[This piece was originally published in the New Zealand Herald on 08/02/2011]
When talking with Egyptians over the last year the subject of politics has always proven particularly uncomfortable, usually met with visible frustration, hopeless acceptance or at times even laughter. “Egypt has always had a pharaoh” said one young university student I met a few months ago, with a grin on his face and a friendly demeanour characteristic of all Egyptians. “That’s just the way it is. But one day, Inshallah, we will have some change”. ‘Inshallah’ indeed.
When Egyptians took to the streets at the end of last month spurred on by the success of demonstrations in Tunisia and a realisation of their collective power, something ‘had’ changed. Suddenly the spectre of state security and state power didn’t matter anymore. The atmosphere on the street was not the all-pervasive
anger and fear that one might usually expect in an all out battle with riot police, tear gas and rubber bullets.
Quite the contrary, it was one of elation and accomplishment, an omnipresent psychological game changer. Walking through the streets, one was greeted with smiles, handshakes, hugs, celebration and the often-
heard “Welcome to Egypt!”.
But that festive atmosphere was not to last. As the police disappeared entirely from the streets of Cairo, the situation became dramatically more complex and chaos began to loom in what had previously been one of the safest cities in the world. After hearing of prison breaks, people raiding weapons caches in police
stations and widespread violence and looting taking place across the city, the neighbourhoods of Cairo bunkered down. They erected barricades to stop vehicles, formed their own civilian checkpoints, armed themselves and began patrolling the streets. At first, this too was characteristically good natured and friendly. People were banding together, doing what needed to be done, protecting their neighbourhoods and they just wanted to know who you were. If you lived there, you were asked to join in. “We need everyone on the streets, to stop people getting into the buildings. They won‘t come here if they see people” said an older man leaning on his walking stick outside a friend’s apartment in Zamalek. The situation unified communities, but as the days have worn on, it has divided the nation.
Sporadic gunfire and violence on a nightly basis, increasingly authoritative civilians acting as self- appointed security forces, lack of food, lack of work and a deep desire for a return to business as usual among a large portion of the population has sown the seeds of division amongst what was to begin with
seemingly overwhelming support for political change. As government concession followed government concession and large swathes of the Egyptian population found themselves appeased, the crowds in Tahrir Square changed. The groups of government supporters that have swarmed towards central Cairo over the
last few days are not, as some would believe, just the former security forces and paid-off militia of the government. Many, including those on horseback, are people from out towards the edge of the city, in places like Giza, who utterly depend on tourism for an income and just want it all to end. But while there are those who are appeased, there are obviously those who, with an equal degree of passion, feel that no concession is sufficient and that a promise from Mubarak is simply meaningless. For them, stopping now would constitute abject defeat. Democracy is what they came for and they are not leaving until they get it. The violence that took place as the two groups clashed is indicative of just how desperate both sides are
getting.
So while the people of Egypt try desperately to work out exactly what it is that is happening to their country, the machinations of various domestic and international political forces, imagined or real, continue operating and exacerbating this uncertainty. The Muslim Brotherhood, a largely benign, but deeply religious organisation, representative of many Egyptians found opportunity, as did foreign governments. All the while, the United States struggled with the decision of who to side with, a reliable ally or the principles for which they claim to represent. The result has been a shift in attitude towards all foreigners as
Egyptians resent the notion that the beliefs or objectives of any foreign entity should have any bearing on their society at all; and rightly so.
For those still in Cairo, the effect of this shift has made life here an exercise in diplomacy. Whether it’s accusations of being a spy, or confusion about the reasons for one’s continued presence, a tangible sense of fear, suspicion and paranoia is now present on streets all over the country. One friend, a medical student,
found himself accosted only 5 minutes walk from our apartment and without his passport was dragged into a car by a large group of people and taken to a military checkpoint. After sorting out the issue with the Army, we revisited the same group of people to clear the air, accompanied by our Egyptian neighbours, who in typical fashion berated them for betraying the sense of hospitality Egyptians hold so dear and within minutes everyone was all apologies, laughs, smiles, hugs and invitations for tea. When all is said and done, the country has most certainly changed, but while the events of the last few weeks have shone light on
divisions and disparities that already existed, there is no doubt in my mind that the people remain the same.