It
was the worst of times, it was the best of times. It was the age of
foolishness, it was the age of wisdom. It was the epoch of
incredulity, it was the epoch of belief. It was the season of
Darkness, it was the season of Light. It was the winter of despair,
it was the spring of hope.
Edited Introduction of “A Tale of Two
Cities”, set at the outset of the French Revolution
Couldn't
find a better description for the seemingly-never-ending 2011.
The
one thing that remained the same at its beginning & end, though,
is our jealousy of Tunisians & our best wishes for them. May God
always preserve them as a our role model to us all.
2011
was the year we all became Tunisian, Egyptian, Libyan, Syrian, Yemeni
& Bahraini. When we are all demanding our basic rights, we
remember that we suffer from the same issues & we remember our
common destiny. And now that it's spread, you realize how much we
have in common with people around the world. A lot of Arab Spring
expressions entered our daily discourse. We also came to know a lot
of words in different
Arab dialects & names of cities & places like:
Sidi
Bouzid
Benghzy
– Sert - Misrata
Taiz
– Saada – Abyan
Daraa
– Hama – Homs – Banias
And
now that we know them & identified with them, we shall never
forget them.
We
shared a lot of moments together; Bin Ali's flee, Mubarak's
resignation, Sheikh Karadawi's khutba in Tahrir & hopes to pray
in AlAqsa mosque, Qaddafi's fiery comic speeches, Saleh's running
away to KSA then his coming back, Mubarak's trial, & the
revolutionaries' entering of Tripoli. The pain to see the atrocities
the Libyan people went through, however, & the Syrian &
Yemeni people are going through on a daily basis is just
overwhelming. It makes one feel quite helpless... We pray for each
other. And we know there will be a time when all these nightmares
will be over. And we will come out, stronger & united towards our
common dream.
Personal
thoughts
2011
was a year that I was blessed to share with a wonderful group of
friends & colleagues. I carry a memory from 27/1, after we
learned of the heavy police crackdown on Suez & the cutting of
internet & cell phone lines, my colleagues wrote their home phone
numbers on a piece of paper. And indeed, the internet & mobile
lines were cut at midnight that day.
Looking
back, I remember how my best friend & I almost always had the
same views. I guess being the same age & sharing education,
culture & upbringing matters.
The
good thing about a difficult year is that it tells you who your
friends are & who really cares. During that early week of the
revolution with no internet, a cousin living outside Egypt called me
almost every day. The day after thugs' attacks began, he called very
early his time, & I could tell by his voice that he had just
woken up.
I
am happy with the friends I made during my trip to Turkey & the
Arab Spring; friends that I hope I'll have
for life.
While many people
restrict their political involvement to sharing videos on fb which
are mostly attacks on others or mockery, I found the most amazing
thing this year to be meeting some of the thousands
of smart, educated, active, & inspired Egyptian young people who
share common values & now have a space to actually do
something. I know we can change the world.
What
people are made of
Another
good thing about a difficult year is that it shows what people are
made of. I claim that I was not surprised by the attitude of anyone I
know nor a celebrity this year.
Say:
"Everyone acts according to his own disposition: But your Lord
knows best who it is that is best guided on the Way." -Verse 84
of "The Night Journey" chapter of the Quran
Most
of us were shaken at times by the events, thrown off balance, unable
to think clearly, & organize priorities. I would say the ability
to think with a clear mind is what we need most. So whether you think
you do or whether you base opinions on being scared or tired of all
of it, try to revise your thinking methods.
Anyone
who isn't confused really doesn't underst& the situation. -Edward
Murrow, American broadcast journalist
A
great many people think they are thinking when they are merely
rearranging their prejudices
-Edward Murrow
At
the end
Despite
the difficulties & setbacks, we go on our way, trying to remain
focused & not waiting for immediate results. That's the spirit of
devotion, right?
We
had thought we would live in oppression & injustice all our
lives. We knew there would come a day when this nation would rise,
but we thought it was so far away. But God destined this day to come
at our hands. And for this we will be forever thankful.
And
now.. brace yourselves for another year...
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