Published on Oct 13, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish
After the fall of Hosni Mubarak’s government last year the number of Egyptians granted asylum in the US doubled.
Many of them are minority Coptic Christians facing insecurity in their home country.
The Arab Spring uprisings successfully uprooted several long-standing authoritarian governments in the Middle East and North Africa, and led to elections in Tunisia, and next month in Egypt. But the shift from decades of authoritarian rule to a more open and free society has been bumpy in some cases. And challenges to press freedom persist across the region. VOA’s William Ide has more from Washington
Many activists in Egypt hope the revolution earlier this year will lead to more rights for women. Experts say that will likely happen, but like nearly everything in any new democracy, it will not be a smooth process. VOA’s Al Pessin reports from Cairo.
May the first is International Labour Day, a day that traditionally sees workers protest for more rights. In Egypt, a rally is planned for Tahrir Square, where the revolution took root.
But long before Mubarak was deposed in February, many people were fighting against deep-rooted injustices, poor working conditions and low wages. Some say that the revolution started in the industrial town of Malhalla.
What role have Arab women played in the popular uprisings around the Middle East and what stake do they really have in their countries’ political future?
