Democracy talk was a sham, and realists in Washington are getting worried as the vacant character of the neo-cons is exposed for what it is: adolescent, dangerous bravado, writes Azmi Bishara

Careful organisation within a climate of political discontent explains the remarkable successes of political Islam, writes Nabil Abdel-Fattah

Across the Arab world, the rise of Islamist currents via the ballot box reflects on-the-ground realities, rather than a return of the sacred, writes Amr Hamzawy

by Salama A Salama

After a turbulent year, Ammar Ali Hassan looks at the rise of Egypt's new social and political movements

Following the elections in 2005, women in Egypt are less represented than they were in 2000. Hoda Badran examines the reasons why

The dismal performance of Egypt's opposition parties calls attention to a crisis that affects the entire political system, writes Amr Elchoubaki

It was a year of politics, writes Mahmoud Khalil , reflected in the new terminology used by the Egyptian press