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After weeks of grueling unrest and turmoil in Egypt, the citizen protests that started on Jan. 25 have finally ended. The autocratic president, Hosni Mubarak, has stepped down from power, prompting celebrations and flag-waving from protesters around the country.
As the world tuned in to one of the fastest revolutions in history, it became apparent that the situation in Egypt would have a strong ripple effect across the Middle East. Furthermore, the drastic uprising was executed largely by college-age citizens, no different than the average University of Louisville student.
Egypt is a strange bedfellow in regards to American foreign policy. On the one hand, Egypt has been a constant ally of the United States and was among the first Arab nations to take a positive approach on the Palestinian-Israeli peace process. On the other hand, Mubarak is generally seen as an oppressive leader by the Egyptian people. Nepotism, widespread unemployment, and rigged parliamentary elections in November of 2010 are among many of the injustices that sparked the protests.
To put the situation in historical context, Mubarak was never truly voted to power. He was appointed as vice president in 1975 and later assumed the presidency after the assassination of President Anwar El Sadat in 1981. Since then, Mubarak continued to rule over a people that never elected him.
As an advocate of democracy, the U.S. has walked a fine line between supporting its longtime ally and criticizing its oppressive regime. The U.S. wants to promote freedom and democracy, yet it must also realize that it can’t afford to lose a friend in the region.
Even when Vice President Joe Biden came to U of L to speak in the McConnell Center’s spring lecture series, he remained cautious about commenting on the situation in Egypt.
As of now, the Egyptian government stands on the pinnacle of transformation. Democracy, theocracy, egalitarianism or something else entirely – no one really knows where they go from here. But if history is any indicator, the world can rest assured knowing that the will of the people will always prevail.
