Egypt’s 1923 Constitution: A Constitution of National Unity

The 1923 Egyptian constitution was the first democratic constitution in Egypt, the first pillar of the nascent parliamentary system, and an important step on the path toward political and constitutional consolidation—in short, the 1923 constitution ushered Egypt into a new historical era. This paper focuses on the issue of representation of minorities in this pioneering constitutional experiment. The question will be treated within the context of the formation of Egyptian nationalism following the 1919 Revolution, which replaced Islamism. This process culminated in the 1923 constitution, which guaranteed equal rights to all Egyptians, regardless of their religion, gender, and mother tongue, while simultaneously guaranteeing the freedom of belief and the free practice of religious rituals. This process removed the religious notion of “minorities” from the Egyptian political lexicon and replaced it with the notion of “political or economic minorities”.

Download Article Download Issue Subscribe for a year

Abstract

Zoom

The 1923 Egyptian constitution was the first democratic constitution in Egypt, the first pillar of the nascent parliamentary system, and an important step on the path toward political and constitutional consolidation—in short, the 1923 constitution ushered Egypt into a new historical era. This paper focuses on the issue of representation of minorities in this pioneering constitutional experiment. The question will be treated within the context of the formation of Egyptian nationalism following the 1919 Revolution, which replaced Islamism. This process culminated in the 1923 constitution, which guaranteed equal rights to all Egyptians, regardless of their religion, gender, and mother tongue, while simultaneously guaranteeing the freedom of belief and the free practice of religious rituals. This process removed the religious notion of “minorities” from the Egyptian political lexicon and replaced it with the notion of “political or economic minorities”.

References