This is a longer post than usual and also the most difficult one I've written. The conflicts in Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and the list goes on....have been very hard to keep up with - situations have been constantly changing at a break neck speed since I sat down to write. However, I've been doing my best to keep up and revise as necessary - so I apologize in advance, for any inconsistencies.
That said, Egypt is near and dear to my heart, so I wanted to focus on my experiences meeting people there, as well as, what is going on politically right now. I believe it's important to view politics through the lens of humanity whenever possible - it is so easy to read the headlines and forget to see the people behind the stories.
Thanks, KW
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I remember learning in an 8th grade history class that, "Egypt was the gift of the Nile." My teacher explained that without the waters of the Nile, Egypt would be nothing but a vast waste land of sand and dust, so anything that grew out of Egypt, was in fact, a gift of the Nile.
It was an interesting thought - but a river is just a river.
What intrigued me more was the fact that for centuries, a hard working and industrious group of desert dwellers could use its waters not just to carve out a meager existence, but to thrive in a very hostile environment, while at the same time creating one of the most incredible civilizations in history.
I had seen pictures of the Great Pyramids, the Sphinx, the temples at Abu Simbel, Luxor and Karnak, but even NAT GEO in HD doesn't hold a candle to the real thing - it's only a colorful shadow of things that need to be seen with your own eyes to appreciate.
Just as with the rest of Africa, Egypt is a place that demands one's full attention, if only to capture just a hint of what it truly is. It is such a mix of disparate things, traditional and modern, Western and Mid-Eastern, religious and secular - it keeps one foot solidly in the past and one foot firmly in the future.
Egypt is not a place that "once was," built by ghosts from another age - it is a place full of life, where the future of Middle East and Africa is currently being shaped.
The Egyptians
In the early to mid-90's, shortly after the Gulf war, I went to Egypt twice. Of course, the big draw for me were the ancient ruins & museums, but I found that I was just as impressed with the kindness and generosity of the Egyptians I encountered. At that time, the U.S. military was very prominently engaged in the region , so I was concerned about how an American would be perceived. Soon after my arrival, I realized that Egyptians are very adept at understanding the difference between a government and its citizens.
This may come from the experience of being stereotyped themselves.
Some jaded readers out there might believe my tourist dollars may have been the reason for the warm reception. I just don't believe that was the case. After meeting people there, having thoughtful conversations & interactions, I feel as though everyone I met was really genuine in their opinions. My feeling is that If you never go beyond the superficial, it's unlikely you will ever experience the authentic.
At one point, due to an incorrect flight booking, I realized I was waiting for a non-existent plane. I spent 9 hours in the Cairo airport hoping to get put on a stand-by flight, IF there was an available seat.
Several of the gate agents and airport shop keepers heard about my dilemma - news travels fast in the Cairo airport - and over the course of several hours I had met many, very kind people. Folks were offering me hibiscus tea, keeping me company or seeing if they had some airline connection that could help me get on a flight to Luxor.
I found it to be a sincere, unprovoked outpouring of kindness for a traveler adrift.
By mid- afternoon, an Egyptian military pilot at the airport attempted to get clearance to fly me to Luxor in his MILITARY JET PLANE (which would have been BEYOND cool). Unfortunately, clearance wasn't forth coming, but he gave me his business card and told me to call him if I needed any other help while in Egypt.
An older gentleman that owned a shop in the airport regularly checked on me throughout the day as I sat in airport limbo. At one point, I asked him in the middle of our conversation, why he was so concerned about me?" He smiled and said, " If my daughter or sister were in the same situation, I would expect another man to do the same - out of respect." He felt strongly that as an Egyptian, and a Muslim, it was his human obligation to help me.
My impression, up to this point, had always been informed by subtle stereotypes & passing news stories of Muslim men persecuting or suppressing women through religion. Personally, I believe that most of the world 's religions, taken to their extremes, tend to do this, so maybe my feelings on religion played into this impression too.
After getting to Egypt and talking to people about religion & culture while I was there, I realized that in this moderate country, religion seemed to be more about respect & doing the right thing, not suppression or religious fanaticism. The Egyptian women I spoke with said they could choose the style of their dress based on their personal convictions and beliefs. They could drive, get a college education, go out alone, hold professional jobs, etc. without religious repercussions. I don't believe anyone I spoke with was especially conservative in their religious views, but they all were practicing Muslims. I'm guessing the moderate political stance in Egypt, compared to many middle eastern countries, heavily influences how most Egyptians go about their lives. In a more conservative country, I may have received very different responses.
It's not to say Egypt has a perfect society, they have their share of crime and problems, but then again, so do we. However, based on the people I met, I felt there was a lot of common ground between us.
The Conflict
Egypt is undoubtedly loaded with people that are kind, educated and reasonable. It's not surprising to me that these same people are responsible for attempting a peaceful overthrow of the government that treated them so oppressively in the past. It is amazing to see the people so openly protesting in recent days at Tahrir Square. It is a tremendous achievement that Egyptian protesters did not match violence with violence.
That said, their efforts were supported by the Egyptian military, a group that could have easily smashed them into oblivion, but didn't. I doubt citizens of Iran would be so lucky, if they tried something similar. I believe that the most successful of these African/ Middle eastern revolutions still unfolding, will have the military aligned with the people- that's the only way they can realistically win.
Egypt has completed the first phase in a long process, but the economy is going to be their next big battle.
I'll Take Egypt for $1000 Alex...
52% of Americans polled by the Pew Research Center a couple of weeks ago, said they knew very little about the current situation in Egypt. I hope awareness has gone up since that time, but engaging the American public is something that starts with the curiosity of our citizens, not the media. News coverage can be wall to wall, but if Americans don't care, it doesn't stay with them.
In contrast, Egyptians that I came across loved talking about how much they liked our former U.S. Ambassador to Egypt. Apparently, he regularly engaged with Egyptian citizens and they appreciated the fact that he showed up to local events. I have to say that I was slightly embarrassed, since I had no idea who the Egyptian Ambassador to the U.S. was previously or currently and what he was or wasn't doing...
As recently as last week, I saw a picture of an Egyptian man celebrating his freedom in Tahrir square, while holding a sign in support of Wisconsin union workers. I was surprised and couldn't even imagine how this young man even knew about what was going on in Wisconsin! It speaks to how informed and awaret Egyptian citizens are...
The United States is a very influential country and what we do, say, and finance, impacts most countries of the world directly. Millions of people around the globe pay close attention to what we do and how we do it. I think many Americans would be very surprised about how much other people know about us. Whether we realize it on a personal level or not, our country is a super power and our influence is in the spotlight.
Our citizens need to remember that even though we live in a country that is powerful & has many global concerns, we each have an individual responsibility to be aware of other countries and their conditions.
Now that a revolution has taken place and Mubarak is gone, I hope that Americans start taking a stronger and more wholistic interest in Egypt, Africa & the Middle East. Of course we pay attention to the wars we are fighting in the region, but we need to be equally concerned with the development of democracy & the economy in Egypt, peace between Israel in the Middle East, the flow of oil through the Suez canal, the political stability of the region, and where our aid money is going and is it helping - we need to know the basics.
Through this kind of understanding, Americans may find a renewed appreciation of the fight for freedom, dignity and democracy by watching the Egyptians and others over the coming months.
It's been a long time since our own revolution, but the Arab Spring may serve as a reminder of why we did what we did in our own country so long ago. It may remind us why so many struggle to bring about similar circumstances in their own lands.
The Revolution Will Be Tweeted
It's amazing to think that the lifeline of the Egyptian revolution flowed through Twitter, Facebook and even Google indirectly. I imagine the founders of Twitter and Facebook had no concept that their technologies would be used in such an important way and play such a vital role in the overthrow of dictators and governments. Though these are private U.S. companies, it's comforting to know that they created something helpful and good in a part of the world where all things American are looked at with apprehension.
I read today that an Egyptian couple had just named their newborn, "Facebook." I know, he'll probably change it when he gets old enough, but it's hard to deny the feeling behind it.
The world has become a much smaller place - technology is linking people in so many ways and power is shifting rapidly.
The Elephant in the Region
Egyptians, not unlike the Libyans, Tunisians, Yemenis, Zimbabweans, Kenyans and so many others that are frustrated by oppressive, long-term dictators and have had enough. The old structure is being shaken to its core and the results remain to be seen. What has been "stable" in the past, is unstable.
Depending on the country, the official U.S. government views about the uprisings have been nuanced at best - and why is that?
The Obama Administration has been tip toeing through this political mind field rather gingerly. Our government's position is crafted by the political and economic ramifications of not just Egypt, but Iran, Bahrain, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen and Israel and policies that overlap those countries and others. It also is subject to a "Frankenstein" of past treaties and agreements created by previous administrations and powerful business interests, that still carry great significance. To make matters worse, we are waging a war in Afghanistan, Israel is a strong ally of ours, and the outcome of the invasion, occupation and the exit of troops from Iraq has also bred contempt for the U.S.
We are between Iraq and a hard place... (sorry, had to do it)
Through the administration's diplomacy-speak, it seemed, at least to me, that we supported the Egyptian population's desire for freedom without Mubarak. However, full-throated U.S.support for overthrow in Egypt would have resulted in more problems and political upheaval, in countries with similar governments that we support, no matter our sentiment for Egyptians. Any signs that our administration is over reaching or interfering with Egypt's revolution or any other revolt in the area, will not help our cause or their's and might even impeded the success of certain revolutions. The administration realizes there are no good options, which keeps them on the ropes until definite changes start to emerge.
I have been pondering the $1.3 billion in aid to Egypt's military that some Americans have been recently become aware of, and consequently upset by. That money was granted to benefit (in no particular order) U.S. military equipment manufacturers, sustained enforcement of the peace treaty between Egypt & Israel and to assist an Arab nation that was considered stable and friendly toward the U.S.
What would have happened had that aid not been provided?
An unsuccessful Egyptian revolution most likely.
I think one of the unintended but excellent consequences of that aid, was a strong, professional Egyptian military that now temporarily presides over an Egypt in transition, with the blessing of its citizens. The Egyptian military also prevented a complete bloodbath of citizens, thanks to it's allegiance to the people. At this point, our $1.3 billion annual investment, may have been worth it...
Of course, there's always a caveat. This political process in Egypt is far from over and it remains to be seen whether this scenario continues to play out in a positive manner. It also remains to be seen whether the military will relinquish control to an elected leader - at this point it looks very positive, but no one can tell the future.
The Future
Egyptians have a history of thriving under harsh conditions and making something from nothing, so they probably understand the long-term hardships of what they are undertaking. The excitement and jubilation that we see now, will soon be replaced by the the realization that a new government, constitution and way of living needs to be created. The Egyptians don't lack conviction or heart, but it's still going to be a difficult path, with a number of hazards along the way with a potential for the fledgling democracy to be derailed. Out of respect for what they are trying to do, we need to give them our support.
You don't have to travel to Egypt to feel for the people, but it certainly makes you feel connected in a stronger way. I can't hear news of Egypt and be dispassionate or turn the channel.
Obviously, Egypt is going to need to shore up its economy immediately, if it is to realize a better future. I know this is a lot to take in, but I would definitely urge you to visit Egypt once you feel safe enough to do so. About 11% of their economy is made up of tourism, so it would definitely be a huge support to them.
Not only would it help their economy, but it would allow you to meet these great people and to see first hand what they are trying to bring about.
Egyptians deserve a new start and I hope it ends up being all they they believe it will be. They've built something from nothing before, and once again, they will start back to work.
The Nile is a great river, but Egyptians are the true gift to Egypt.
