Egyptian uprising spurs discussion

After over two weeks of protesting against the 30-year regime of Hosni Mubarak, the uprising in Egypt continues.

Nabil Echchaibi, a professor of journalism at CU, said a number of events triggered the uprising in Egypt.

“I think every single thing that has been happening in Egypt in the last few years has been pointed towards a revolt,” Echchaibi said. “What made everything so unbearable were the latest parliamentary elections, which took place in the fall of 2010. What happened during that election was Mubarak decided he did not want opposition so they were not voted back into the parliament. A lot of people thought, ‘what kind of country is this where the opposition members from the House of Representatives is ruled out?’”

Echchaibi said there were also incidents of police brutality, including an emergency law that allowed police to arrest and imprison anyone without any charges. There has also been high unemployment, high prices for goods and stagnant salaries.

The peaceful protests turned violent a few days into the uprising after pro-Mubarak protesters broke through a barricade separating them from anti-government demonstrators.

Bozena Christina Welborne, professor of political science at CU, said she is surprised the protests have not become more violent.

“I’m actually surprised that the protests haven’t turned more violent especially with Mubarak’s unwillingness to relinquish power immediately,” Welborne said. “I can only hope that the violence won’t escalate.”

Edward Greenberg, professor of political science and director of special projects institute of behavioral science, said the movement did not turn violent, but rather the demonstrators were attacked.

“The movement did not turn violent,” Greenberg said. “Demonstrators were attacked by thugs encouraged by the security services, with the military, for a time, turning a blind eye. What I am pleasantly surprised about is how the protesters refused to buckle. They stood up to the attacks and became stronger.”

The day after violence erupted, Egyptian authorities began to arrest and harass journalists.

Echchaibi said he considers the hostility towards journalists in Egypt unsuccessful because it only serves to further empower them.

“That was a very poorly calculated move on the [part of the] Mubarak regime,” Echchaibi said. “This is not Iran of 1979. These are different times with the power of new technologies [like] Twitter and Facebook. It makes it very hard to keep the lid on the regime. This kind of clamping down on the press is so twentieth century it’s just passé, you can’t go back to it anymore. It can backfire. The more you jail journalists, the more aggressively they will cover the movement. It just emboldens them as it does the protesters in the streets.”

Echchaibi said he would love to be in the streets of Cairo right now.

“Not only as a journalist but as an Arab,” Echchaibi said. “This is such an unusual movement in the history of any Arab country. For [the Arabs who left the Arab world] to see that some countries are standing face to face with the dictators, it’s very emboldening and inspiring. Every Arab would love to be in the streets of Cairo.”

Greenberg’s son and his son’s fiancé were in Cairo for most of the uprising.

Greenberg said having his son in the country was horrifying because their apartment was only two blocks from Tahrir Square.

“It was terrifying for me and my wife to follow the news knowing that he was living two blocks from Tahrir Square where the demonstrations were going on and two blocks from the Interior Ministry where a great deal of fighting went on,” Greenberg said. “We did have phone connections to him throughout, using Skype to call his cell and his apartment phone. In the end, we knew he would do as well as anyone could do. He is not only fluent in Arabic (he was in Cairo working on his Ph.D. thesis on the Arabic novel) but also quite street-smart having lived at various times in Cairo, Morocco, Panama City, various parts of Mexico, Paris and Argentina.”

According to Greenberg, his son and his son’s fiancé left for the airport on the most violent anti-foreigner day.

“We got a phone call just before they grabbed a taxi at the end of the 8 a.m. curfew on Thursday, the most violent and anti-foreigner day, (encouraged by the authoritarian government) saying they needed a flight out as soon as possible,” Greenberg said. “Their ticket to Madrid was waiting at the counter when they arrived at the airport.”

Welborne said the possible repercussions of the uprising could be a change in regional dynamics and the geo-strategic makeup of the Middle East.

“Outside of the possibility of unrest and similar anti-authoritarian sentiment spreading to other Arab populations, if this attempt at a revolution is successful, it will significantly change regional dynamics and the geo-strategic makeup of the Middle East, and specifically might compromise the security interests of Israel,” Welborne said.

Greenburg said the potential repercussions of the uprising could result in a Turkish model of government established in Egypt.

“I’m optimistic,” Greenberg said. “I believe it is possible for Egypt to follow the Turkish model, with leadership eventually by moderate Muslim parties that allow and encourage diversity. If this scenario plays out, Egypt’s foreign policy will not be as supportive of American policy as it has been under authoritarian rule. That is the nature of democracy.”

Katherine Ebeling, a 19-year-old freshman environmental engineer, said Americans should be involved in the outcome of this uprising.

“I think that Americans should take a stronger stance with the Egyptian people and about Mubarak stepping down,” Ebeling said.

This Wednesday, four professors, including Echchaibi, will be conducting a symposium to discuss the causes and consequences of the uprising in Egypt.

Even though Welborne said she has no idea if the protesters will be successful, she said she thinks they have a good chance.

“No clue–we shall see, but if they persist, the protesters stand a good chance and they honestly have nothing to lose at this point and everything to gain,” Welborne said. “If they quit now, the repression will only get worse.”

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Lindsay Wilcocks at Lindsay.wilcocks@colorado.edu.