Egypt - The Revolution is Being Televised

Pardon me while I delve into a bit of political observation.....

Last April I led a small group of travellers to Egypt. One of our stops was the Cairo Museum which is across the street from Tahrir Square or Liberation Square, the epicenter of the recent demonstrations. I remember seeing women sitting on the grass in the Square children chased each other around in circles. Men lounged around smoking, gathering in small groups as men often do in Muslim countries. I remember the Square itself being dusty and dry, hazy with the familiar smog of Cairo. Over the past weeks, I've somberly watched news coverage of the brave ones in Tahrir Square enduring tear gas, water cannons, rocks, sniper fire and mobs storming in on horses and camels (one report said that the camels were those stationed at the pyramids for tourists. I know its silly, but I fleetingly wondered if "my" camel was now being called away from his mundane tourist attraction duties in Giza into the service of the anti-democracy forces).

The current revolutionary movement taking place in Egypt has the world abuzz and speculation is rampant in the media and in the blogosphere as to what is really going on there. In my view, the uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa over the last month or so is a clear signal that the people of this region are fed up: fed up with corrupt leaders; fed up with wealthy families running their governments and benefiting from nepotism and heavy-handedness; fed up with unemployment and with hopelessness. this movement is

reminiscent of the "Domino Effect" Liberation movements which swept across Africa in the 50's and 60's. 

All over the Middle East the young people are speaking. They're pouring into the streets and are expressing the frustrations of a generation. They want jobs, a share of the abundant wealth denied to the masses in one of the wealthiest areas on the planet.

Fifteen thousand Egyptians aged 10-29 from across the country were recently queried various aspects of their lives, from female circumcision to civic participation. The survey found around 20 percent unemployed, less than half satisfied with their schooling, more than a quarter of young men planning to immigrate at the earliest opportunity. Only 12 percent of eligible youth were registered to vote, fewer than half even talked about politics and less than 5 percent participated in any sort of organized activity.

They want self-determination and they want change. Youth who a few weeks ago seemed to have no direction are now leading an organized and determined movement for change. The Mubarak government's actions in shutting down the internet (how they managed to accomplish this is still a matter of conjecture and shrouded in secrecy) and access to mobile phones in an effort to quell the movement was a failure. If you've been paying attention, there has been a Day of Rage, The More Than a Million March, The Day of Departure. Men AND women are takin' it to the streets! It is quite inspiring!

My heart is filled with concern for my those I met in Egypt: Nancy and "MeeMaw", our Guide and Egyptologist and Tour Manager in Cairo, Hasan, our Nubian guide and Egyptologist in Aswan and Luxor and our wonderful driver, whose name escapes me), for the two young sisters I met in the papyrus shop. I lift my prayers up for my friends.