One year ago I was sitting in Starbucks. I had paid too much for my drink, the counter boasted well-groomed baristas offering me muffins with my coffee, and well-to-do youngsters lounged in brown leather loveseats. You would think I was home. Only the trademark green umbrellas outside did not shade me from the timid Northwestern sun, but rather from the bold, direct rays of the Cairo daylight. It was January 25, 2011 and I was at Starbucks.
My friend and I sat outside discussing Egyptian politics, teaching, and our life plans as the cloudless sky turned from peach to rose. We mentioned the protests that were taking place that day. We were sure that while intriguing, the protests, as usual, would go nowhere. People wouldn't show up, the Cairo public was shall we say disenchanted with politics at best, and those who did attend would surely be directed elsewhere by the police. Too bad, Egypt could benefit from telling truth to power. By nightfall however, when our friends told us that there was considerable attendance, a violent clash with police, and more protests planned for the coming weeks, I felt as I only do on occasion. I was wrong.
I had dismissed the Egyptian revolution before it even began. To be fair, no one could predict what unfolded over the next few weeks. I was humbled to be sure, and I participated the best I could. In December and early January, as we watched the events in Tunisia, pundits told us that mass anti-autocratic protests could never happen in Egypt. The middle class was not strong enough, not educated enough, not politically motivated... turns out it doesn't matter how much you make or how often you vote, sometimes it is just time to say enough.
Today they are calling the Arab Spring the Arab Winter. I hate this. Every time someone mentions the Muslim Brotherhood and how many seats they won in the Egyptian parliament, my classmates turn and stare at me. Would I have voted differently if I were an Egyptian? Absolutely. There are still unbelievable problems. The military, welcomed with open arms on the battlefield of downtown Cairo, have now become the dictators they helped remove. The economy, a major driving force behind the initial frustration, is in a dire state. The Islamist trend may have a significant impact on regional and minority relations. This is all true.
Yet today saw the opening session of Egypt's first democratically elected parliament in over sixty years.
I can't help but be sentimental when discussing Egypt's uprising. Many argue that after all the effort, not much has changed. Maybe this is the case, maybe not. But as Americans who have watched their country go to war and spill too much blood artificially installing democracy abroad, it would be wise not to dismiss an organic movement of self-determination. We like to describe the world as enemies and allies. Every day I hear people dismiss Egypt as they move toward the enemy column. Instead let's hope that Egypt is starting down a long road toward something better.
We can sit at Starbucks and criticize this, or we can give Egyptians the support and credit they deserve.
