The most beautiful words I've heard about the revolution...
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The Guardian's Contribution to the Revolution
I just left my Strategy seminar awed by an inspirational talk by the Managing Director of the Guardian, Tim Brooks. Recently, with the unfolding of the Arab Revolutions, I have held independent media in high esteem for its ability to shape world events. The Guardian always offered an insightful perspective on what takes place behind the scenes. As a professional news agency, its journalists seemed committed to the truth.
Although the class discussion was about the Guardian's business model and how the news agency is coping with the inevitable shift from print to digital media, I was fortunate enough to approach Brooks at the end of the talk to ask him a question that boggled my mind for sometime, " How did the Guardian get a hold of a true estimate of Mubarak's fortune?"
The reason meeting Brooks meant a lot to me was because of how the Guardian's article about Mubarak's $70 bn fortune tipped the scale in favor of the Egyptian revolution's success. At a time when my nation was at an inflection point, and Egypt's destiny stood on a thin line between revolution and counter-revolution, it was this news about the abhorent corruption that had plagued our governing system that drove the final nail in the Mubarak regime's coffin.
I was curious to find out how the Guardian had obtained exclusive access to this piece of information. According to Brooks, Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, got hold of 200,000 diplomatic cable leaks. Instead of releasing them all, he collaborated with news agencies, such as the Guardian and the New York Times, to filter through them and release ones that would have a strategic impact. It was during the climax of the Egyptian revolution that the Guardian decided to release the news of Mubarak's fortune and expose the a secret that the U.S. and Egyptian governments had withheld thus far.
It was amazing how a single piece of information could shape a nation's history. I personally thanked Brooks as an Egyptian for his agency's decision to commit itself the truth. Athough a lecture by the head of a news agency that has been around since 1821 was a treat in and of itself, a conversation up close and in person with Mr. Brooks about how his agency contributed to my nation's history was more than I could ever ask for!
Although the class discussion was about the Guardian's business model and how the news agency is coping with the inevitable shift from print to digital media, I was fortunate enough to approach Brooks at the end of the talk to ask him a question that boggled my mind for sometime, " How did the Guardian get a hold of a true estimate of Mubarak's fortune?"
The reason meeting Brooks meant a lot to me was because of how the Guardian's article about Mubarak's $70 bn fortune tipped the scale in favor of the Egyptian revolution's success. At a time when my nation was at an inflection point, and Egypt's destiny stood on a thin line between revolution and counter-revolution, it was this news about the abhorent corruption that had plagued our governing system that drove the final nail in the Mubarak regime's coffin.
I was curious to find out how the Guardian had obtained exclusive access to this piece of information. According to Brooks, Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, got hold of 200,000 diplomatic cable leaks. Instead of releasing them all, he collaborated with news agencies, such as the Guardian and the New York Times, to filter through them and release ones that would have a strategic impact. It was during the climax of the Egyptian revolution that the Guardian decided to release the news of Mubarak's fortune and expose the a secret that the U.S. and Egyptian governments had withheld thus far.
It was amazing how a single piece of information could shape a nation's history. I personally thanked Brooks as an Egyptian for his agency's decision to commit itself the truth. Athough a lecture by the head of a news agency that has been around since 1821 was a treat in and of itself, a conversation up close and in person with Mr. Brooks about how his agency contributed to my nation's history was more than I could ever ask for!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Tahrir: The Friday of Purification & Trial
Since the 25th of January, 2011, I had constantly been dreaming of the day when I would be able to join the crowds in Tahrir Square who celebrate the victory of the Egyptian Revolution and inch towards a liberal and democratic Egypt each day. April 8th would be the day.
Since the collapse of the Mubarak regime, the revolutionaries have made it a tradition to unite each Friday in Tahrir Square to express the solidarity of all the different colours of the Egyptian political and religious spectrum, keep the revolutionary fire burning, and demand that cronies of the former regime be brought to justice. Hence, April 8th was deemed the Friday of Purification (of Egypt from corruption) and the Trial (of Mubarak and other corrupt members of the former regime).
As I entered Tahrir Square at approximately 10am from the adjacent Abdel-Meneim Riydad Square, I was surprised to see the square quite empty. There were various stages set up on the various corners of the square. At first, it almost seemed like I had entered a carnival. Each stage showed different talents. The first square showcased political poetry by different youths. One filled his poetry with satire, another with comedy, and a third with hope. I then walked around the round-about in the middle of the square to see a second stage with a person from the Muslim Brotherhood preaching social justice. A third stage was headed by a Nasserist declaring solidarity with revolutionaries in Libya, Palestine, and Syria.
I had heard many stories in London of people who had witnessed Tahrir Square first hand, and they painted a utopian image of the Square in my mind. They made it seem like a place euphoric place where Egyptians epitomised human creativity, virtues, principles, comradeship, respect, and dignity. They were true to their world. As the influx of people into the Square grew, the scene became so much more vibrant. Despite the various stages chanting different patriotic slogans and playing various revolutionary songs, there was a sense of tranquility and magnificence amongst all the chaos.
The experience took on a divine dimension during Friday prayer. When the call to prayer took place, the square all of the sudden became dead silent. I was awed by how the call to connect with God had unanimously been respected by all, Muslims and Christians alike. As everyone faced al-Qibla, and the Imam who was giving the Friday prayer speech, I thought to myself that this must be what Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca's Ka'ba must be like. The Imam's sermon focused on the fact that justice must be upheld and that the treason and corruption of the former regime must be persecuted. He also emphasised that we are all Egyptians; it did not manner what political ideology or religious affiliation you ascribed to, we are all Egyptians. He also preached the importance of tolerance and respect of other's opinions. When the Friday prayer took place, it was quite emotional. Many around me began to tear because the Imam had made several invocations to God calling for Him to bring about justice, improve our situation, protect the gains of the revolution, and have mercy on the revolution's martyrs.
After the prayer, the crowds resumed their chanting. It was so crowded on the ground that I could literally feel my rib cage about to be crushed! Despite the hustle and bustle, people were very courteous to one another. Amidst the crowd of men, there was a women who seemed trapped. I wanted to suggest to her that it might be a good idea if she made her way out, but it seemed impossible. Once some of the other men noticed her, they called on everyone to give her space and make a safe passage for her to exit the crowd. It was this respect and chivalry that made Tahrir Square quite a special place.
As I struggled to make my way out of the crowd, I noticed that some photographers stood on the roof of an apartment building. Suddenly, I realised that that would be an ideal location to take panoramic photos of what was going on on the crowd. I wormed my way through the crowd until I finally was able to make it to the sidewalk, where I could finally take a full breath of air. I then scouted the area until I found the building's entrance. I ran up the nine or so stories of the building. To actually make it to the roof involved some unconventional climbing, but I eventually made it. The sight from the building's top was absolutely breathtaking. The scene below appeared to me as if I were staring at a sea of people. Like an ant colony, the demonstrators were miraculously very well organised. As one would expect, the three dominant colours were red, white, and black... From up there, once could see the whole picture. Together, the Egyptian people were a force to reckoned with.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
The Writer's Inspiration
In the name of God, the most Compassionate, the most Merciful
Write! And We shall tell you what
Concepts far beyond what you have thought
"Which of the favours of your Lord will you deny?"
Servant of Allah! Into this world we have you brought.
Write! And We shall give you the Script
Think! And We shall give you the light
Man! Against evil you have won every fight
To converge with Truth, Virtue, and Right.
Write! And We shall give you the words
Thoughts poised like the flight of birds
Where life is free of hypocrites and cowards
And We shall rescue you from the plight of herds.
Write! And the Pen shall start to scribble
Think! and the soul shall start to tremble
In the Presence of Allah, the words turn humble
It is not for you ever again to try to assemble.
"Names of Allah"
First Impressions of the New Egypt
My stay so far has been a heavy dose of reality. My flowery notions of the revolution are slowly fading away. I thought I would return to a completely revolutionised Egypt. In my mind, I imagined an Egypt free of corruption, poverty, injustice, inequality, and ignorance, but to my bitter disappointment, these are all still traits of daily life. What kills me the most about all of this is that I still feel powerless. I wish I could, with the stoke of a pen, write Egypt's new future as I dream of it. At the very least, my stay here has taught me that both Egypt and I have a very long way to go...
My first impressions of the Revolution are not the best, I'm afraid to say. Coming from London, it feels like I've only been exposed to the rosy images of the revolution. From my ivory tower, I've failed to see the intricacies of the revolution's aftermath. In my mind's eye, I envisioned that the people, buildings, sky, etc... would look differently. The fact of the matter is Egypt, and I, are still soul-searching.
On my way to Tahrir Square, to pay tribute to the revolution's symbol, it seemed like life was back to normal and there weren't that many traces of a revolution. On the way, there were a plethora of commercial billboards with the Egyptian flag and a patriotic slogan, but traffic was chaotic as usual. The real residue of the revolution is in apparent in several burnt buildings across the city. Several police stations were burnt, but one thing that upset me was the sight of the burnt down Suzanne Mubarak Library. I can understand the anger at the former first lady, but did it really justify burning down a whole library with all the wealth of knowledge it contained? Whatever happened to our objective of eliminating illiteracy?
I can go on listing other observations that disappointed me, but I don't think it is helpful. My main concern about the revolution is people's outlook. People seem insecure about the future. Everyone seems to be taking sides and politics has become a tool to divide, rather than unite, the Egyptian people. Sure there is fanaticism, but that shouldn't scare us about the possibilities. The media has fuelled this fire by blowing several negative incidents out of proportion. Its essential to keep our cool, remain bold, and stick to the universal principles of justice, truth, and mutual respect regardless of our political or religious affiliation.
On a brighter note, its been endearing experience seeing posters commemorate the revolution's martyrs. These were the men and women God had chosen to purify Egypt. May He shelter them in the shade of His mercy. Other than that, it seems like the Egyptians have awakened a sense of love for their country. Flags flap on right and left now. On my way from the airport, I passed by two army vehicles transporting soldiers, and I couldn't help but salute them with by waving a small flag my aunt had given me upon arrival.
The past four months since I was in Egypt feel like four decades. Much has changed, and I find myself like a stranger in his own home. As I try to acquaint myself with my new surroundings, I pray that God will guide me to find my place and fulfil whatever destiny is written for me.
My first impressions of the Revolution are not the best, I'm afraid to say. Coming from London, it feels like I've only been exposed to the rosy images of the revolution. From my ivory tower, I've failed to see the intricacies of the revolution's aftermath. In my mind's eye, I envisioned that the people, buildings, sky, etc... would look differently. The fact of the matter is Egypt, and I, are still soul-searching.
On my way to Tahrir Square, to pay tribute to the revolution's symbol, it seemed like life was back to normal and there weren't that many traces of a revolution. On the way, there were a plethora of commercial billboards with the Egyptian flag and a patriotic slogan, but traffic was chaotic as usual. The real residue of the revolution is in apparent in several burnt buildings across the city. Several police stations were burnt, but one thing that upset me was the sight of the burnt down Suzanne Mubarak Library. I can understand the anger at the former first lady, but did it really justify burning down a whole library with all the wealth of knowledge it contained? Whatever happened to our objective of eliminating illiteracy?
I can go on listing other observations that disappointed me, but I don't think it is helpful. My main concern about the revolution is people's outlook. People seem insecure about the future. Everyone seems to be taking sides and politics has become a tool to divide, rather than unite, the Egyptian people. Sure there is fanaticism, but that shouldn't scare us about the possibilities. The media has fuelled this fire by blowing several negative incidents out of proportion. Its essential to keep our cool, remain bold, and stick to the universal principles of justice, truth, and mutual respect regardless of our political or religious affiliation.
On a brighter note, its been endearing experience seeing posters commemorate the revolution's martyrs. These were the men and women God had chosen to purify Egypt. May He shelter them in the shade of His mercy. Other than that, it seems like the Egyptians have awakened a sense of love for their country. Flags flap on right and left now. On my way from the airport, I passed by two army vehicles transporting soldiers, and I couldn't help but salute them with by waving a small flag my aunt had given me upon arrival.
The past four months since I was in Egypt feel like four decades. Much has changed, and I find myself like a stranger in his own home. As I try to acquaint myself with my new surroundings, I pray that God will guide me to find my place and fulfil whatever destiny is written for me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
