Summary
Egyptian revolution - Cover story
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Extract
Egypt: is the party over?
While the parties of Tunisia's Avenue Bourguiba and Egypt's Tahrir Square may be over, and the arduous task of putting together governments capable of righting a thousand wrongs begins, as The Middle East goes to press, graphic reports of clashes between protestors and the authorities in other parts of the region paint a disturbing picture.
Events in Tunis and Cairo have been compared by some commentators to the 1848 revolutionary wave that, sparked by the French Revolution of that year, spread to the rest of Europe. Others liken them to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, which marked the end of the Cold War between Eastern and Western Europe, and the subsequent growth and development of both. Ultimately, the revolts in the Middle East will belong uniquely to that region and what happens from this point on will, and should, be in Arab hands. There will be, as there always are, governments around the world keen to offer help, some will be well meaning, others keener on protecting their own interests than those of emerging governments. Clearly, reform is long overdue and not only in Tunisia and Egypt. The Middle East is made up of many kinds of people and has many forms of government, some of which work well. However, for those countries where the status quo has been found lacking, the writing is on the wall. People--and particularly the young--can no longer be kept in ignorance of their entitlements; the right to live without fear of oppression, to freely express themselves and to listen to the uncensored opinions of others; to thrive personally and professionally in an atmosphere of freedom, justice and peace; to enjoy dignity and equality under the law. Reform, or have reform forced upon you, is the message of the hour. We must hope that up there in their ivory towers, they are listening. Compromise was never going to be an option in the case of Hosni Mubarak, defiant to the last hours of his presidency...See the full content of this document
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