We hope.
I absolutely do not have the intelligence or knowledge to be able to comment with any kind of insight or authority on the events going on right now in Egypt, but I feel compelled to say something a bit longer than 140 characters on the subject.
It's a truly amazing, astounding and inspiring thing to see. That the vast majority of a nation could come together to get rid of a brutal regime and dictator, that they didn't give up, that they were resolute and firm in their demands. That they stood up and said no, and wouldn't be mollified - and that it didn't turn into a free for all or a civil war - these are all incredible things.
Of course, this is only the beginning. There's a very long way to go and the situation is still precarious. I'm sure the thoughts and hopes of everyone watching are with the Egyptian people, and I hope that the West does what it can to support their march towards democracy without interferring or trying to impose their own values or beliefs on anyone. It would be a tragedy too appalling to contemplate if this falls apart and doesn't give the Egyptian people the democracy they want, need and deserve.
It's also a very beautiful thing to see the 'moderate Muslim majority' as one Twitterer put it (sorry, can't find the original tweet - for some reason there's rather a lot of tweets about Egypt floating around out there) stand up and be counted for all the world to see. In your face, every bigoted bastard who tries to paint all Muslims as extreme, terrorist and something to be feared. Maybe it's too much to hope that this is the start of something much bigger for the world - maybe this will see people really come together, regardless of religion or ethnicity, and demand freedom for all. But it's nice to even think that it could be possible.
But what I keep coming back to is how crazy it is watching this as a person from a country that takes democracy for granted. We had elections last year, and we have more local elections this year, and so many people won't bother their asses to vote. They complain that politics is 'boring', 'stupid', 'pointless' - that politicians are all the same, that they don't like any of them so why should they bother voting for them? Egypt wants the freedom that we have so badly that they have taken to the streets for weeks to bring about revolution, but you can't be arsed to take a bit of interest in what goes on around you and try to make it better? And yet you'll still complain about everything - taxes, rates, bin collections, the health service, your doctor's surgery, schools, employment, transport, car tax, petrol prices, inflation rates, house prices, mortgages? Fuck you. That's all - just fuck. you. As the saying goes, you may not take an interest in politics but it sure as hell takes an interest in you.
And the particular country that I come from makes it all the more strange, frustrating and sad to me that so many people are so jaded and apathetic here. I don't want to get too political (in a post about politics, I know, I know) but it's not all that long since people here had to take to the streets to demand their democratic and human rights. We've seen far too much blood spilled in conflict here, and there are plenty of people still alive and kicking who were disenfranchised of their right to vote when they were my age. I'm a little reticent to bring this up at all, as I don't want to sound like I'm harking back to the past too much - I absolutely think we need to look forward and try to work together rather than focus on the wrongs that were done in the past. My point, rather, is that we can't forget how precious these rights are. We can't take them for granted.
I've always felt very strongly that no matter what, I must vote. Even if it means spoiling my vote because none of the candidates deserve it, I must get to the polling station and make my vote one way or another (I know a lot of people would disagree with me on spoiling my vote - and I completely understand where they're coming from, I just can't bring myself to not vote). People have fought, suffered and died for my right to vote. Not just in a generic, wishy-washy sort of way - but my right to vote as a woman, as an Irish woman, and as an Irish woman from a particular community background (no prizes for guessing which, I suppose, but I'm trying not to be divisive here) have been fought for by a lot of people and I believe that it's only right for me to exercise that right at every opportunity.
And it's not just a historical thing - I think we owe it to everyone around the world who is denied democracy, freedom and the right to choose their own destiny to make the most of our rights. Only by really recognising the importance of these freedoms, living and breathing their values everyday and standing up for them above everything can anything really get better.
Anyway. Those are some of my thoughts on the matter. Nothing groundbreaking or revolutionary, and I probably sound like a sentimental, hippie-tastic, bleeding-heart, liberal leftie, but there you go.
Godspeed, Egypt.
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