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.