Have you heard or seen about what's happening in Egypt?
The people are not merely engaging in protesting--they are fighting for democracy. The current president, Hosni Mubarak, has been in power since 1981. One person, one party in control over a country and its people for 3 decades! At the end of my History of Africa Since 1800 class last semester, I chose to do a presentation on Egypt. It's a fascinating country, and not because of our ideas of an Egypt of pyramids, King Tut, and Cleopatra. Egypt is an African country with tons of influence with its location at the Nile River delta, and the country's recent push for industrialization. Egypt of course has a hugely significant role in maintaining the stability of the Arab region. Egypt's intertwined political, geographical, and religious influences are evident in the country's recent developments: attacks against the Coptic Church; a plethora of modern youth pushing for the spread of modern ideas; and progress in the role of women in Egyptian society.
The seeds for the Egyptian's uprising were planted in the December 2010 elections. The opposing parties claimed fraud and rigging of the parliamentary elections by the government's ruling party. Anger ensued, and thus the ball was rolling.
Now, partly in response to politics in Tunisia, the Egyptian people have decided it's time to get Mubarak out of power. All eyes should be on Egypt. This is a long time coming, and the stability of Egypt threatens the stability of African and Arab nations. And the outcome of this uprising may give us some insight into the future of democracy in Egypt. Check out the BBC's news coverage in Egypt. I particularly like the photo seen below. The West might think feminism is dead in Egypt, but this picture certainly shows an Egyptian woman with power!
Update: I apologize for my long silence in between posts. It seems I'm still adjusting to my new schedule. Now that I'm settled in with clinicals, everything should balance out soon enough. Thanks for your patience! Look for more posts this weekend!
