By Islam El Shazly
Less than 48 hours from now (Wednesday, January 23, 2013) Egypt will mark two years since the Jan25 2011 revolution, and looking at the state of affairs in Egypt it seems that it hasn’t really proceeded any further after the euphoria of the 18 days that toppled Mubarak and his horrid NDP and State Security forces (Amn Dawla).
Then again it all depends on one’s point of view and whether one is a glass-half-full-person or a glass-half-empty-person. It’s all very confusing. Especially if the post revolution media in Egypt is all messed up and without any kind of compass whatsoever, moral or otherwise!
If you watch any of the privately-owned Egyptian media stations or follow their equally “independent” newspapers, then you are in a world of hurt. Your brain won’t be able to fathom what on earth are they on about. After all most of them were anti revolution until the fall of Mubarak, when, all of a sudden, they all became staunch revolutionaries!!!
Yesterday’s friends became today’s enemies. Politics got in the way of friendships, and labels tore down families, and everyone started quoting George Dubbya: “If you’re not with us, you’re against us.” That is no way to start anew and rebuild a ruined economy and advance a nation.
Could Egypt slip into a civil war like Syria and Libya? Maybe… Maybe not. The people betting on that might want to think twice, or they might be betting on a lost cause. The people throwing their money around inciting hatred and will eventually suffer the most.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُنْفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ لِيَصُدُّوا عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَسَيُنْفِقُونَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسْرَةً ثُمَّ يُغْلَبُونَ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِلَى جَهَنَّمَ يُحْشَرُونَ [36] لِيَمِيزَ اللَّهُ الْخَبِيثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ وَيَجْعَلَ الْخَبِيثَ بَعْضَهُ عَلَى بَعْضٍ فَيَرْكُمَهُ جَمِيعًا فَيَجْعَلَهُ فِي جَهَنَّمَ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ [37] سورة الأنفال
( 36 ) Indeed, those who disbelieve spend their wealth to avert [people] from the way of Allah. So they will spend it; then it will be for them a [source of] regret; then they will be overcome. And those who have disbelieved – unto Hell they will be gathered.
( 37 ) [This is] so that Allah may distinguish the wicked from the good and place the wicked some of them upon others and heap them all together and put them into Hell. It is those who are the losers. [Surah Al-Anfal]
The Egyptian situation right now is like someone with depression! The only way out of it is for people acknowledge there’s something wrong, then work on the solutions and get on with their lives. they also need the tenacity and perseverance that propelled their ancestors forward for 7,000 years… And to have faith.
Egypt: Fellahin in the Fields, Cairo
Egypt: A Dervish, Assiut.
Egypt: Military parade, Wadi Halfa.
Egypt: Market square, Assiut.
Egypt: Panorama of Assiut.
Egypt: Steamer landing.
