Perfect Timing?

My phone and facebook have been deluged with messages from relatives about how ecstatic they are that I am no longer in Egypt. I often think about the consequences if the 25th of January revolution began little more than a month earlier. How would I have felt about not being able to communicate with relatives via the internet or a cellphone? What would the situation be for me, a foreigner entrenched among Egyptians? What would I have seen? A part of me is glad that I'm not a witness to the gore, the police brutality, and the chaos of the brink of anarchy. Another part of me wishes I were on the streets of Cairo to witness history.

The revolution is really no surprise to me. When I was living in Cairo, protests popped up all over the country in response to the results of corrupt parliamentary elections. People were also on edge because of hunger, and many were angry at the whisperings of deadly police actions. The tension hovered thickly in the air, and permeated all facets of life. Little sparks would fly between different groups: in recent months Christians and Muslims have been battling over rumors of slights and wrong-doings, culminating in the bombing of a Coptic church during New Years mass. Tension also amassed between the socio-economic classes. I was a firsthand witness to laborers protesting against their meager wages at the American University in Cairo. As a woman, I experienced the tension between genders. Men, who are frustrated with women's gains in society, will seek to humiliate them in public spaces in order to reclaim lost power. This tension coming from many directions became almost unbearable to endure. Anyone who had spent a minimal amount of time in Egypt (the real Egypt, not the tourist Egypt) would know that something big was about to happen. I was overjoyed when I landed at JFK airport on December 17th. I had made it home alive.

When I came back, I tried to explain what I and others perceived about Egypt - - - that it was like a powder keg. Everything was ready, all someone needed to do was light the flame. 

That flame turned out to be the ousting of long-time Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, in the Jasmine Revolution, which inspired Egyptians to rise up against their government. 

If it is successful, this event (the 25th of January revolution) could become one of the most significant of 2011.  But what most new stories glaze over is how this so-called "revolution" is important, besides the fact that it will eventually topple an authoritarian regime. As someone who lived in Egypt for a short period of time, and who has (briefly) studied Middle East politics, let me offer my insights. 

1) It will change U.S. relations with the Middle East. 

Hosni Mubarak is our number one ally in the region, whose police-enforced torture state is partially funded by the American government. Although I appreciate the fact that one of the primary goals of the police force, that is currently spraying bullets, water canons, and tear gas at civilians, is to keep foreign visitors safe, I also understand how oppressive that force can be.  If Mubarak is out of office, there is no telling what the new governing body's relationship will be to Western nations. It may become more isolationist and/or hostile to foreign involvement. 

2) An Islamic Republic

After the 1979 Iranian revolution, most people shudder at the idea of an Islamic Republic. Since the primary opposition party in Egypt is the Muslim Brotherhood, it is highly probable that Egypt would become an Islamic state with sharia law as the basis of the judicial code (though not as conservative as Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan, which subscribe to a very conservative interpretation of these laws). This could have implications for social laws (i.e. Muslim dress could become mandatory for women . . . which doesn't really matter since most Egyptian women wear the veil), and stricter stances on drinking, arts, education, etc. 

3) Israel. 

Egypt, although passively hostile towards Israel, is officially tolerant of its existence after the two nations signed a peace treaty in 1979. A renewed religious mandate against Israel may create more instability in the region. 

A shift in government in Egypt, the largest economy in the Middle East will undoubtedly have lasting implications for the United States and Israel, if brought into being by a 'revolution.' Some Americans may find this uprising of "angry Arabs" alarming, but in order to abide by our nations principles, we should respect the right of people to construct a government for themselves, even if we do not see it as in interest of the United States.