Egyptians Are Asserting Their Rights
January 29, 2011
As I sit watching the coverage on English-speaking Al-Jazeera, I am both elated at the ordinary Egyptian citizen’s attitude of “enough is enough” and saddened by the Mubarek government’s responses: 1) shut down the Internet, 2) shut down all cellular telephone communication, and 3) “fire” everyone in the government (except Mubarek). This statement is not to express a political opinion, but rather to take a 40,000-foot view of events and marvel that in 2011, a government would dare take such actions.
Everyday Egyptians are asserting their opinions that the Mubarek government has continued long enough. No matter whether this is “good” or “bad” from an American viewpoint, everyday Egyptians feel empowered to speak, and that is a good thing! By and large protesters are quietly praying in the streets and calmly walking. There of course have been some rock-throwers and arsonists as well, but the majority are simply standing up for what they believe. A friend’s mother (in her early 60′s) stated that Egyptians are “doing now what American kids did in the 1960s… protesting the state of things and begging the government to listen to what they have to say.”
In spite of the overall good I feel that will eventually come out of these protests, and in spite of the fact that Egypt is a very safe country in general, a simple fact remains that Egypt is not safe for American tourists at this time. For those clients of Treasures of Egypt Tours who have trips booked now, we are postponing those vacations until a later time. Your trip will be waiting for you, 100% guaranteed, and we’ll help you rebook soon. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, and keep traveling! For more information, please visit the Treasures of Egypt Tours website’s special resource page on Egyptian current events.
