Absence of democratic culture in Egypt

"No system of government can or should be imposed by one nation on any other… Each nation gives life to this principle [democracy] in its own way, grounded in the traditions of its own people. America does not presume to know what is best for everyone." These statements belong to President Obama, expressed in his 2009 trip to Cairo, Egypt. He made a promise to stand in support for the democratic process of Muslim people, but why the sudden change of heart? Why was the U.S., which tolerated a dictatorship like Mubarak's for 32 years or even the previous 60 years of military rule, suddenly so impatient with a nascent but still democratically elected president? Actually, the West was quite worried about the Arab Spring in general, fearing that democratic elections would bring the Muslim Brotherhood to power in Egypt. This was exactly what happened when the Egyptian people were freed from their shackles. So people and governments from all around the world were fearful and watchful when Mohammed Morsi was elected as a politically motivated conservative Muslim. It also became a nightmare for some in Egypt—including the secular military—and continued with the ruling military council's preemptive strike to eliminate the power of Morsi: Thus, the coup was not the first battle President Morsi faced but rather an end-game. I am not a supporter of Mohammed Morsi since I am against the bigoted system they espouse, and it is against the spirit of true Islam; but that certainly does not justify the military coup or the killing of unarmed people in any way. It is still hard for me to grasp how the supporters of June 30th cheered, for with the ultimatum of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF‎), anyone could foresee that this means nothing but division for Egyptian people, as well as condoning the potential murders of the army. I find this mindset quite frightening. If the Egyptians will run to the army at every disappointment they face, and welcome back the ancien régime, why did so many people sacrifice so much to overthrow Mubarak‎ in the first place? Egyptians will continue to be diverse in terms of ideology, faith, opinion and expectations; they just have to learn to live together in harmony, and if they are going to "fight" each other, this should be done via legitimate means without ruining the democratic process. When Morsi came into power, it was at a time when a long-term dictatorship had just ended; there existed in Egypt no democratic constitution, no democratic culture, no democratic experience whatsoever. Even for countries where democracy is well-rooted, when a new government is formed, it is quite difficult to expect them to make the necessary changes immediately and meet the expectations of one and all. This was the very first attempt for a transition to a democratic political order. Undoubtedly no transition to democracy comes without difficulty so it requires forbearance, resoluteness and collective will. So patience and solidarity was what Egyptians needed, and it still is. We can talk about ideals like a capable government functioning with a democratic constitution, respectful and heedful of all opinions, and providing the people the ability to be critical without facing coercive pressure, reflecting the will of all the Egyptians and providing full rights of minorities, maintaining power through consent and so on: But is it possible to realistically expect from anyone who comes to power in Egypt the ability to accomplish a perfect job? And who is the one to decide one elected government is anti-democratic, half-democratic or not? And when? Does anyone have any right to act preemptively? Not addressing these questions may well lead to serious instability in Egypt, and could easily pave the way for an authoritarian strongman in the mold of Augusto Pinochet or Francisco Franco. Thus no matter how pressing the problems, a coup d'etat is simply not the answer in a democratic nation.  Sinem Tezyapar is a political analyst. https://twitter.com/SinemTezyapar The views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent or reflect the editorial policy of Arabstoday.