Saturday, February 12, 2011

Nights over Egypt


It's pretty breathtaking. To see thousands of people crowd an area in continuing opposition, just hours after they fired, not a President, -but a dictator. Clearly the people's issues with President Hosni Mubarek were not deeply philosophical or abstract, -but concrete. It's hard to stay in power if there's no bread on the table, but Mr. Mubarek somehow got by for 3 decades.

So it was a bloodless revolution that ended a dictator's turn. The Kalashnikovs, Uzis, M-16s and bayonets were left home next to umbrellas, or perhaps brought along ceremoniously and kept holstered for the most part, awaiting a storm that never materialized among the crowds, clouds and thunder.

Only time will tell if this is the way the rest of it will go in a region that the world culture owes so much to.

Let's remember Neda Agha Soltan, a young woman who stepped out on to the pavement to exercise the same right that Egyptians exuberantly applied for 18 days, only to meet with a different end on a street in Iran. Let's remember a young woman who died bleeding on the pavement, her life taken by a short-sighted coward with a gun.

Let's think of Neda today, before all the worry of what happens next and how, overtakes us.
-SJ
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7 comments:

Infidel753 said...

No doubt many in Iran are thinking of her as well. Iran's story is not over. As the example of Tunisia inspired the rebellion in Egypt, so millions in Iran must now be watching Egypt's victory and considering their own situation anew.

SJ said...

You're right Infidel.
Yemen's going to be a different story I'm afraid.

Leslie Parsley said...

Even though I can't understand the words I feel the emotion in this beautiful and powerful video from Egypt.

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/scarce/voice-freedom

Leslie Parsley said...

Meant to add that I read somewhere that Algeria has shut down Facebook and the Internet during protests.

SJ said...

@tnlib,
Wow, I watched it with no sound, I may have a browser problem, but thanks for sharing that, it's beautiful indeed.
As for Algeria, every time they shut down something as purely social, innocuous and frankly time-wasting as Facebook or Twitter, they are just conceding that they have to oppress in order to stay in power. This is very cool. Hopefully, things will move forward while remaining peaceful.
-SJ

Jack Jodell said...

I have thought of poor Neda many times since you ran her picture and story in your blog last year, SJ. May she rest in peace.

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