The Egyptian economic crisis: Insecurity, affect, Nostalgia

Abstract

The rallying calls during the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 were “Bread, Freedom, Social Justic”, which resonated with most of the Egyptian population who had suffered under the Mubarak regime due to staggering levels of corruption. The Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafi movement gained widespread support partly due to their pledge to social welfare provision. These movements, based on a particular interpretation of Islam, also uphold the principles of Islamic Finance (a fiscal system based on Shari – law). This chapter explores what motivated Egyptian citizens to endorse these movements, including widespread nostalgia and perceptions of this alternative financial system as resisting international capital and corruption.