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Allaho Akbar….Egypt is finally free

Reflections on the triumph of the Egyptian revolution

By Khalid Amayreh   I can't express  in words the  extent of  my personal joy over the spectacular  triumph  of the Egyptian revolution. In my humble opinion, the deposition  of  the tyrant Hosni Mubarak,  widely considered  Israel's  and  America's most trusted  agent in the  Middle East, is the happiest news the Arab and Muslim Umma has received ever since the overthrow of the infamous  Shah of Iran in 1978. Like the Shah did to the Iranians, Mubarak tormented the Egyptian people  on America's and Israel's  behalf. He valued the "legitimacy" that resulted from his humiliating subservience to Israel and America, but paid little or no attention to the views and feelings of his own people. In the streets of Tehran in 1978, I remember how hundreds of thousands of Iranians shouted "Tou Marge Shahe Khae'n  Nehzat Edameh dorad" (until the death of the treacherous Shah, the struggle will continue." Now, there is a feeling of a Déjà vu as millions of Egyptians, frustrated with 30 years of repression and oppression,  have been shouting  at  the Tahrir  square in the heart of Cairo:   Irhal,  Irhal,  Irhal or "leave, leave, leave" and  ash-shaab yorid  iskat al Nezam or "the people want the regime to go." So Mubarak was in a certain sense a later-day replica of the Shah. They both savaged their peoples for the sake of pleasing their master, who is one, namely the evil empire called the United States. Throughout his barren years in power, Mubarak  was always answerable to Washington , not to Cairo . In fact, he looked down on the Egyptian people, viewing them as if they were flies, scum and dirty animals that ought to be exterminated. Of course, the tyrant concealed all these despicable characters with false pretensions of  independence and  patriotism, pretensions that he sought to sell to the disillusioned masses until the very last moments in power. But, obviously, it was too late for him. There is no doubt the moment is euphoric, overwhelming and transcending reality. Some already speak of a rebirth of Egypt, a transformation from an era of despair into a new era of hope for freedom, an era that would witness the restoration of people's dignity and humanity. Under Mubarak's 30 years of repression, corruption and impotence, Egypt suffered immensely, retreating in every conceivable field.  Egyptian industry, agriculture and all other production sectors underwent a state of collapse and paralysis.  The stagnation, the corruption as well as the humiliating   subservience to foreign powers, especially Israel, were conspicuous  characteristics  of the regime.  This writer, often at the risk  of  losing  his job, repeatedly criticized the Mubarak regime, not  knowing that its demise was only a matter of time.  It has really been a great serendipity. Here are some of the articles I had written about Egypt recently  in which I underscored the urgent  need  for change in that country.  I didn’t know Egypt had an appointment with freedom.    Rising Turkey Versus Receding Arabs ,  what is wrong  with Egypt , US Responsible  for Egypt's Election  Joke , Mubarak  Must Go Hence, the victory of the revolution is really a great-and until a few days ago- unrealistic, dream fulfilled. The triumph of the revolution  in Egypt has proven  that dictatorship in the Arab world  can be defeated. It shows that no tyrant, however brutal his security forces may be, can defeat the people's will for freedom. But freedom will not be given on a silver platter. Sacrifices must be made and blood must often be shed for attaining  freedom. On this occasion, we must salute all the martyrs of this great revolution, who died so that we may live in dignity and honor. We Palestinians should  be hopeful about this great revolution . Now, at last, we have in Cairo people who can be an asset,  not a liability for our struggle for liberation  and  freedom. Needless to say, the Mubarak regime, instead of pressuring Israel, nearly always pressured the Palestinians to surrender to Israel. He culminated  his betrayal of  our people and our cause by colluding  with Israel in starving and savaging the people of  Gaza,  prompting many people worldwide  to ask: who is tormenting  Gazans,  Israel or Egypt? A last  point.  It  is  difficult  to leave  this  subject without applauding the role  that al-Jazeera  TV  has played in mobilizing and  galvanizing  the Egyptian people for the revolution. This happened  while  the defunct regime acted feverishly to silence  the free communication of information  from and to  Egypt by shtting off  internet communication, arresting and  assaulting journalists and barring  free and unfettered  TV broadcasts. However, it seemed that fettering the free media  accelerated rather than slowed down the regime's demise. Al-Hamdulillah (Thank  God), now every Egyptian and  every  Arab  can raise their  heads aloft as 80 million Egyptians  have  proven  to  the whole world  that freedom does have  an Arab name. It is called al hurriya.

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