Earlier this year I had the pleasure and honor of travelling to Egypt to present my research on the French Revolution. No one I encountered there really wanted to talk about their own revolution, a fact that keeps popping up in my head as I read about Egyptian journalists bringing imprisoned.
I found one plaque that mentioned Mubarak - other than that, he was never mentioned.
The only time I got someone to speak of the revolution was when I convinced my "guardians" (employees at the university I was staying at who were charged with keeping me safe) to drive me by Tahrir Square (now known as Liberation Square). They only agreed when I promised not to try to get out of the car, not to take pictures, and not to noticeably stare at the police officers. And there were a lot of police officers. As we drove past, they started to reminisce, driving to where the crowds reached to, and marveling at the night.
I found one plaque that mentioned Mubarak - other than that, he was never mentioned.
The only time I got someone to speak of the revolution was when I convinced my "guardians" (employees at the university I was staying at who were charged with keeping me safe) to drive me by Tahrir Square (now known as Liberation Square). They only agreed when I promised not to try to get out of the car, not to take pictures, and not to noticeably stare at the police officers. And there were a lot of police officers. As we drove past, they started to reminisce, driving to where the crowds reached to, and marveling at the night.
Given that my research focuses on the radical stages of revolutions, I shouldn't be surprised by the direction that Egypt's taken. But I am and I'm also disappointed. The tour guide that showed me around Cairo said that everyone comes to take over Egypt - Rome, France, England - and now the US thinks it can rule the world. But Egypt will always remain.
I don't know enough about Egypt to even try to predict when the next stage in its revolution will be. But I can't wait until it, Tunisia, and the other countries in the Arab Spring finally get the economic, social, civil rights that they fought for.
I don't know enough about Egypt to even try to predict when the next stage in its revolution will be. But I can't wait until it, Tunisia, and the other countries in the Arab Spring finally get the economic, social, civil rights that they fought for.