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Egypt's armchair protesters

[Editor's note: Dr. Azza Sedky, an instructor at Capilano University, spends her winters in Cairo. She sent this, her latest post, on February 15.]

He is an Egyptian-American who has lived in New York for over 35 years. In those 35 years, he has not been to Egypt once. Chances are he may never return to Egypt. Nevertheless, he cares about Egypt in his own way and wants to be part of the happenings. He forwards a barrage of e-mails on a daily basis, encouraging the protesters. He is an armchair protester.

She is a young Egyptian-American who lives in Washington, DC. She is quite affiliated to the youth movement, being an activist herself. She posts endless comments on Facebook out of devotion to Egypt. She is quite informed and knowledgeable about the happenings in Egypt, but her life is in Washington. Her visits to Egypt are sporadic and last two weeks at most. Though she participated in demonstrations in her hometown, and her intentions are to be applauded, she is still an armchair protester.

He is an Egyptian-Canadian who lived in Vancouver for over 30 years. Hungry for news about the Egypt he misses, he too forwards e-mails -- the e-mails encourage Egyptians in general, and the Tahrir Square group in particular, to continue towards their goal of freeing Egypt. He is an armchair protester.

These are three examples of the thousands of Egyptians who participate in the discussion about Egypt from their armchairs. They egged the youth on and are now ecstatic about how the events unfolded in Egypt. Their comments and e-mails are extremely patriotic and supportive, but let’s be clear: they will never be directly affected by a tumultuous Egypt.

They write from the comfort of their armchairs, in their comfortable cities, and in their comfortable worlds. If the Egyptian world tumbles, these folks will still go to work, make money, and enjoy life. True they would worry about family and friends back in Egypt, but in no way would they personally suffer the consequences. The active armchair protesters have even rallied in parks and walked in various demonstrations around the globe. Still, they went home to their comfortable chairs and comfortable cities.

I wasn't a blogger until two weeks ago; I had only 15 friends on Facebook, which I never opened unless I was nudged or poked—every two months at best. And I don't tweet. But since the Egyptian crisis, I have added many more friends to my Facebook and from them received a deluge of comments. That is in addition to the e-mails that jam my account.

I did a quick analysis of the comments and e-mails that I received on the Egyptian uprising to find that maybe 20 percent come from within Egypt. The rest are sent by Egyptians who live all around the globe but mainly in the US and Canada. This could be because I'm Canadian; hence, the people I know live in Canada, and the US too. I don’t doubt that Egyptian emigrants to Australia and Europe are reacting similarly and whatever applies to these applies to them as well.

The armchair protesters have good intentions; they have been exposed to a more democratic life, and they hope for a similar life for all Egyptians. They also provide moral support, which is definitely needed, but they are not at the forefront or on the ground. They will not suffer. If things get worse, they will not be affected by the Egyptian pound tumbling, properties plummeting in price, and insecurities playing havoc with their lives. They will still have jobs, properties, and security.

Do these armchairs protesters play a significant role in what happened and is happening in Egypt? Absolutely. Comments on Facebook make heroes out of protesters. Comments on Facebook demote ministers to thieves. E-mails are read in the square and direct the protesters in the path they take. No one can deny that this uprising is unique because of the role social media is playing—a topic for another dispatch.

But the armchair protesters can indeed play a crucial role. Maybe they cannot leave their comfortable cities, but they can assist in the rebuilding of Egypt from where they are. They must be proactive in their support.

For starters, they can come and spend their holidays in Egypt since the tourism industry will need years before it returns to normal. And in doing so, they can encourage non-Egyptians to come and visit too. They must also find worthwhile causes to donate to and organize campaigns for such causes.

By playing a real and fundamental role in rebuilding Egypt, the armchair protesters will have left their armchairs, stood up, and made a real contribution to the uprising.

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