The events in late January and early February of 2011 in Egypt were intense to say the least. The people of Egypt started an uprising on January 25, 2011 which featured various demonstrations, labor strikes and violent disputes between protestors and supporters of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s regime. After 18 days of protests, Mubarak eventually stepped down.
The revolution was primarily brought on by a successful revolution that occurred in Tunisia during December of 2010. Hosni Mubarak has maintained one party rule over Egypt for thirty years. During this time the Mubarak regime has maintained power by supporting Western ideals and maintaining policies that suppressed Islamic militants and furthered peace with Israel. This earned them annual aid from the United States and other allies. But, regardless of the aid received, the Mubarak regime turned to an authoritarian style of government to maintain control and enact favorable policies.
One way in which Mubarak controlled the nation was by maintaining a continuous state of emergency since 1981. Under this, police powers are extended, constitutional rights suspended, censorship is legalized and the government may imprison individuals indefinitely without reason. This state of emergency severely limited the democratic freedoms of the Egyptian people. For example, some human rights organizations estimated that approximately 5,000 to 10,000 people were held in long term detention without charge or trial.
The revolution began on January 25th, 2011 when a series of demonstrations, marches, strikes and acts of civil disobedience were organized by protestors. Thousands of people took to the streets to protest poverty, rampant unemployment and the autocratic rule by the Egyptian government. Due to their public acts, they faced violent retaliation by security services and supporters of the regime of Hosni Mubarak. These were the largest protests in Egypt since the 1970’s.
The Egyptian government swiftly responded to these protests by blocking Twitter and then Facebook, which were being used to organize protests. This eventually led to the government blocking all internet services and text messaging in the country. This was a direct attempt to stop all forms of communication between organizers. But, by this point the revolution had gained so much support that it no longer needed the constant push from organizers.
On February 10th, 2011, Mubarak formally addressed Egypt. But, instead of resigning, he stated all his presidential power would be transferred to Vice President Suleiman. This led to even more unrest among the crowds in Cairo. The response to Mubarak’s speech was massive protest in many Egyptian cities. At 6:00 pm the next day on February 11th, due to consistent pressure from the general public, Vice President Suleiman announced Mubarak’s resignation and claimed the Supreme Council of Egyptian Armed Forces would assume leadership of the country until an election could be held.
Looking at this revolution in retrospect, there are many things we can learn about the world. First and foremost, is the fact that Muslims and Christians can come together for a common cause if there is a greater threat present. Both religions have shown animosity against one another. But, against a common enemy, they can work together and achieve whatever they want. Another important aspect of the revolution is the use of social media to start a grassroots movement that resulted in overthrowing an autocratic government.
This revolution will affect Egypt for years to come. The establishment of a new President, hopefully Nobel Prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei, after 30 years will give rise to a whole new era of Egyptian government. The pride and determination of the Egyptian people should be a lesson for the rest of the world. We must begin to realize that freedom and civil liberties, which we take for granted, are worth dying for. Hopefully, Egypt will recover from this revolution and continue to strive for a truly democratic nation.
http://mattbango.com/notebook/design/mubarak-and-the-2011-egyptian-revolution/
http://hubpages.com/hub/2011-Egyptian-Revolution
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