Friday, February 11, 2011

Hosni Mubarak's Dictatorship, Defeated & Gone; What Is Next For Egypt?

Hosni Mubarak's Dictatorship, Defeated & Gone; What Is Next For Egypt?
Written by Paul I. Adujie

Hosni Mubarak, the infamous dictator, tyrant, authoritarian and absolute ruler of Egypt is gone!

It is a new day in Egypt! Egyptians as jubilate, celebrate and dances in the streets most triumphantly! The world is transfixed and exultant for the successful revolution inspired and driven by Egyptians in a peaceful protests.

The long beleaguered citizens of Egypt have triumphed, after thirty years of deployment of arbitrary power by Mubarak and his military cabal. Mubarak’s absolute grips on political power in Egypt unraveled after 18 days of popular and diverse protests which reflected the secular composite picture of the Egyptian nation. Over 80 million Egyptians today heaved a collective celebratory jubilation in relief. We are all Egyptians now, we join Egyptians as they celebrate, jubilate and savor the success of their revolution against authoritarianism.

The Egyptian military, the Egyptian army is now in charge of the affairs of Egypt. This was no official coup d'etat, instead, this was more or less a bloodless palace coup, edging aside Hosni Mubarak, who have been, in fact, the focus of this Egyptian revolution. Mubarak has been a fixture in the Egyptian political real estate and landscape for far too long. He presided in extremely brutal manner for thirty years. Mubarak inflicted extreme repressions on all political opponents. Hosni Mubarak is finally gone, defeated and forced off Egyptian political stage

Egyptians do not want a military government. The last thing and the worst thing that could culminate from this revolution, is, to have a mere shuffling of one cabal as replacement for another cabal.

A majority of Egyptians equally do not want a theocracy or religious government. There are now these multiple variables which must be confronted and addressed forthrightly by Egyptians, in the most specific and most robust manner. The world has heard Egyptians loud and clear. The world will do well to now support Egyptian people, in the most unequivocal ways, as the Egyptian nation and her institutions are re-ordained in freedoms and democracy.

It is hoped by many, that the Egyptian army and military would reach out to the civil society and advocates, promoters and supporters of democracy in Egypt as opposed to usurping political powers which was procured and secured by dint of hard work, borne of heroism and courage of the Egyptian people. It is hoped that the Egyptian military would not betray the Egyptian people. Air Marshall Hafez Mohammed has, on behalf of the Egyptian military announced that the Egyptian military does not seek to perpetuate itself as manager of Egyptian politics.

The Egyptian military, the Egyptian army in particular, should not perpetuate the old system and the old Mubarak cabal. The Egyptian military, army, must resist the temptation of seeing or perceiving itself as the beneficiary of this revolution undertaken by citizens of Egypt. The Egyptian military-army can and should only act as chaperon and transitory caretaker, for a short period of time, which will enable political and constitutional powers to be properly vested in Egyptian civilians. Let the ripples effect of the Egyptian revolution pervade and permeate Palestine, the Arab and Persian Worlds. Let there be a contagion of true democracy worldwide because of the successful revolution by the audacious, brave, courageous and bold actions of Egyptians.

The Egyptian military-army should now learn to become accountable and answerable to civilian government, civil society, they must yield to democracy and constitutionalism, and this will be their first time since 1952 and it will require intelligence, creativity, obeisance and complete deference to civilian authorities. There must be civilian control of the Egyptian military, the status quo and the cabals which enjoyed it, must give way as soon as possible.

Egyptian people during the preceding tumultuous 18 days exemplified peaceful and nonviolent ways of securing freedom, democracy and justice. Egyptians have put a lie to the rumors and recycled garbage imbued in the generalizations against Muslims and Islam as replete with people filled violence and lust for blood! The only violence during this Egyptian revolution is the violence by Mubarak’s thugs and gangs of enforcers as they exhibited their thuggish and arbitrariness, the Mubarak trademark during the preceding 30 years.

The protesters were organized, efficient and effective with sundry tasks, from garbage pick-ups to medical treatments and other services. The protesters, demonstrators and political activists across the spectrum, were civil and they interacted cordially and amicably despite the much touted and over-advertised religious and other difference, which are supposed to make Egyptians a volatile mix, particularly, in while cohabiting as they did peacefully, publicly during this preceding 18 days.

Muslim Brotherhood which is dreaded and maligned by America, Europeans and Israelis, and peace with Israel by the Egyptians should not be the most important factors or parameter to consider for the future of Egypt. It should instead be seen by all that democracy, and democratic institutions in Egypt, is in the long term, in the overall interests of all parties.

It is actually hoped, that the transition or the prospect of change from dictatorship to representative government in Egypt and all of the Arab and Persian world, would compel all parties to the forlorn and moribund Middle East Peace Process to snap out their constipated complacency and arrogant neglect of the plights and predicaments of Palestinians

Perhaps the events of the preceding 18 days will be a wake-up-call for all parties in the Middle East, not to be contemptuous and disdainful of their citizens, their public and their electorates. And perhaps, those who have been artificially buoyed and propped-up by powerful friends, will now learn to face the reality of learning to play with others and learn the fine art of mutual coexistence in a plural world filled with gorgeous mosaic of human diversity.

Egyptians have demonstrated to all-the-world, that Egypt a secular and diverse society which is able to make peaceful democratic transition, even smoothly. The dire prediction of messy, problematic and violent change, oozing terrorism is a mere figment of the imaginations of those who would malign Egyptians.

The real obstacle to peace have been those who will, arrogantly, rather foist their wishes, their ideologies and worldview on others, without care or respect for the wishes, and aspirations of others. There is now a compelling reason to face honest peace talks and negotiations, hinged on mutual respect, as opposed to usual condescending and patronizing demeaning attitudes toward would be peace partners.

It is sincerely hoped that the political transition in Egypt remains peaceful with particular focus on the paramount national interests of citizens of Egypt, which is not subsumed by the flow of Middle East oil and commerce through the geo-strategically crucially important Suez Canal.

It is further hoped that a true civilian democracy is established with alacrity. The paramount importance giving truest interpretation of the reasonable aspirations and desires of the Egyptian people for democracy, imbued with sacrosanct foundation and true democratic institutions, with due process, the rule of law and all democratic ideals are the immediate outcome of all that have transpired in Egypt during these incredible 18 days which began during the last week of January 2011.

Again, Egyptians in their diversity, Coptic Christians, Muslims, Arabs and Nubians etc have demonstrated a common purpose and triumphantly successful in defeating Hosni Mubarak, an enemy of the nation of Egypt, an autocrat, dictator and tyrant without resort to violence, and as a consequence, Egyptians, particularly, Egyptian Muslims, and the Muslim Brotherhood rejected the false label and the often repeated sweeping generalizations and garbage against Islam and Muslims as having a culture of violence and or being avowed owners of terrorism.

Hosni Mubarak is gone and the process which led to his forced departure showed all Egyptians, particularly the Muslims, as peaceful and exemplifying human aspirations for freedoms across the world, and as President Obama described it, quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. statement at Ghana’s political independence over fifty years ago, “there is something incredible in all humans which stirs inside all of us for freedoms”

Egyptians are not seeking to determine of outcomes for the Americans, Europeans, Israelis and the Saudis. It is therefore extremely arrogant, unconscionable and egregious for anyone but Egyptians to seek to impose particular outcomes on the people of Egypt!

Anything done with a view to undo and truncate the democratic aspirations of Egyptians will be resisted by Egyptians. Egyptians have been unchained and they certainly would not be the same again. Egyptians certainly know their way back to Tahirir Square, also known as Liberation Square, they will return to protests and demonstrations in resistance to anyone and any entity intent on subverting, undermining or stifling this revolution and hard won peoples victory. The world will support Egyptians to ensure the entrenchment fruits and dividends, of these 18 days that changed the world!

Egypt has changed, and will change even more, whether America, Europe, Israel and Saudi Arabia and others are ready or not. Hosni Mubarak, the bedrock of the Middle East policy is gone in resounding defeat. Time for honest peace negotiations is now! The wind of change and freedom has and will alter the balance of power irretrievably!

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