One more Day in Tahrir Square and the Meaning of Victory

February 6, 2011

Few would have imagined that the struggle would go on for so long. Even in my last blog, I stated that victory was near. Well the fact is it is near, especially for those waiting for thirty years! As another day passes, we continue to see a strong opposition, and cracks in the Egyptian government. Everyone however is right to ask how long can this go on? And, what does victory exactly mean? Now that almost two weeks have passed, it now seems unlikely that Egypt will see their President fleeing the country on the next plane as we did in Tunis. However, this does not equal failure; in fact, the opposite is true: the protestors have shown a great amount of strength which is seen in their soberness not to be enticed into violence. Simply, they have demonstrated that they are a responsible opposition, keeping the wellbeing of the majority at the top of their agenda.

Today, banks and businesses slowly began to open their doors, in an attempt by the government to show that life is “getting back to normal.” However, the protestors’ numbers grew throughout the day and they still can be sure that they have the majority of Egyptians behind them. Once again we saw both Christians and Muslims praying and protesting side-by-side; like so much of Egypt’s modern history, and Arab history in general, we see the two main denominations uniting together for a common cause. Not to mention the fact that both the Muslim and Christian communities in the square are not monolithic, meaning they are numerous groups in the square representing a spectrum of secularists and religious groups, and alongside them are the masses of citizens, who perhaps while not belonging to a certain political grouping, certainly have voiced their opinion much louder than any political party could have orchestrated.

As the protest continues, President Hosni Mubarak has remained hiding by the scenes with his government scrambling to try to end the popular uprising. However, it will take much more than the resignation of the top leadership of Mubarak’s National Democratic Party, including his son Gamal, as we saw yesterday. Today, in attempt to start negations with the opposition, Vice President Omar Suleiman met with numerous political parties, including the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been outlawed since the 1950’s, with some of their leaders still in prison. One person who was not invited who is one of the symbols of the protests, Nobel Peace prize recipient Mohammed al-Baradei, former Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Until now, he has been the strongest voice in terms of reaching the US and Europe, demanding nothing less than Mubarak’s immediate resignation.

It is perhaps for this reason that al-Baradei was not invited since the government is interested reaching a compromise where Mubarak will remain as President without any real powers. In a sense, a move to save his image, allowing him to step down in a few months on his accord. Rightly so, the different opposition parties remain quite suspicious. With the continued arrest of journalists, the Egyptian government is still enforcing the State of Emergency Laws which has limited freedom of speech in Egypt for the last thirty years (actually since 1967, abolished for 18 months by assassinated Anwar Sadat, and then reinstated by Mubarak in 1981).

With the Egyptian establishment remaining stable and steadfast, and the army and Omar Suleiman remaining loyal to Mubarak, it seems almost inevitable that the real change will come once a deal is made between opposition parties leading to early elections. While it hard to say how this will play out, it seems safe to say that indeed the protestors have changed the future of Egypt; certainly, if Egypt will see free and fair elections in the near future this will be the true victory of the millions who sent their leaders a message of “no more,” showed other Middle Eastern regimes that they are living on borrowed time, and demonstrated to the world that every voice really can count.

The Sweetness of Victory: A New Egypt?

February 4, 2010

At the moment, as I am writing this, one almost does not need more proof; the pro-democracy protestors' victory is closer than ever, with millions of Egyptians from all of walks of life gathering throughout Cairo and Alexandria in a festive atmosphere calling in unison “Down with Mubarak!” Clearly, the “Day of Departure” has brought the victory so close that from Tahrir Square all the way to the other side of the world, we all can smell and taste its sweetness.

President Hosni Mubarak last night in a non-televised interview with ABC’s Christine Amanpour sent out a message that he himself was “fed-up” and that he is not stepping down because he is afraid of Egypt falling into chaos. Vice President Omar Suleiman also aired an interview confirming the tired President’s words, and also reiterated that the Egyptian government will not use the army against the protestors. And, this was the case today with the Egyptian army which worked together with protestors and has ensured their security. Truly, Mubarak should recognize that it is he who is causing chaos and that for the first time he needs to trust his own people, and not the other way around.

It is imperative that the government and the protestors come to a compromise which will bring the immediate resignation of Mubarak, in order to ensure that the “New Egypt” will not fall into a state of absolute chaos and violence. However, for now we can still remain upbeat. The anti-Mubarak campaign has shown their utmost respect for order, and inclusiveness; in short, a true democratic revolution. Egypt has always been a leader in the Middle East and their citizens have given the world a lesson in how to hold massive peaceful demonstrations without falling into the trappings of a regime which up until yesterday did everything to light flames and to incite violence.

Today with the government taking the backseat,the pro-democratic forces have ushered in a new beginning for Egypt. Once Mubarak resigns, the real test will be for the New Egypt to show their citizens (and the world) that after the Mubarak regime a true democracy based on a liberal democratic system will ensue, promising a place for all to live in freedom and dignity. Otherwise, this will all have been in vain.

In conclusion, as I write from Tel Aviv, I put my trust in all of those protestors, who after a long day are slowly returning home to be with their families, unsure of what tomorrow will bring. They should be satisfied that, together with the Tunisians, they have set a new bar for democracy not only for the Middle East but also for the world.

Mubarak’s Last Stand?: A Pathetic Attempt

If President Hosni Mubarak wanted to impress the world by showing that among the millions of people protesting his regime there are also a fervent pro-Mubarak group, he radically failed. The pro-Mubarak groups seen on television have broken all the rules by raiding the opposition camp and beating and injuring thousands as a scare tactic to break up the masses. Sadly, we can see that these organized groups of thugs have only one thing in mind: to cause as much chaos as possible, minimizing death (5-6 people killed) and injuring high numbers (thousands). And, indeed the fact that the army remained neutral, gave the chaos a pogrom type characteristic; however, in a show of force and unity the anti-government protestors held their own.

After a night of protests which included a war of Molotov cocktails, rocks, and sporadic gun fire, Mubarak regime’s looks even more tired, corrupt, and above all authoritarian. While affixed on our television and internet, it is clear that the situation could have been much worse. With Friday prayers coming up tomorrow, marking a week since the anti-government supporters’ Day of Rage, Mubarak’s regime is holding on to its last days. Tomorrow will be crucial for rallying the masses and showing that they have not given into the violent outbursts of the pro-Mubarak groups. In fact, tomorrow might hold a few surprises for all if the anti-government forces come out in the millions.

After last night’s violence Mubarak is at risk of losing support within his own government. It is quite possible in attempt to capture the reins of the state, newly appointed Vice President Omer Suleiman might abandon ship and work to lead the country through a transformation period. It is also clear that the army has lost its patience. If yesterday they sat on the sidelines while the two warring sides were fighting, this will not be the case if the pro-Mubarak supporters/thugs adopt a new violent onslaught. Furthermore, the top generals need to start worrying about the fact that if they don’t move quickly, an internal revolution in the army could lead to the toppling of the generals close to Mubarak, spelling an end to the regime, and ushering in even more chaos.

Therefore, today Wednesday, February 3 2010, it seems like if in my last blog entry I talked about it being the “beginning of the end,” we are now at the stage of the “middle of the end” of Mubarak. If the anti-government protestors remain steadfast, their wish for Mubarak to step down will happen quicker than the President ever imagined. However, after yesterday’s show of cheap tactics, my optimistic option for Mubarak of remaining in Egypt with a bit of respect is no longer feasible. It seems likely that Mubarak and his family will soon need to board a plane and leave the homeland. Truly, a political tragedy for someone who did not know when to step down and never estimated correctly the hate which so many Egyptians (from all walks from life) had acquired for him over the years. For now, let us hope that yesterday’s violence will be the peak since Mubarak still has the means which could make the struggle for democracy a much more bloodier revolution than has been up to now.