Egypt’s Future After the Revolution

In these momentous times following the recent days of unrest, can one be optimistic and forecast a new golden future for Egypt? Should we be hopeful about the future of Egyptian
democracy, skeptical or perhaps fearful? What measures can be taken to recuperate our beloved country…?
No doubt the energy and commitment evident in the streets promise a potential reservoir of courage and goodwill that could reshape Egypt’s destiny in the future. Read on as DG’s
heartened readers share their opinions, thoughts and dreams, as they reflect on what each of them has witnessed…

ENAS: The Egyptians have proved to the world and, more importantly, to themselves that they have what it takes to make their country a better place to live. They have also proved that they are a peace loving people that don’t need a police force to keep the country safe. To do that they just needed to dislodge a corrupt government.

EMILY R.: A thought ran like a loop through my mind for years as I watched Egypt’s immeasurable potential sink further and further into despondency with the passing of time: Egypt should be the best country in the world. And not because of its pivotal geographical location, the Pyramids, the Red Sea, the history, the Nile, the Suez Canal or the abundance of other fabulous things the country has to offer – although they certainly play a part – but because of the best thing about Egypt. The people. Egypt has always been about the people, who have an indefinable quality that can only be understood when experienced first-hand. For a long time now, there have been echoes of the same tedious rhetoric: Egyptian people are too apathetic, too demoralized, to afraid, too lacking in hope to ever rise up against oppression. But on January 25, the people did rise up, the people broke through their fear, the people persisted, united and triumphed – and they did it peacefully. Because of this they have
become an inspiration for the whole world. This revolution has proven so many people wrong and has, in one fell swoop, swept away decades, if not centuries, of stereotypes about the Middle East and Arabs. At the same time it has set an incredible example for the whole world to follow. Because of 18 days in Egypt, the world has renewed hope for all of humanity. There are no pithy little phrases that could adequately describe what Egypt will now become, now that the sum of her unified voices has been unleashed. But the thought running through my head has changed. Should has been replace with will. Egypt will be the best country in the world! Because of the people...

CINDY A.: I have been waiting for this moment for nearly 20 years… I have heard the malcontent of the people every day, the frustration of all the people in my life here… Every day there were more and more examples of a downward economy, and worse. People in my own life have been taken or threatened by security police. I know people who get paid a pittance for the work they went to college for! People felt helpless to do anything about it…
As if they, the 80 million strong voices, were cowered by the choke-hold that the government, Mubarak specifically, had on them. They would yell about the injustices of Mubarak then suddenly stop, looking around saying, “shhh… don’t say anything wrong about the president!” I held my breath for the first 4 or 5 days after the protesting started, glued to Aljazeera English Channel… Of course there was no internet and state TV was never an option for me! The first thing my husband, who was and still is in the USA, said on the phone to me was, “Finally! You must be so happy; you’ve waited so long for this!” That is testimony enough to my opinion on these amazing people and their revolution! They have waited so long, with such patience and resilience. It’s one thing to oppress adult people and keep it up for years; keeping them on the edge of their seat waiting for the changes they are promised. They’ll be patient for the ruling
hero, stoic even with solidarity, but their children will not be so patient. Their children won’t be waiting for someone to raise them up as a people; they will instead seek to find their own level with the world around them. My children were scared, excited, worried, and even when they didn’t understand everything that was being expressed by the protestors; they knew something really big was happening. I can’t wait till they are old enough to really appreciate the strength and courage of the people who reclaimed their country for them so that they could have hope for a decent future in their own country. Now maybe they won’t have to dream about making their future somewhere else. I know that there are those who opposed the whole thing, still thinking Mubarak and his cronies were the example for the country… The only ones who lived like them are them… They are the wealthiest minority of the wealthy minority! Surely, with all the lies put out by the ruling party just since the revolution began, time has gone a long way to teach the world inside Egypt and out, the truth. You can’t keep this volume of people down and out just so the wealthy minority can keep their status quo… If that makes them uncomfortable to hear that, then so be it.