A group of Egyptian men bellowed as they crossed the Nile Bridge: “Hold your head up high. You are Egyptians.’’ The overwhelming sense of personal empowerment here, by a people so long kept down and underestimated by their own government must have been a sight to behold.
Sovereign Revolution
Egyptians earned their celebration in
Tahrir Square. This was a total do-it-yourself
revolution. The resignation of President Hosni Mubarak is a stunning
accomplishment for the country’s courageous youth-led opposition. The
Nile revolution as it has come to be known, was led by youth and kindered by
Facebook and Twitter. It was largely non-violent from the protesters side. The
revolution saw Egyptians from all walks of life confluence. There was
reportedly a huge flag in Tahrir Square the other day with a Muslim crescent
moon and a Christian cross inside it. And what was striking was that the
Egyptians triumphed over their police state without Western (read
American) prodding.
During rigged parliamentary elections,
the West barely raised an eyebrow. And when the protests began at Tahrir
Square, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that the Mubarak
government was “stable” and “looking for ways to respond to the legitimate
needs and interests of the Egyptian people.” So claimed she after the $80
billion worth Secret Service of America concluded. They can say “ Opps!”.
The military apparently played a
neutral role when the protest came to play in full swing. But some elements of
the army have been involved in repression of pro-democracy protesters,
including arrest and torture. The Guardian noted:
One of those detained
by the army was a 23-year-old man who would only give his first name, Ashraf,
for fear of again being arrested. He was detained for carrying a box of medical
supplies intended for one of the makeshift clinics treating protesters attacked
by pro-Mubarak forces….
Ashraf was hauled off
to a makeshift army post where his hands were bound behind his back and he was
beaten some more before being moved to an area under military control at the
back of the museum.
So Hosni Mubarak is out. Vice President Omar Suleiman says that Mubarak
has stepped down and handed over power to the military. This huge triumph for
people power will resonate across the Middle East and far beyond (hasn’t it, Mr
Hu Jintao?).
Gravity of Freedom
Egypt has always been the center of
gravity of the Arab world and because it drifted these past 30 years, so too
did the whole Arab world. One can only hope with this liberation that Egypt can
now start to catch up with history and become a leading model for Arab
development. If it does, others will follow. And indeed, it has been followed.
Tomorrow we can all talk about how hard
this transition will be, how many pitfalls and uncertainties lie ahead for
Egypt, but seeing Tahrir square. There will always be Mecca in Saudi Arabia,
where Muslims will make the pilgrimage to be closer to God. And I can as well
say that there will be a Tahrir Square, where people will come to know freedom.
For that to happen, though, Egypt will have to take this freedom it just earned
and run with it – to show that it really can improve the lives of an entire
nation. Successful democracy will not be easy, and it will not happen
overnight.
In the 21st century,
there’s no realistic alternative to siding with people power. Prof. William
Easterly of New York University proposes a standard of reciprocity: “I don’t
support autocracy in your society if I don’t want it in my society.”
That should be our
new starting point. I’m awed by the courage I see, and it’s condescending and
foolish to suggest that people dying for democracy aren’t ready for it.
photocredits : The New York times | video credits : Youtube
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