Allaho Akbar….Egypt is finally free

Reflections on the triumph of the Egyptian revolution

[ 11/02/2011 - 11:50 PM ]

By Khalid Amayreh

I can't express in words the extent of my personal joy over the spectacular triumph of the Egyptian revolution.

In my humble opinion, the deposition of the tyrant Hosni Mubarak, widely considered Israel's and America's most trusted agent in the Middle East, is the happiest news the Arab and Muslim Umma has received ever since the overthrow of the infamous Shah of Iran in 1978.

Like the Shah did to the Iranians, Mubarak tormented the Egyptian people on America's and Israel's behalf. He valued the "legitimacy" that resulted from his humiliating subservience to Israel and America, but paid little or no attention to the views and feelings of his own people.

In the streets of Tehran in 1978, I remember how hundreds of thousands of Iranians shouted "Tou Marge Shahe Khae'n Nehzat Edameh dorad" (until the death of the treacherous Shah, the struggle will continue."

Now, there is a feeling of a Déjà vu as millions of Egyptians, frustrated with 30 years of repression and oppression, have been shouting at the Tahrir square in the heart of Cairo: Irhal, Irhal, Irhal or "leave, leave, leave" and ash-shaab yorid iskat al Nezam or "the people want the regime to go."

So Mubarak was in a certain sense a later-day replica of the Shah. They both savaged their peoples for the sake of pleasing their master, who is one, namely the evil empire called the United States.

Throughout his barren years in power, Mubarak was always answerable to Washington , not to Cairo .

In fact, he looked down on the Egyptian people, viewing them as if they were flies, scum and dirty animals that ought to be exterminated.

Of course, the tyrant concealed all these despicable characters with false pretensions of patriotism, pretensions that he sought to sell to the disillusioned masses until the very last moments in power. But, obviously, it was too late for him.

There is no doubt the moment is euphoric, overwhelming and transcending reality. Some already speak of a rebirth of Egypt, a transformation from an era of depression, repression and despair into a new era of hope for freedom, an era that would witness the restoration of people's dignity and humanity.

Under Mubarak's 30 years of repression, corruption and impotence, Egypt suffered immensely, retreating in every conceivable field. Egyptian industry, agriculture and all other production sectors underwent a state of collapse and paralysis. The stagnation, the corruption as well as the humiliating subservience to foreign powers, especially Israel, were conspicuous characteristics of the regime.

This writer, often at the risk of losing his job, repeatedly criticized the Mubarak regime, not knowing that its demise was only a matter of time. It was really a great serendipity.

Here are some of the articles I had written about Egypt recently in which I underscored the urgent need for change in that country. I didn’t know Egypt had an appointment with freedom.

• Rising Turkey Versus Receding Arabs ,
• what is wrong with Egypt ,
•  US Responsible for Egypt's Election Joke ,
• Mubarak Must Go

Hence, the victory of the revolution is really a great-and until a few days ago- unrealistic dream fulfilled.

The triumph of the revolution in Egypt has proven that dictatorship in the Arab world can be defeated. It shows that no tyrant, however brutal his security forces may be, can defeat the people's will for freedom.

But freedom will not be given on a silver platter. Sacrifices must be made and blood must often be shed for attaining freedom. On this occasion, we must salute all the martyrs of this great revolution, who died so that we may live in dignity and honor.

We Palestinians must be optimistic about the revolution in Egypt . Now, at last, we have in Cairo people who can be an asset, not a liability to our struggle for liberation and freedom.

Needless to say, the Mubarak regime, instead of pressuring Israel, nearly always pressured the Palestinians to surrender to Israel.

He culminated his betrayal of the Palestinian people by colluding with Israel in starving and savaging the people of Gaza, prompting many people, Arabs and Palestinians, to ask: who is tormenting Gazans, Israel or Egypt?

A last point. It is difficult to leave this subject without applauding the role that al-Jazeera TV has played in mobilizing and galvanizing the Egyptian people for the revolution.

This happened while the defunct regime acted feverishly to fight the free communication of information from and to Egypt by severing internet communication, arresting and assaulting journalists and barring free and unfettered TV broadcasts.

However, it seemed that fettering the free press accelerated rather than slowed down the regimes demise.

Al-Hamdulillah (Thank God), now every Egyptian and every Arab and Muslim can raise their heads aloft as 80 million Egyptians have proven to the whole world that freedom does have an Arab name. It is called al hurriya.

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian