ABSTRACT
This chapter explains that Egypt's legal system forms part of a state control apparatus that effectively prevents matters pertaining to class, race and gender from becoming public issues. Ancient Egypt created the world's first civilian police force, but colonialism bequeathed a paramilitary police system. For 50 years the government has maintained martial law, partly due to challenges by Islamists seeking to transform Egypt into a theocracy. Two societal paradigms contend. The challengers oppose the ruling class by demanding the establishment of Islamic rule of law. During the 1980s several members of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood became Syndicate Board members. Hirschian theory applies poorly to states with authoritarian elites whose illegal behaviour continually regenerates disloyal opposition, and to the extended families that in Egypt constitute the most effective policing units. Police power is centralized under the Interior Ministry, which conducts elections, combats ordinary crime, operates civil defense, maintains prisons, controls borders, conducts political intelligence, prevents subversion and averts sabotage.
