I promise to update about my homestay soon, but I just wanted to throw my two cents into the ring about what's going on in Egypt right now.
It's driving me nuts that so much of the Western media coverage of the protests is focused on US interests and foreign policy. The fact is that the overwhelming majority of Egyptians are no longer willing to submit to dictatorship and, frankly, they have every right to express that view, especially given that the protests have been largely peaceful (except when the government pays thugs to beat up protesters). It breaks my heart that so many Americans can't see past some abstract conception of a potentially dangerous democratic Egypt (see article #2 below) and consequently place their unfounded fears above the well-being, free speech, and self-determination of 80 million Egyptians. Just because we were privileged enough to be born Americans does not give us the right to dictate the lives of everyone else in the world (though I realize that the US government does frequently pull strings abroad). I got to know dozens of beautiful people in Egypt last summer who did nothing but make me feel welcome in their country and love and accept me despite our differences. It is a damn shame that those same people would be branded as dangerous by so many Americans simply because they worship Allah. I'm not saying that democratization will have perfect results, only that a free Egypt is not necessarily an anti-American Egypt.
I have come across two articles that I think are required reading for anyone who wants to understand the situation beyond the standard Western media hype:
1) "2 Detained Reporters Saw Police's Methods," The New York Times--Gives a firsthand account of the terrible way that the Egyptian government is treating its own citizens. For me, this was enough evidence on its own that Mubarak needs to go.
2) "Mubarak's Departure Won't Lead to Chaos or Theocracy" Huffington Post--Explains that the foundations for democracy already in place in Egypt and that just because the Muslim Brotherhood is Muslim, does not mean they are terrorists.
In any case, I just wanted to remind everyone to take a step outside of our American bubble and see things from another point of view. The world is not as black and white as we would like to think. I'll update on my Jordanian family and my first day of class soon (maybe even later tonight)!
It's driving me nuts that so much of the Western media coverage of the protests is focused on US interests and foreign policy. The fact is that the overwhelming majority of Egyptians are no longer willing to submit to dictatorship and, frankly, they have every right to express that view, especially given that the protests have been largely peaceful (except when the government pays thugs to beat up protesters). It breaks my heart that so many Americans can't see past some abstract conception of a potentially dangerous democratic Egypt (see article #2 below) and consequently place their unfounded fears above the well-being, free speech, and self-determination of 80 million Egyptians. Just because we were privileged enough to be born Americans does not give us the right to dictate the lives of everyone else in the world (though I realize that the US government does frequently pull strings abroad). I got to know dozens of beautiful people in Egypt last summer who did nothing but make me feel welcome in their country and love and accept me despite our differences. It is a damn shame that those same people would be branded as dangerous by so many Americans simply because they worship Allah. I'm not saying that democratization will have perfect results, only that a free Egypt is not necessarily an anti-American Egypt.
I have come across two articles that I think are required reading for anyone who wants to understand the situation beyond the standard Western media hype:
1) "2 Detained Reporters Saw Police's Methods," The New York Times--Gives a firsthand account of the terrible way that the Egyptian government is treating its own citizens. For me, this was enough evidence on its own that Mubarak needs to go.
2) "Mubarak's Departure Won't Lead to Chaos or Theocracy" Huffington Post--Explains that the foundations for democracy already in place in Egypt and that just because the Muslim Brotherhood is Muslim, does not mean they are terrorists.
In any case, I just wanted to remind everyone to take a step outside of our American bubble and see things from another point of view. The world is not as black and white as we would like to think. I'll update on my Jordanian family and my first day of class soon (maybe even later tonight)!
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