Republicanism and Monarchy

By Dr. Abdel Moneim Saeed 28/10/2007, http://www.almasry-alyoum.com/

The monarchy in Britain has remained unchanged and Queen Elizabeth continued to reign despite many upheavals, the latest of which was the scandal of Princess Diana. This was mainly due to the fact that the British do believe in Monarchy and that it ensures the unity of the nation.

They believe in the wisdom of aristocracy. So the Monarchy there, together with the Constitution, is the safety valve for the nation against emotional extremism and the false revolutionary concept of imposing equality among non equals. Monarchy in democratic countries is a safety valve against excesses of institutions, the tyranny of the majority and against division and fragmentation. At least so think believers in Monarchy.

The American Revolution in 1776 categorically rejected the idea of a monarchy and adopted the idea of the Republic. Americans - and many others - believe monarchs would ruin any country by a monopoly of a group of unemployed nobles who exploit their titles to take what they do not deserve.

The Republic, on the other hand, means the rule of the people and the masses through laws and constitutions. The American Constitution allows people to possess arms so that no king or emperor would rule them one day. And each state has its own national guard consisting of an army of volunteers. The main thing in a republic is that political power stays in the hands of the people.

We here in Egypt know nothing of this. It was an exaggeration to say that July 23 replaced one king with several from the Revolutionary Council or for our successive constitutions to claim that the people were the source of power. Up till that date, Egypt had an absolute monarchy albeit mitigated by the 1923 Constitution. And since that date, the people have been succumbing to the republic till now.

If such was the perception of Monarchy before the revolution and the perception of Republicanism after it, why are we surprised by those who want the return of the Caliph?