The Realization of Al-Nahda

Yesterday I picked up the latest edition of The Economist magazine, proud to see that the spotlight is on Egypt once again. But something was different about this edition. Upon looking at its cover, something resonated within me. There was something alluring about its title, "The Awakening." At first, I didn't quite realize what attracted me so much to these two words, but I toyed around with the phrase in my mind until it struck me later that night as I flipped the glossy pages of Egypt's contemporary history. The Awakening was finally the realization of Al-Nahda the Arabs have always dreamed about!

I had lived my whole life wondering what the solution to the "Egyptian Problem" would ever be. I was sure there had to be a solution. I was trained as an engineer, a profession all about problem-solving, but for some reason I always felt like the "Egyptian Problem" was unsolvable. What could ever reverse our course of history and return us to our magnificent past, the Golden Age of Islamic Empire and the splendors of Ancient Egyptian civilization? It seemed like we Egyptians, in particular, and Arabs, as a whole, were destined to rot under political repression, ignorance, and poverty. Whenever I travelled abroad, I felt that the world was running. Having lived in China, India, the U.S., and Turkey, I felt like there was so much momentum in these nations. People across the world were racing to gain a competitive edge over one another. Yet, when I returned to Egypt, I didn't feel the same energy and dynamism. Unfortunately, people always thought I was naive because of my optimistic thoughts. They were always pessimistic, looking at the empty half of the glass. I swore to make it my life mission to prove them wrong. Hitherto, I dedicated as much effort and resources as I could to make a positive impact on Egypt and its people.

I have always been inquisitive about Al-Nahda, the period in Arab history deemed to be its Renaissance. The reason this period had such an allure in my mind was because it was quite recent, beginning in the 19th century and lasting through the 20th century. It was the period when we gained our independence from Western colonialism and when Arab political and social thought literature. It was a bold attempt at modernizing the Arab World that manifested itself in the works of Mohamed Abdou, Refeh el-Tahtawi, al-Jabarti, and Ahmed Shawqi. These great men looked at the West and sought to emulate its civilization's great achievements in the Arab World. For the first time in the modern era, the Arabs embarked on an intellectual discourse that sought to define their modern identity while preserving the jewels of their Islamic and cultural heritage. I had the honor of being a student of Professor Sawaie, an expert of Al-Nahda at the University of Virginia, where we read primary sources of what was going on in the minds of Al-Nahda's pioneers. I've always believed that it was Al-Nahda's ethos that would awaken the Arabs and make them realize that they have a pivotal role to play on the world stage.

My confusion about the Egyptian Problem and my dreams of Al-Nahda coming into fruition finally confronted on another on January 25, 2011 when young Egyptians took to the streets to declare to the world that their time has come to take matters into their own hands and emerge. For the past 200 years, no philosopher or public thinker had been able to make a breakthrough significant enough to spark Al-Nahda into reality. Al-Nahda, up to that historic date, had always been a figment of the Arabs' imagination, remaining unrealized in many dusty books and studied only in theory. Finally, its time had come to take birth. The Egyptian youth showed the world that the Arabs and Muslims vie for the same things that the rest of the world needs to live harmoniously, namely prosperity, democracy, and modernization.

The Egyptian Revolution of 2011 had finally answered the Egyptian Problem and sparked the long-awaited beacon of Al-Nahda. The Arabs have finally regained control of their destiny and their consciousness that they are worth something and that they have a crucial role to play in the world as their ancestors did. The Egyptian Revolution has had reverberating effects across the region, with revolutions flaring up from the Atlantic Ocean to the Persian Gulf. Soon, the dictators that have imprisoned the Arabs will fall and their repressive regimes will crumble. It is only then, when we have achieved true free freedom will the Arabs have their say, domestically through democratic systems, and internationally through a true representation of the Arab people's ambitions and aspirations in shaping the new world order.

My Egyptian generation, I salute your bold accomplishments. You have achieved what many men have dreamed of their whole lives but have passed away without seeing come into existence. You have written history with your tears, sweat, and blood. But even more importantly, you have lit the kindle that will ignite the flame of realizing Al-Nahda.