On Tuesday, February 1, tens of thousands of Egyptians flooded Tahrir Square in Cairo to demand president Hosni Mubarak step down. The response was the president’s announcement that he would not run again. What the experts are saying:
“It was a political rally with no agenda, a demonstration with no main stage or prominent speakers. But in Cairo a million Egyptians converged on just one day’s notice and without the benefit of the internet or text messaging. Egyptians created scenes that have never been seen before in any Arab state.”
ANSHEL PFEFFER, Haaretz
“The tea houses behind Talaat Harb’s statue were crammed with drinkers discussing Egypt’s new politics with the passion of one of Delacroix’s orientalist paintings. You could soak this stuff up all day, revolution in the making. Or was this an uprising?” ROBERT FISK, The Independent
“Mubarak’s speech held the leaders of the uprising responsible for the escalation on the streets and threatened to prosecute them. If [they] maintain their ultimatum to Mubarak, either he will be leaving by Friday or they will be marching to the presidential palace. Expect the situation to deteriorate further.”
MARWAN BISHARA, Al Jazeera
“Mubarak has to be told by everyone that it’s time to go, for the sake of his country. People will only be satisfied with his departure from office immediately, not in three, four or five months. We want our government to be declarative about the aspirations of the Egyptian people.” PAUL DEWAR, NDP foreign affairs critic
“Egyptians are expressing a desire for democracy and openness, and have grievances and concerns that need to be addressed. We hope Mubarak will respond to these legitimate issues in a constructive spirit.”
MICHAEL IGNATIEFF, Liberal leader
“With the right reforms, Egyptians should receive full democratic rights, freedoms and prosperity. The current situation holds no promise of any such results. Instead, it is likely to lead to the Muslim Brotherhood taking a leading or dominant role.”
CANADA-ISRAEL COMMITTEE
“It is impossible for Jews to forget our heritage as victims of another Egyptian tyrant – the Pharaoh whose reliance on brute force was overthrown when the Israelite slaves escaped Egypt 3,000 years ago. To watch Egyptians throw off the legacy of a totalitarian regime is to remember that the spark of God continues to flourish.”
RABBI MICHAEL LERNER, editor of Tikkun
