| I would not refer to him [Mubarak] as a dictator,” said US Vice President Joe Biden. The statement came on January 27 following two days of protests in Egypt leaving the country shocked with disbelief. By Hana Zuhair |
| I would not refer to him [Mubarak] as a dictator,” said US Vice President Joe Biden. The statement came on January 27 following two days of protests in Egypt leaving the country shocked with disbelief.It’s important to distinguish between a government and its people. While the United States government seemed to be unsure about its position over the situation in Egypt, theUS public had a different opinion. US public opinion indicated that they were in favor ofEgypt’s uprising.The tremendous support Westerners have showed to the Egyptian public on Twitter, Facebook and across the web, in general, touched hearts of millions. As American journalist Philip Weiss wrote in his blog on February 1, “Americans cannot help but come to respect Arabs, as we did black leaders and Jewish leaders and we will even be led by them.” However, as the US insists on being the ultimate supporter of democracy in the world, the government’s stance on the Egyptian revolution made that claim seem rather hypocritical to me. During the past 30 years, Mubarak was considered America’s most important ally in the region. Egypt’s strategic location and its influence in the Middle East made it vital for the Israeli–American agenda. Yet this relentless support for a repressive regime stands in contradiction to the US’ calls and campaigns for democracy in the developing world. Throughout history, the US has supported and forged close ties with governments that were far less than democratic. And the use of force to spread democracy in Iraq didn’t really help the US’ case either. But the contradictory statements issued by the US government during the January 25 Revolution weren’t the only concern of the Egyptian protesters. The youth of January 25 made it clear that they do not support the constant meddling of the US government inEgypt’s affairs. They demanded that Egypt’s foreign policy be more independent and demanded respect for their nation’s right to sovereignty. It was extremely frustrating for the average Egyptian to feel that Obama and his administration were speaking on their behalf. How would Americans feel if the Egyptian government started to comment and question US internal policies? Despite state TV’s claim that the Egyptian revolution was organized by external forces, the reality is it was the Egyptian people who organized this revolution, especially the youth who aspire to see changes in their country. Egyptians seemed to acquire a sense of ownership over their country that wasn’t there before. A feeling that had been lost with 30 years of tyranny. Therefore, even on the moral level, Egyptians deem any external interference of any kind in their affairs inappropriate. America’s outspoken fears of Islamists “hijacking” the revolution are meaningless to most Egyptians. This is particularly true in light of the fact that the US couldn’t make up its mind on whether it was for or against the revolution. Instead, most Egyptians view the US’ position on the issue as more about maintaining the security of Israel as opposed to genuinely believing in democracy and human rights. As Noam Chomsky wrote in The Guardian on February 5: “It’s not radical Islam that worries the US — it’s independence.” To the youth of January 25, the US’ ultimate concern with its political agenda, even if this means supporting non-democratic regimes, is reflected in Egypt’s past 30 years. It should be interesting to see how the US reacts to Egypt’s upcoming elections — whether it will support a particular candidate or if it will watch from the sidelines. To be honest, I guess we will all be watching. |
Be Social
Comments
Leave a Comment