Doaa El Adl is a contributor to W-T-W.org Women and Finance. ElAdl says, “There are periods in history that are not suitable for serious criticism.  You can criticize, but you must not bring down the system.  These people who chant against the military regime don’t understand that the only option is the Musim Brotherhood.”

Egypt’s new leadership which came to power after a military coup casts itself as a bulwark against Islamic fundamentalism.  In the cartooning scene it is generally agreed that the space for dissent has shrunk.  Many see their work as a patriotic duty.

Since the fall of the Brotherhood, ElAdl and others have kept criticism to a minimum.  Threat of backlash from President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi remains a concern.

It may be that the only guarantee of freedom of speech in Egypt is its cartoonists.