Tahrir which became a symbol for victory with its role in the overthrow of a tyrant, had become overnight a battle field! It is really hard to try and analyze what's happening now in Egypt. With the events of November 19th, the people who lost their lives and those who were wounded and even lost their eyes in an onslaught rarely seen since the events that led to the demise of Mubarak (with the exception of Maspero's events), I am seriously worried about where we are headed. Can SCAF really be that callow!! Haven't they realized that such an onslaught would reunite everybody against them (even though the Muslim Brotherhood seem to be napping it off which I doubt will continue for long if they want to be seen as being on the side of the people)!!
I am hoping that the different and ever bickering political factions come out of their slumber and reunite to save what's left of the country before it's too late. WE NEED UNITY!!
11/21/2011
11/13/2011
Egyptian Parliamentary Elections 2011
I can feel the anticipation mixed with elation for some and fear for others. I, myself, have a mixture of both; elation at having what I hope is going to be the first free election in a long time in Egypt and fear of chaos during the elections. The upcoming parliamentary elections has the NDP (the ex ruling party) almost barred (if not by law then by popular rejection) from entering and the Muslim Brotherhood running using their new party's name "Freedom and Justice" without fear of prosecution. The Muslim Brotherhood is also facing for the first time competition in terms of the use of religious symbolism and rhetoric in politics, from the Salafi (Muslim Traditionalists) party called El Nour or "The Light"!!! This is surely going to be fun to watch, having two entities claiming each represents Islam better than the other...
The liberals not to be outdone, have managed to form and then tear apart a number of coallitions that they have created with no forethought to their ideological differences as it seems, and are also competing with each other for mostly the same seats. One area (Heliopolis which everybody considers to have highly educated population) has a well known revolutionary who is also an award winner (Miss Mahfouz), a well known political writer and activist (Hamzawy), and twitter celebrity ( Salem @sandmonkey) running for the same seat!!!
To complicate matters further, the new electoral system which I can vouch that more than 80% of the population does not understand will surely lead to confusion on election day (or days since the military council in its infinite wisdom has divided the election process up to take several days).
So, I am sure nobody can really predict the outcome of this election including me... We'll have to wait and see and hope for the best or better yet keep working for the best.
The liberals not to be outdone, have managed to form and then tear apart a number of coallitions that they have created with no forethought to their ideological differences as it seems, and are also competing with each other for mostly the same seats. One area (Heliopolis which everybody considers to have highly educated population) has a well known revolutionary who is also an award winner (Miss Mahfouz), a well known political writer and activist (Hamzawy), and twitter celebrity ( Salem @sandmonkey) running for the same seat!!!
To complicate matters further, the new electoral system which I can vouch that more than 80% of the population does not understand will surely lead to confusion on election day (or days since the military council in its infinite wisdom has divided the election process up to take several days).
So, I am sure nobody can really predict the outcome of this election including me... We'll have to wait and see and hope for the best or better yet keep working for the best.
8/11/2011
The Polarization of Egyptian Society - The Failure of Liberals
For the past few months, a major divide has been growing in Egyptian society. On the eve of January 25th, there was an unparalleled sense of achievement and elation. The Egyptian people seemed united and proud of what they have accomplished; the overthrow of a tyrant. However, bit by bit, the people have started to stray from common goals and began to promote their opposing visions for a new Egypt. Opposing calls for a "religious state" and a "liberal state" have swamped every media channel in Egypt, with supporters of each camp abusing the other verbally and sterotyping their opponents. Liberals being labelled as anti-religion and/or atheists while the other camp is being labelled anti-democratic and archaic. Needless to say, the verabl war has led to the polarization of Egyptian society with the liberal state opponents on one side and the religious state's on the other.
Religion plays an important role in the Egyptians' lives (whether Muslim or Christian), with charities on both sides helping their communities and garnering more support for religious institutions and groups. The Muslim Brotherhood, which have been present whether clearly or underground on the Egyptian political scene even before the 1952 revolution or coup, has become energized by the overthrow of Mubarak and is assuming a large role in post January 25th Egypt. However, the Muslim Brotherhood has gained enough political experience and diplomacy throughout the years that has enabled it to present a more moderate image of itself and even garner the support of many for its political aspirations (whether local or international). So, if that's the case, where's the problem? And why all the hype and verbal wars?! The problem lies with the new entrants on the scene; the Salafis (the traditionalists may be a close translation even if not extremely accurate). The Salafis, who are completely new to the political scene and who have been kept underground by the old regime, have no political finesse nor real political aspirations and their only aim is to have a "religious state". They have been opposed to the overthrow of Mubarak because they interpret religious scripture as opposing to any attempts to overthrow the ruler. However, they are quite happy to come after that overthrow and demand to impose their view of what the new Egypt should be like. In their quest, they have painted all dissenting opinions as immoral non-religious and "Western" (definitely used with its historical imperialist connotations). So, that's mainly the religious camp with its newly labelled moderates (the Brotherhood) and its newly acquired extremists (the Salafis).
On the other side, the liberal camp, which is composed of a number of thinkers and writers, have managed to garner the support of a large section of the elite and of course the local businessmen. However, they have failed to simplify their dialogue to attract the larger masses in addition to the fact that they don't have much presence outside of Cairo nor have the warm connection that the Brotherhood has with the masses as a result of their charitable work. The other problem of the liberal camp lies with one of the major problems that I have mentioned in earlier posts, illiteracy. The fact that Egypt has a high rate of illiteracy makes liberals sound like they are talking gibberish and also makes it easier for the masses to believe the accusations being levelled at them. Even the forums used by each camp reflects the failure of liberals to present their ideas to the masses. While the Salafis are using mosques and door to door techniques, the liberals are using their writings to convince an illiterate population!!! Not only that, even when using the most widely spread media channel i.e. TV, the liberals are talking about ideologies and theories instead of talking to the people about what these mean for their daily lives.
I fear that the end of this unequal war (and I am sad to say that those who supposedly are more educated are the ones who have the losing hand), we will have a new Egypt other than the one I dreamt of with millions of others. I can see some people trying to make a change but they need a lot of support in their efforts. One of these is the Freedom Bus, a great intiative that centers around political awareness and education, which is basically a bus full of volunteers touring Egypt to educate people about politics and their rights. I am "praying" for similar initiatives to fill the void liberals are intent on ignoring. People need to know that democracy is not foreign to Islam and that it ultimately serves the interests of the people. They need to know that it is possible to combine both religion and democracy in an equation that's purely Egyptian and build a better Egypt that allows all to prosper whether materially or otherwise.
Religion plays an important role in the Egyptians' lives (whether Muslim or Christian), with charities on both sides helping their communities and garnering more support for religious institutions and groups. The Muslim Brotherhood, which have been present whether clearly or underground on the Egyptian political scene even before the 1952 revolution or coup, has become energized by the overthrow of Mubarak and is assuming a large role in post January 25th Egypt. However, the Muslim Brotherhood has gained enough political experience and diplomacy throughout the years that has enabled it to present a more moderate image of itself and even garner the support of many for its political aspirations (whether local or international). So, if that's the case, where's the problem? And why all the hype and verbal wars?! The problem lies with the new entrants on the scene; the Salafis (the traditionalists may be a close translation even if not extremely accurate). The Salafis, who are completely new to the political scene and who have been kept underground by the old regime, have no political finesse nor real political aspirations and their only aim is to have a "religious state". They have been opposed to the overthrow of Mubarak because they interpret religious scripture as opposing to any attempts to overthrow the ruler. However, they are quite happy to come after that overthrow and demand to impose their view of what the new Egypt should be like. In their quest, they have painted all dissenting opinions as immoral non-religious and "Western" (definitely used with its historical imperialist connotations). So, that's mainly the religious camp with its newly labelled moderates (the Brotherhood) and its newly acquired extremists (the Salafis).
On the other side, the liberal camp, which is composed of a number of thinkers and writers, have managed to garner the support of a large section of the elite and of course the local businessmen. However, they have failed to simplify their dialogue to attract the larger masses in addition to the fact that they don't have much presence outside of Cairo nor have the warm connection that the Brotherhood has with the masses as a result of their charitable work. The other problem of the liberal camp lies with one of the major problems that I have mentioned in earlier posts, illiteracy. The fact that Egypt has a high rate of illiteracy makes liberals sound like they are talking gibberish and also makes it easier for the masses to believe the accusations being levelled at them. Even the forums used by each camp reflects the failure of liberals to present their ideas to the masses. While the Salafis are using mosques and door to door techniques, the liberals are using their writings to convince an illiterate population!!! Not only that, even when using the most widely spread media channel i.e. TV, the liberals are talking about ideologies and theories instead of talking to the people about what these mean for their daily lives.
I fear that the end of this unequal war (and I am sad to say that those who supposedly are more educated are the ones who have the losing hand), we will have a new Egypt other than the one I dreamt of with millions of others. I can see some people trying to make a change but they need a lot of support in their efforts. One of these is the Freedom Bus, a great intiative that centers around political awareness and education, which is basically a bus full of volunteers touring Egypt to educate people about politics and their rights. I am "praying" for similar initiatives to fill the void liberals are intent on ignoring. People need to know that democracy is not foreign to Islam and that it ultimately serves the interests of the people. They need to know that it is possible to combine both religion and democracy in an equation that's purely Egyptian and build a better Egypt that allows all to prosper whether materially or otherwise.
6/20/2011
Egypt .. The Road after January 25th
The question I wake up with every morning lately (after the 25th of January) is "where do we go from here?". Sometimes I get a bit gloomy (especially after I finish reading the daily news and/or the daily fights between the different political factions in their never ending struggle for popularity as well as the civil vs. religious state debate). At other times, I feel hopeful and optimistic when I consider the many initiatives led by some highly enthusiastic people. To get out of the gloomy mood, I decided that this post is going to be about those initiatives. Two major initiatives with long-term objectives have been launched so far by two Egyptian expat scientists (Nobel Laureate Dr. Ahmed Zeweil and NASA Scientist Dr. Farouk el Baz). Dr. Zeweil's initiative aims to establish an institute to help incubate scientific projects that can benefit Egypt (for more detailed info on this initiative, you can check this link http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/education/launch-of-zewail-city-of-science-and-technology.html). As for Dr. el Baz's initiative called "Development Corridor", it aims at a better use of Egypt's resources through the development of new communities, agriculture, industry, trade and tourism around a 2,000 km strip of the Western Desert (for more detailed info on this initiative, you can check this link http://faroukelbaz.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22&Itemid=59).
On the home front , several initiatives with both short and long term objectives have been launched. An initiative by an Egyptian artist aiming to solve the problem of Egypt's slum areas and upgrade the living standards of people in those areas as well as provide them with work opportunities, has gained the support of many and is underway. Another initiative aims to address the problem of illiteracy which is supported by the Vodafone Foundation in cooperation with UNESCO with the help of volunteers is already underway (for more detailed info on this initiative, you can check this link http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/education/education-key-to-development-say-literacy-initiative-founders.html).
Back to the question I started with "where do we go from here?", I feel that we are on the right track in terms of addressing two main problem areas that I have dicussed in my earlier post, i.e. illiteracy and poverty. Still, there seems to be many hurdles along the way. The fighting between the different political factions is what worries me the most. There is this highly intense debate between those calling for a Civil vs. Islamic state which seems to be going nowhere, with both camps misrepresenting the other camp's claims and positions (to varying and worrying degrees which can be as outlandish as the claim that democrats and liberals are essentially non-believers!). There's also a fight within the liberal or civil state camp which is now divided into a multitude of political parties, each in the pursuit of a piece of the pie which is currently not even in the oven (because in the economic state we are in we may be unable to get many of its ingredients!). So, I am real worried but still hopeful that we can all manage to see that we all need to save the ship before it sinks and then talk about renovation plans.
On the home front , several initiatives with both short and long term objectives have been launched. An initiative by an Egyptian artist aiming to solve the problem of Egypt's slum areas and upgrade the living standards of people in those areas as well as provide them with work opportunities, has gained the support of many and is underway. Another initiative aims to address the problem of illiteracy which is supported by the Vodafone Foundation in cooperation with UNESCO with the help of volunteers is already underway (for more detailed info on this initiative, you can check this link http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/education/education-key-to-development-say-literacy-initiative-founders.html).
Back to the question I started with "where do we go from here?", I feel that we are on the right track in terms of addressing two main problem areas that I have dicussed in my earlier post, i.e. illiteracy and poverty. Still, there seems to be many hurdles along the way. The fighting between the different political factions is what worries me the most. There is this highly intense debate between those calling for a Civil vs. Islamic state which seems to be going nowhere, with both camps misrepresenting the other camp's claims and positions (to varying and worrying degrees which can be as outlandish as the claim that democrats and liberals are essentially non-believers!). There's also a fight within the liberal or civil state camp which is now divided into a multitude of political parties, each in the pursuit of a piece of the pie which is currently not even in the oven (because in the economic state we are in we may be unable to get many of its ingredients!). So, I am real worried but still hopeful that we can all manage to see that we all need to save the ship before it sinks and then talk about renovation plans.
5/30/2011
Egypt's SWOT Analysis
I believe that before embarking on a journey, one should analyze everything carefully from the starting point, the road/journey and the goal. So, here I begin with the first step i.e. the starting point. Being a marketing professional, I cannot help but borrow from the marketing terminology hence the title "SWOT Analysis". I believe it does not help to hide from the truth, we need to realistically assess our situation in order to position ourselves well to achieve our goal.
Of course I will start with Strength not only because it's the first letter but also because it gives a positive push and appeals to my optimistic nature :) As you may know the elements for strength has to come from within so we need to consider what are Egypt's inherent elements of strength. I have to say at this point that the major element I see is the people or the human factor (not only because we exceed 80 mil. but because at this point in time we are a really motivated 80 mil. thanks to the January 25th spirit). I have to admit that this human factor comes with its inherent weaknesses such as illiteracy and poverty, however, these weaknesses could be remedied and the start should be educational reform (and we will discuss this at length in the coming article about the second step i.e. the journey). Besides the human factor, we also have the natural resources, Egypt may not be an oil country but still it's not a poor country either; its main problem was mismanagement and corruption (again to be discussed in the journey). Our resources, as they have repeatedly mentioned over our school years, include oil, gas besides the Suez canal and our great resort cities as well as the last but not least resource the Pharaonic monuments and artifacts.
As for weaknesses, it seems that I have already covered most of them during my talk about strengths; apparently I am not the optimist I thought myself to be:) To recap, illiteracy, poverty, mismanagement and corruption are the greatest obstacles I see on the road (I am sure many people can add more to this list but these are the ones I believe pose the greatest threat and are the root for many of the other problems we suffer today).
Opportunities and threats are both external factors. So if we look what's out there at this particular time, we'll find a mixed picture. On one hand, in terms of opportunities, many countries seem to be willing to offer help at this stage financially and otherwise to guarantee achieving democracy in Egypt (if you believe all the rhetoric which I personally have to take with a grain of salt till it materializes into action). On the other hand, in terms of threats, I see two major problems that may make these offers of help vaporize. The first being the state of the world economy which may make a number of countries unable of helping Egypt because they need to consider their own problems first (something which I cannot blame anyone for). The second and more troublesome obstacle is possibility of the rise of politically active Islamists in Egypt to power (not necessarily the top of the political ladder but at least to the point where they have an overreaching effect on all decisions) which most probably may automatically lead to making Egypt a pariah to many countries even though no one cares to discuss this scenario at length at this particular stage.
To wrap it all up, I believe that we may be in a fix right now but we are not doomed to stay in it forever. We are well positioned for a good start if we can make a realistic and well-managed plan for our journey. So for the coming article, I will try and collect many of the plans proposed by experts that build on our strengths and remedy our weaknesses.
Of course I will start with Strength not only because it's the first letter but also because it gives a positive push and appeals to my optimistic nature :) As you may know the elements for strength has to come from within so we need to consider what are Egypt's inherent elements of strength. I have to say at this point that the major element I see is the people or the human factor (not only because we exceed 80 mil. but because at this point in time we are a really motivated 80 mil. thanks to the January 25th spirit). I have to admit that this human factor comes with its inherent weaknesses such as illiteracy and poverty, however, these weaknesses could be remedied and the start should be educational reform (and we will discuss this at length in the coming article about the second step i.e. the journey). Besides the human factor, we also have the natural resources, Egypt may not be an oil country but still it's not a poor country either; its main problem was mismanagement and corruption (again to be discussed in the journey). Our resources, as they have repeatedly mentioned over our school years, include oil, gas besides the Suez canal and our great resort cities as well as the last but not least resource the Pharaonic monuments and artifacts.
As for weaknesses, it seems that I have already covered most of them during my talk about strengths; apparently I am not the optimist I thought myself to be:) To recap, illiteracy, poverty, mismanagement and corruption are the greatest obstacles I see on the road (I am sure many people can add more to this list but these are the ones I believe pose the greatest threat and are the root for many of the other problems we suffer today).
Opportunities and threats are both external factors. So if we look what's out there at this particular time, we'll find a mixed picture. On one hand, in terms of opportunities, many countries seem to be willing to offer help at this stage financially and otherwise to guarantee achieving democracy in Egypt (if you believe all the rhetoric which I personally have to take with a grain of salt till it materializes into action). On the other hand, in terms of threats, I see two major problems that may make these offers of help vaporize. The first being the state of the world economy which may make a number of countries unable of helping Egypt because they need to consider their own problems first (something which I cannot blame anyone for). The second and more troublesome obstacle is possibility of the rise of politically active Islamists in Egypt to power (not necessarily the top of the political ladder but at least to the point where they have an overreaching effect on all decisions) which most probably may automatically lead to making Egypt a pariah to many countries even though no one cares to discuss this scenario at length at this particular stage.
To wrap it all up, I believe that we may be in a fix right now but we are not doomed to stay in it forever. We are well positioned for a good start if we can make a realistic and well-managed plan for our journey. So for the coming article, I will try and collect many of the plans proposed by experts that build on our strengths and remedy our weaknesses.
5/26/2011
Daring to Dream
I believe that writing about the future of Egypt now is a tricky thing. If I would have started such a blog before the 25th of January, there would not have been much to write about. The Egyptian scene was one of stagnation, it was as if a person has pressed the "pause button". However, unlike a movie that you have not seen before, everybody knew what was coming after this pause. Repeated denials aside, most Egyptians knew that Gamal was being groomed to take over after his father Mubarak the leadership of Egypt (similar to the Syrian scenario). Some were quite satisfied with this anticipated switch, and they were not only corrupt businessmen but also many of the Egyptian elite who felt that the status quo was not detrimental to their livelihood and ambitions.
But now, after the 25th of January, we are at a virtual crossroad as we Egyptians call it "seket el nadama we seket el salama we seket eli yerou7 ma yerga3sh" or the regret, safety and forever lost crossroads. This is why I started writing. Simply because my hopes, dreams and fears were growing beyond my ability to repress them or limit them to my mind only. I am writing because I want to share my dream or a vision for an Egypt that my kids could take part in the shaping of its future (a right that we were robbed of) and would be proud of (a dream that we kept holding to regardless of the setbacks). So if you pass by or stumble on this blog and believe that you share my dream, feel free to share your ideas for ways to ensure that we all follow "seket el salama" i.e. "safety road" and by safety I definitely don't mean status quo or stagnation (as the previous regime continuosly marketed theirs). Finally, I hope that we can all dare to dream of a better Egypt.
But now, after the 25th of January, we are at a virtual crossroad as we Egyptians call it "seket el nadama we seket el salama we seket eli yerou7 ma yerga3sh" or the regret, safety and forever lost crossroads. This is why I started writing. Simply because my hopes, dreams and fears were growing beyond my ability to repress them or limit them to my mind only. I am writing because I want to share my dream or a vision for an Egypt that my kids could take part in the shaping of its future (a right that we were robbed of) and would be proud of (a dream that we kept holding to regardless of the setbacks). So if you pass by or stumble on this blog and believe that you share my dream, feel free to share your ideas for ways to ensure that we all follow "seket el salama" i.e. "safety road" and by safety I definitely don't mean status quo or stagnation (as the previous regime continuosly marketed theirs). Finally, I hope that we can all dare to dream of a better Egypt.
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