It’s been almost twelve weeks since January 25 when the Tahrir Square youth shook Egypt and the world.
And the success stories are many; first and foremost, Hosni Mubarak abdicated his position—a truly fundamental achievement. Thirty years of supreme reign finally ended leaving the people in an unbelievable state of euphoria. And in spite of everything, it was a peaceful turnover of power.
Second, Egyptians went out in huge numbers to vote on the constitutional amendments. In an unprecedented turnout, millions were concerned enough to line up for hours.
In addition, the government and army council seem to be listening to the people. Every day the media list steps taken to fulfill promised changes from summoning Mubarak for questioning to investigating all the swindling authorities, exhibiting transparency—a true feat by Egyptian standards.
The fact that most Muslims and most Christians have suddenly realized that they have no other option but to live together under the same roof so to speak is yet another positive piece of the puzzle. Sure there are fanatics here and there, but the masses realize that the country belongs to both sects. Surprisingly many are now saying that religion has no place in politics or government—again another accomplishment.
Last but not least the Egyptian media seem to be reporting information as is—no siding, no bias, and no denials. The Egyptian media is, for once, accountable and liable.
These are all amazing successes, and they prove that the future can never be like the past. Nothing in the new Egypt will resemble anything in the old Egypt. Egypt is on a new road. However, Egypt is also at a crossroad—a bitter sweet crossroad that can go either way. And as there are highs there are also many lows.
For starters, many Egyptians are at a standstill; they are transfixed on revenge; they harbor an amount of hatred that has captured their essence; they want to try the evil doers and get the looted money back. And once vindictiveness spearheads a person’s behavior, blindness and fury take over. In all fairness, Egyptians are now moving in a circle, but the circle is spiraling downwards.
Egyptians should not forget their rights. Heaven forbid that they do that. The wrong doers must pay the price for their actions, and the victims must be compensated. However, Egyptians can’t remain idle forever waiting for the looted monies to return and the trials to take place. They have to realize that the monies, if ever returned, will not appear unless the culprits are tried and sentenced. And trials, to be just, may take years. This is the sobering truth. So, will they remain on hold for years?
Still on the topic of looted monies, some Egyptians have estimated how much each one would get if the money is returned. The ballpark figure estimated works out to approximately 180,000 EGP per person. Many Egyptians truly believe this. “I have a family of four and each of us will get 180,000, then in total we, as a family, will receive 720,000 EGP. Just give me my share; I’ll figure out what to do with it,” a very serious but totally unrealistic Egyptian says. And similar naïve, innocent folks are earnestly awaiting the monies to arrive and when it does, they believe it will be given to them on a silver platter; “Here you are. It is legally yours—go ahead and spend it.”
Another debilitating matter is the ongoing demonstrations that are popping up just about everywhere. And the protestors are mimicking the revolutionists. The revolutionists held their ground and got what they wanted. “So be it; let’s follow that successful pattern.” Their demands may be legitimate—higher salaries and better benefits-- but the approach isn’t. They choose a congested area or a visible spot to protest bringing the streets to a halt and refusing to budge until their demands are met—that instant.
School and university students, police officers, and various groups are protesting, too. It is becoming quite common for a group to ask for the ousting of a university president, the change of a classroom teacher, or the resignation of a union leader. Demands have no end. And rights have no end either.
But the most damning low lies in the rumours and hearsay that are dominating Egypt today. I personally have reached a conclusion that I have to question the authenticity of every word, photo, or video I see unless it is validated or is from an extremely reliable source, but the innocent masses are falling victim to these made-up or at least slanted stories. One story pulls them one way and the other story pulls them the other way, and they are muddled and confused. Rumours are indeed crippling the nation.
And because of these ongoing rumours, whether they are true or not, the notion of innocent until proven guilty is not in the Egyptian vocabulary at the moment. All those who are suspected, questioned, and ultimately tried have a very slim chance of being proven innocent because the public has already tried them in its mind and found them guilty. Accordingly, the sentences, expected to be announced hastily to appease the furious public, will find everyone guilty. By Egyptian standards today, it would be highly unlikely for a judge to find any one innocent.
Then Egypt is still not at all safe. The police force has yet to play its usual role. Thugs and escaped prisoners roam the streets freely creating havoc and mayhem. Many a story is circulated about mugging, break ins, and robbery; whether they are true or not is another issue.
The word that characterizes the scene now is “fawda,” i.e. chaos. Anything and everything can happen. Most law-abiding citizens are horrified and petrified of the situation, but they can’t do much. And they are waiting anxiously for the day when things will calm down.
And in reality so much needs to be done in terms of reform to bring Egypt to political and social stability. Egyptians must redirect their enthusiasm and passion towards saving Egypt; if they do so, they will indeed succeed because complacency and the-who-cares attitude have gone for good.
Poverty and illiteracy will take years to be truly tackled let alone overcome; and water conservation, pollution, and traffic congestion issues, the same—all a topic for another piece. But most importantly, educational and medical systems must be totally revamped. There is room for so much work, if Egyptians are willing to funnel their zeal towards such goals. Egyptians have to realize that nothing comes on a silver platter. They will have to spend time and energy to reach their goal. The goal is reachable but it is definitely a steep uphill.
If Egyptians realize that they need to focus on a better tomorrow instead of a bitter yesterday, Egypt will reach where Egyptians want it to be by far faster than not.
