'Foloul' loses its punch in Egypt

Use of the term foloul, or “remnants,” has declined in the Egyptian street, especially after the June 30 revolution. Foloul was used to refer to the members of deposed President Hosni Mubarak's regime and the National Democratic Party (NDP), which was dissolved after the January 25 Revolution. Each political side used the term to discredit its opponents. The smear campaign against NDP members made them maintain a low profile, but they returned to political life in force as a key player in the June 30 revolution.

While foloul came to be commonly used in the Egyptian street to refer to the remnants of the former regime, there was disagreement on the exact definition of the word. Foloul’s literal meanings are “breaking and weakening something” and “the defeated.”

The use of the word declined under the weight of the political change in Egypt. After the January 25 Revolution, all NDP members were called foloul. During the Muslim Brotherhood’s reign, foloul was used to refer to those responsible for corrupting political life within the NDP. But now, the term has faded from discourse because foloul figures have become part of the June 30 alliance.

In this context, H.D., who worked in the NDP political secretariat and wished to remain anonymous, told Al-Monitor about the suffering she experienced after the January 25 Revolution, when many started calling her part of the foloul. “I worked with [the NDP] because of my experience as a researcher. My relationship with them was limited to my work function. But many didn’t believe that. … After the revolution, I looked for another job. But I was refused by many jobs because of my previous job, which was seen as a mark of shame, to the extent that some people told me that they agreed to interview me just so they could ridicule my previous work,” she said.