Egypt: Progress, Hope and Uncertainty (Part 2)

I don’t meant o sound melodramatic but the events that unfolded between then and February 11^th, 2011 were undoubtedly one of the greatest demonstrations I have witnessed in my life and have altogether altered my perspective and opinion on the prospects of the Middle East. Success in Egypt can be attributed to three primary factors, each imperative to end success. The most important to sowing the seeds of revolution was the sheer will power of the Egyptian people who day-after-day flooded the streets protesting and standing up for their beliefs. The second factor and most important to preventing a break-down was the neutrality of the army. Unlike the past, in our world today, the idea of the public utilizing available weapons to fight the brute and technological strength of modern armies is nearly absurd to say the very least. It was vital and admirable that the army righteously served as a mediator, intervening primarily to hold the peace and not protect any one side in particular. The final key as I mentioned before was the pioneering use of the internet. This mode of communication via facebook, youtube etc. added an unprecedented dimension to this activity and drew global attention to the situation rapidly. These favorable aspects allowed the Egyptians victory against a stubborn Mubarak, who would take over two weeks to step down despite pressure to do so from around the world and domestically itself.

The implications of the success of this protest reach far beyond the boundaries of Egypt. The Middle East, which I had resigned to infighting and ceaseless conflict, may apparently have a chance at standing up against disorder and unjust governments. You have probably heard of the last few days’ attempts by other countries to emulate Egypt only to have resulted in further chaos and/or violent police reactions. Nonetheless, the revolt has inspired the Middle East and the entire world to reconsider and revaluate their governments and the job they are doing.

As for Egypt, the future remains highly uncertain as the complete infrastructure of a government has yet to be arranged and even the smallest decisions can alter life in the country for decades to come. But this is a much needed fresh start and we can only watch and see where it takes us.