The power behind the rallies in Egypt

By Gizem Melek

Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians have been protesting, as Mubarak still clings to power despite unprecedented demonstrations, according to the news sources.

Evidently, this huge turmoil in Egypt is of an interest for Western countries as well as the countries in the region.

However, everyone seems to have a different perception about the intended transition of Egypt.

Western media clearly have doubts whether Egypt gets radicalised if Mubarak goes. This view includes the assumption of the possible leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood.

But, according to the Egyptians this unprecedented nationwide protests truly demand for an end to Mubarak’s autocratic 30-year rule.

Therefore, I couldn’t help but thinking of these questions;

How much does the Western fear make sense while Egyptians say they are fighting for freedom and democracy?

Is there another trick going on behind closed doors? Do western politicians have the monopoly on democracy for their own use? Or are they really concerned if Egypt becomes an Islamist country?

What is the reality behind all these rallies?

We may never know what is this all about in another decade. But at least we can keep questioning so I did talk to one of my Egyptian colleague who works in a nationwide newspaper in Cairo, near Al-Tahrir Square in down town where the main events are violently going on.

She has been a political analyst for the last 15 years and she also conducted an academic research about the relation between media and democracy during the first presidential elections in Egypt in 2005.

According to her, protests are not organized by the Muslim Brotherhood.

She told me that this is a youth action and all they want is to regain their human rights and live in a democratic society;

“Protests are organized by the public through the Facebook and Twitter. I mean they are groups of people from different categories, levels and ages. Most of them do not belong to any political party. Most of us are Muslims but the government has always been using the Muslim Brotherhood as the “boogeyman” for the Western countries which are terrified by Bin Laden and Muslim extremists. But in fact they know very well that the Muslim Brotherhood did not have and do not have any deep impacts on the Egyptian social and political life. In other words we are moderate Muslims who have always been accepting and living with any religions or beliefs. We were never racists and will never be.”

She claims that Mubarak Government is trying to deceive the world and trigger the islamophobia in the West. She has these crucial points below;

“The government always tells the western powers that if the current regime is to change, the Muslim Brotherhood will control our life which is not true at all. It is not the first time they try to deceive the world. Recently, they were pressing the West fears that there is a civil unrest between Muslims and Christians in the country. They have been masterminding attacks on mosques or churches to kill people. It turned out they are organized by the government servants to confirm the West fears, raise doubts and grudge among the public and gain the West trust in the current regime. Can you believe it?”

Egyptians are eager to keep the demonstrations going till Mubarak steps down. Though, Mubarak doesn’t seem to resign so easily before the polls. Only after his departure we will see the direction of this transition decisively.

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