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Cairo: The morning after

[Editor's note: The Tyee received a new email this afternoon from Capilano University instructor Dr. Azza Sedky, who spends her winters in Cairo. This dispatch was written on Saturday morning, Cairo time.]

It's the morning after and the street below is very quiet—it's only 8 a.m., and by Egyptian standards it is extremely early. In any case, Egyptians will sleep in today since everyone is exhausted and drained to say the least. They had partied throughout the night after 18 days of anxiety and aggravation, and after decades of fear and discontent provided not only by the previous regime but also by many previous ones.

What was achieved yesterday is indeed highly unachievable and unimaginable. The people, not the army, succeeded in ousting their president. The people wanted change and they got it. By all standards it is a success story.

The Tahrir youth started this move, but even they had no real hope that this could be the result. They dreamed on but believed it highly unlikely. Then it grew beyond their expectations into a full-blown uprising. And the more the regime erred and aggravated them, the more they persisted.

The "Facebook" youth, as they are also often called here, started it, but yesterday, Tahrir Square reflected a cross section of all Egyptians -- men and women, young and old, rich and poor, and educated and illiterate.

Earlier two groups had emerged: the anti- and the pro-Mubarak. The difference between these two groups is a mere fine line, although at face value they seem so starkly different. In all fairness, both groups wanted Mubarak to leave, but the pro-group wanted Egypt's safety more than Mubarak's resignation. They were worried about the country and where it was heading. If they were to choose between having Mubarak leave and total chaos, which is how they expected things to end, millions would have chosen to keep Mubarak. However, once he made the decision, the pro-Mubarak group was overwhelmingly relieved. And so they partied with all fellow Egyptians

And the party was a joyous, jubilant one. It lasted throughout the night with no one heeding the curfew. They celebrated by coming out to the streets chanting national songs and filling the air with shrills—festive shrills. They honked their car horns and waved thousands of Egyptian flags. People took photos of one another on tanks, and soldiers on armed vehicles picked kids up and hugged them for Kodak moments. Euphoria presided.

Egyptians were known to be quite complacent and accepting, not caring to pursue a cause or validate a right; very few voted and generally everyone found a way to avoid adhering to the law, especially traffic laws. But they seem to prove everyone wrong. They are keen and earnest, and they believe that with Mubarak gone, they can do wonders.

They can fix the failing systems: education and medical. They can overcome corruption, deception, and market monopoly. They can defeat "wasta." And wasta is networking but in a negative manner. If you have wasta, you can get things done. If you have wasta, you will get the best job while someone who doesn't have the same privilege, but may have even better credentials, would get nothing.

And the expectations these persevering youths have of themselves, their fellow Egyptians, and the country as a whole are quite amazing. The first Facebook message circulated today said, "Meet at noon in Tahrir Square to clean things." And soon afterwards, men and women were removing garbage and cleaning the square. This is startling in itself -- no one ever thought of cleaning debris or sweeping streets in Egypt before.

I received the following text message three times in a row from various sources. I’m relaying it as is: "You can help Egypt if you: buy local products; drive with good manners; stop shouting and learn to listen; spend ur vacation here; convince non-Egyptians to spend a holiday in Egypt; keep streets clean; donate unwanted stuff; open a brokerage account and buy local shares; try to help small entities to survive—koshks [kiosks] and local small shops; donate blood; vote in September; don't be part of the problem—if someone asks you for a bribe, don't enable them, but report them to their superior." A rather long text message that is providing telecommunication companies with a whole lot of business, but a genuine one nonetheless.

The obstacles are huge; the repercussion from those eighteen days will be enormous; hundreds of questions seem unanswered. However, with such clear messages resonating amongst the Egyptians, they may just overcome their difficulties.

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