Egyptian Revolution

Life, Freedom, and Social Justice

According to James Rawley, the UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt, “20 percent of Egyptians are classified as below the poverty line and another 20 percent are just above it.” Egyptians have suffered from poverty, injustice, and violation of their human rights for the past 30 years because of the tyrant, Hosni Mubarak. As a result of his reign, the political corruption in the whole country had increased. For example, the Minister of Housing took bribes from many business men to give business men illegal housing. On the other hand, twelve million people in Egypt were living homeless, being forced to live in cemeteries, nests, garages, and mosques. Therefore, a group of Egyptian politicians and local citizens talked about gathering to call for a strong demonstration on January 25, 2011. This was the beginning of the revolution, which has changed the course of Egyptian history.

At the beginning, the revolution caused many deaths. The victims of this revolution sacrificed everything. They sacrificed themselves to make the future better than what they dreamed of. They did not care about anything but the freedom and the justice of their country. Young people lost their lives, but all their actions were not wasted. As a result of the protests, Hosni Mubarak was removed from the government. In addition, my cousin was one of the victims who died in the revolution. My cousin was shot multiple times. At that time, my uncle was very upset because he lost his child. Although my uncle has lost his son, he is proud of him and considers him a hero.

In addition to the loss of life, chaos started to increase in the capital. Chaos soon became the face of the nation. Some thugs who were not aligned with either side were carrying weapons like guns and knives in public just to rob and bully citizens, and the public fest terrorized them. In addition, some people were stealing food or medicine just to feed their children or for their treatment. As a result of that, the streets were not safe. Moreover, many citizens were terrified to go to school or work. They were afraid of being killed or getting robbed. Even though there were a lot of police, they could not control the protesters because the police were divided into groups. Some of them were with the revolution and some with Hosni Mubarak.

Finally, since the streets were not safe and chaos was everywhere, my uncle and his family had to move to a safer city. The city they were living in was having the most action, which was Cairo. It was hard for them to move to another city and leave behind everything. Nevertheless, they left the house that they lived in since their marriage, and where they had their first child. Even though I was not living in Egypt, it makes me glad knowing that my uncle’s family is safe from all the violence around them. I always call him to check on them and to make sure that they are safe.

Today, when I watch the news and see shootings or people dying, I think of the revolution and the effects on Egyptian history, my uncle, and me. My cousin’s death may not have been planned, but he will always be a hero in my uncle’s heart. My family will always be proud of him because of his sacrifice for his country. Even though a lot of people have been killed, Egyptian society today is still commentating their memory. Egyptian society is also being inspired by them to stand up bravely against any future injustice and tyranny.