On January 25, 2012, Egyptians gathered in mosques around Cairo and marched to Tahrir Square, as they did exactly one year ago on the first day of demonstrations that launched the Egyptian Revolution. My dad was among them this time - he wanted to be in Cairo on the first anniversary of the revolution to celebrate with the family. He and many of my aunts, uncles, and cousins walked from one end of Cairo to another, chanting with the crowd and calling others to the streets, to join a crowd of one million people gathered in Tahrir. Here are a few photos he took:
Dad realized, however, that no one was really celebrating. The Egyptians who continue to protest feel that the revolution is far from over, and celebrations must wait. The events last week were held to commemorate the martyrs of the revolution, and to continue to demand the resignation of the ruling military council.
The situation in Egypt is still very volatile. The tragedy that occurred this week at a football match in Cairo attests to this reality. Some are blaming members of the old regime for initiating the frenzy and panic that resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries. Many blame the Ministry of Interior for their lack of control over the police and their persistent failure to protect citizens. The fact is that anything can happen, especially in situations involving large crowds and a lot of adrenaline.
Many Egyptians are questioning the prudence of continuing to protest, feeling that it would be better to let things calm down so that a higher measure of security can be restored. Dad said that when a friend expressed this sentiment to him, he used the analogy of a college student:
"Say you never let your kid go out with his friends while he was living at home, and then you send him off to college in Cairo. Suddenly he's living away from home, with no one checking on him and asking where he's going. Naturally, he's going to be out all night. Then when he sees his grades at the end of the year, he wakes up and realizes that he has to get serious.
"Similarly, Egyptians have been oppressed for thirty years, and now suddenly they can do what they want. So they're protesting everything, all the time! After a while, when things settle down, the attention will become more focused on isolated matters at a time."
I'm hoping freshman year ends in June, and that things will be settled enough when I finally return to Cairo this July...
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| My Dad (center) with four of my cousins. |
Dad realized, however, that no one was really celebrating. The Egyptians who continue to protest feel that the revolution is far from over, and celebrations must wait. The events last week were held to commemorate the martyrs of the revolution, and to continue to demand the resignation of the ruling military council.
The situation in Egypt is still very volatile. The tragedy that occurred this week at a football match in Cairo attests to this reality. Some are blaming members of the old regime for initiating the frenzy and panic that resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries. Many blame the Ministry of Interior for their lack of control over the police and their persistent failure to protect citizens. The fact is that anything can happen, especially in situations involving large crowds and a lot of adrenaline.
Many Egyptians are questioning the prudence of continuing to protest, feeling that it would be better to let things calm down so that a higher measure of security can be restored. Dad said that when a friend expressed this sentiment to him, he used the analogy of a college student:
"Say you never let your kid go out with his friends while he was living at home, and then you send him off to college in Cairo. Suddenly he's living away from home, with no one checking on him and asking where he's going. Naturally, he's going to be out all night. Then when he sees his grades at the end of the year, he wakes up and realizes that he has to get serious.
"Similarly, Egyptians have been oppressed for thirty years, and now suddenly they can do what they want. So they're protesting everything, all the time! After a while, when things settle down, the attention will become more focused on isolated matters at a time."
I'm hoping freshman year ends in June, and that things will be settled enough when I finally return to Cairo this July...
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