Despite victory for democratic forces in Egypt, current instability may still give al-Qaeda and other extremist Islamic groups the chance to expand their influence. Egypt needs international help quickly to ensure the reform agenda is speeded up, and that extremists cannot lay down roots.

For centuries Egypt has been the heart of the Arab world; its trend setter and ideas centre. But it is also the ideological home of early 20th century Islamic fundamentalism, and the more modern Islamic extremism that followed. Al-Qaeda, and other extremist Egyptian groups, will not want democracy to settle, because the democracy “contagion” could spread throughout the Islamic world, undermining the extremists message

Al-Qaeda had set down a marker just three weeks before the current revolution erupted. On January 1 militants bombed a Coptic church in Alexandria, killing 21 worshippers. This was a brazen attempt to create Muslim-Christian tensions, and similar to ploys in Iraq and Pakistan.