For those that have been wondering about me, I'm still in Cairo. I never left, but let's just say that my life since January has been "interesting". I am fine. If anyone has been living under a rock and not followed the news since January, the domino effect of revolting countries in the Middle East that began with Tunisia, a little known North African country until now, fell to a riotous melee' in Cairo the weekend of January 25, 2011. The first 5 days of the demonstrations were hair raising. The morning before the situation in Cairo heightened, I was living my life as normal... running errands like I typically do on Fridays. I got a pedi, met friends for lunch, then had a Tarot card reading. LOL. You know. Typical Friday stuff. However, I remembered how there were so many people on the streets that day talking to one another, dressed in patriotic colors, and carrying their National flag. Mobile phones and internet were down, which forced people to go out and communicate with their friends and neighbors the old fashioned way. For the first time in history, social media networking caused a revolution. Following the lead of neighboring Tunisia's revolt that toppled the 23 year reign of its president, growing discontent in Egypt were raised to a crescendo by Facebook and Twitter, which eventually was dubbed "The Facebook Revolution" or "The Twitter Revolution". Egypt's government tried to stifle these venues by cutting off mobile phone and internet connectivity that week-end. Little did they know of the power of social media! Their seemingly simple solution was the match that ignited the revolt in Cairo, as outraged citizens were incensed that their voices could not be heard, and thus gathered in downtown's Tahir Square. Egyptians that didn't want to make a stand earlier were now part of the demonstrations as they fought for their voice of freedom to be heard. (Ironically, Tahir means "freedom" in Arabic.) Soon streets were littered with angry anti-government demonstrators and opportunistic criminals. Stores were looted and government buildings were burned down. The crowds swelled from hundreds of thousands to a million in the ensuing days of Cairo's revolution. Tear gas cans marked with "made in USA" inscriptions were thrown on the streets to tamp down angry demonstrators and looters. The police abandoned their posts as angry mobs chased them away after being subjected to years of police corruption. (To date only 30% have returned back to work.) Then 17,000 prisoners escaped when prisons were burned in the riots, stealing weapons in the melee' as they made their escape. (Only 10% have been captured.) This, compounded with anti-government demonstrators and the mass evacuation of over 2,000 U.S. mission personnel made life in Cairo NOT fun in the early days of the revolution. Gunfire was heard throughout the neighborhoods, and everyone was placed under a nationwide curfew with the cautioning message that anyone caught outside after curfew would be shot. Yep, good times.... good times. I was alone in my highrise apartment cut off from the outside world with no mobile phone and internet connectivity, and yet I was not afraid. My landline phone was still working and my handheld security radio kept me connected to the U.S. embassy. Unrelated to the events, my cable was down which was a good thing. If I had been tuned in 24/7 to the violence that was shown on the news, I would have been frightened. In the suburbs where I live, only a mild flash of unrest was occuring. BUT, the uncertainty of the unknown and the sounds of gunfire outside were unnerving. I tuned out the situation by watching the last DVD tv season of "Northern Exposure." LOL. But then my tv time came to an abrupt halt, as I helped with the mass evacuation of U.S. mission personnel and their families. A logistic adrenaline rush for me... 22 hour work days, every day for 11 days... and 3 U.S. personnel left at my Command to maintain the work and the oversight of 150 traumatized Egyptian staff personnel. To date the situation in Egypt remains unpredictable, and evacuees still have not returned. While things have calmed down and returned to a semi-semblance of order, the Egypt of my past is no more. President Mubarek's 30 year reign may be over, but the road to recovery and democracy will be a long time coming for Egypt. Pocket demonstrations continue as private groups gather like the Tea Party groups in the U.S. These demonstrations, compounded with the tension between the Coptic Christians and Muslims, keep the drama viable. Coptics make up 10% of the population in Egypt, and still carry an open wound from the 2011 New Year's Day Coptic church bombing in Alexandria and this month's Coptic church burning in Helwan that point accusing fingers to the Muslim Brotherhood; a radical Islamic group that is vying for a win in the presidential election in September. Time will tell how Egypt will fare. In the mean time, historical events have seen the wave of uprisings in the Middle East by the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya; major protests in Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Syria, and Yemen; and minor protests in Kuwait, Iran, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Western Sahara. As I close, I can't help but think that Charles Dickens said it best: "These are the best of times, these are the worst of times." I just pray for Peace in the Middle East. I hope you do the same.
Follow Up: The ordered evacuation of US Mission Personnel at the US Embassy Cairo was finally lifted on May 12, 2011. While police strength has not seen a 100% return, it has seen 80% visbility in areas in Cairo that have high ex-pat and diplomatic visibility such as Maadi, Mohandissen, and Zamalek. Criminality continues to be high as purse snatchings, car jackings, and apartment break-ins are constant occurrences in post-revolutionary Cairo. There is very little police interference on behalf of local citizens and ex-pats, since the police fear retribution from the populace that turned violently on them during the revolution. The police have lost their power, hence one's security and safety are no longer assured. Cairo's future remains uncertain, and the upcoming presidential elections in September are being anticpated with dreaded concern.
Follow Up: The ordered evacuation of US Mission Personnel at the US Embassy Cairo was finally lifted on May 12, 2011. While police strength has not seen a 100% return, it has seen 80% visbility in areas in Cairo that have high ex-pat and diplomatic visibility such as Maadi, Mohandissen, and Zamalek. Criminality continues to be high as purse snatchings, car jackings, and apartment break-ins are constant occurrences in post-revolutionary Cairo. There is very little police interference on behalf of local citizens and ex-pats, since the police fear retribution from the populace that turned violently on them during the revolution. The police have lost their power, hence one's security and safety are no longer assured. Cairo's future remains uncertain, and the upcoming presidential elections in September are being anticpated with dreaded concern.
