
The implications on the election results on Israel, a strong ally of Canada, were also expressed as a matter of concern. Harper relayed this message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in regards the events dominating Israel’s southern neighbour.
“I’ve spoken to Prime Minister Netanyahu and yes, we are concerned. The peace between Israel and Egypt for the past several decades has been of immense benefit to both countries and to the region. And anything that I think threatens that would not be good.”
Once lukewarm allies, Canada’s relationship with Israel has increased under the premiership of Stephen Harper, providing staunch diplomatic support especially at the United Nations. Cooperation between Canada and Israel is likely to increase further following the announcement of joint military cooperation agreements in November 2011. The statements on Egypt are a first from a major Western leader emphasizing concern on the implications on Israel. The Israeli position already expressed reservations about the rise of Islamist parties in Egypt after the fall of Hosni Mubarak.
The second round of voting consolidated Islamist gains in Egypt’s parliament, with Muslim Brotherhood and ultra Conservative Salafi parties securing 70% of the vote and up to 90% of the allotted seats. While most Western leaders continue to emphasize elections and human rights, the ramifications of Islamist landslide victories will likely continue to play an important role, shaking the dynamic of a new Middle East well into the future.
