It is really hard to be writing this article with a mixture of feelings rushing through my mind; feelings of pain and reverse with a glimpse of hope and optimism at the same time.
Today, a year ago I celebrated my birthday with fellow citizens being killed in Mohamed Mahmoud street, and this year I celebrate it with the death of 50 innocent souls that went wasted in the name of negligence and delinquency.
May God rest the souls of every Egyptian that lost his life till today.
Having said that, away from feelings and down to the fundamentals of how I see things going in Egypt and the attempt to bring back hope to my fellow citizens, I will try to go through some points that I think are crucial to tackle at this moment in time, in order to stand upon the deficiencies in our beloved country. I will leave you to read between the lines.
The Government.
Our newly elected President stands handcuffed with a lot of issues that are overwhelming to anyone in his shoes. The government that is taking the responsibility of finding solutions for these issues lacks a vision. The Renaissance Project of the Muslim Brotherhood Freedom and Justice Party seems to be incoherent and hollow . But do we ask ourselves why is this “project” was the key element of the Muslim Brotherhood winning the elections?
A lot of factors play a role in that; first I would argue that it’s the mere need from the people to believe in anything for a better future. Second, the misusage of people’s ignorance due to the implausible illiteracy rate that Egyptians live with, not to forget the power of “sweet religious character” of what this “project” has being framed by the Muslim Brotherhood, the main sponsor of religion in our country.
The Constitution.
The social contract that is supposed to regulate our lives together, that are diverse in a scary manner, is in its embryonic phase with features that a miscarriage is inevitable to happen. With more than 30 members of the constitution assembly resigning and some ambiguous clauses developed, its is very hard to see any hope that this constitution is going to be representing all of the Egyptian rainbow.
The question I ask, should a constitution be representing the rainbow of all Egyptians, or is it rather a document that has to be general in nature to encompass the human as its subject? Why is there a big fight about Sharia law? Why can’t we look beyond our differences as individuals representing a group or a faction of society and rather look at ourselves as human beings? Maybe we can find the elementary common traits there.
Gaza and international politics
Wake up people!!!Since when are marches effective in freeing a country from occupation? I am not against demonstrating against Israel, but first things first. Are we very strong on the inside to play a strong role on the outside? Well I don’t think so. The Palestinian cause will remain a very vital element in our foreign policy, but let us first solve our never-ending problems inside, then we can think how to solve the Palestinian issue.
Some people will argue that we need to support our Palestinian brothers and sisters dying everyday in Gaza in the sense of Arab solidarity, well I say I need to make sure that all the Egyptians lives are safe first before saving others lives. Am I capable to save your life when I cant save the life of my own people?
War is not an option for those who think that we can afford it and I am not going to argue a lot here.
The Revolution.
As hard as this may sound, but putting what happened in January 2011 in a historical context seems to be as one big theatrical act now. It reminds me of the glory of the 6th of October War and how it was our greatest achievement from 1973 till 2011. People are using the “revolution” in all ways and the more they use it the more decontextualized it becomes. It would be heartbreaking to keep remembering what happened in January for the coming 20 years without having some major developments done in the country, and just let us begin with infra-structure here for the sake of saving innocent lives, that are likely to die, while we keep chanting for what happen in January 2011. We need to get out of this trap. We need to utilize the opportunity structure and step out of the box of “the revolution” and its unachieved goals. It is time for new goals to be achieved.
Here I come to the essential point of the attempt to try and put some hope into my fellow citizens life. What is happening in Egypt, as much as it discouraging and heart breaking, it still gives us a chance to act responsibly. I refuse to think that we are incapable of developing this country.
Egypt deserves better from us all. I have the feeling that people have lost hope, lost interest and lost the courage to believe. Our strength doesn’t lie in our unity, but in how different and unique everyone is.
I am looking at us, the young generation, in 20 years from now, and I see us the leaders of a very strong nation. A nation that has the capability of feeding its people without having to take international assistance or loans, a nation that values the life of its citizens before valuing life of others, a nation that holds officials accountable for their negligence and laxity, a nation that we will be proud of belonging to.
I am looking at us today to find us planning for such a nation. And it all begins with putting our brains together and working to develop a vision.
Who knows maybe we are the answer to the question that every Egyptian is asking now: What is next?
I say, we are next. Our time will come.
Last thing, I am calling upon you, to look out of the window tomorrow morning, remembering all the lost lives, and embrace the sunlight. For every morning is a new start, a new beginning for a new opportunity.
Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change – this is the rhythm of living. Out of our over-confidence comes fear; out of our fear, clearer vision and fresh hope. And out of hope, progress.
May God bless our beloved country.
