Today, we woke up and got ready to go to school like any other day. We walked to school and everything was the same. Quiet, calm and peaceful. We arrived at the school and prepared for the day of classes. Everything was just as it usually is. Except, today, we were going to leave school early because of a scheduled, "Million Man March" at 4 PM.
I will be the first one to admit that when Egypt erupted into protest in late January and early February of this year, I saw the news and assumed that the whole country was in unrest and that the whole country would be a very unsafe place to be. I assumed that what the news was reporting was accurate and that the country was complete chaos. At the time, I had no real attachment to Egypt, so my desire to investigate what was actually happening was minimal.
Then I got a job in Egypt. That changed my entire perspective on the protests, riots and chaos earlier in the year. As I looked into the protests more, the more I discovered, that the riots and protests were fairly centralized in certain places. People here wanted some change and as you all know they got the change they were looking for. Mubarak stepped down and the country was on a path towards an election and democracy.
Egypt has been under military rule since Mubarak stepped down in February. People rejoiced at his resignation and looked forward to the, "New Egypt". There have been disturbances and protests since then, and a couple since we have been here. But, both the protests since we have been here have been relatively isolated incidents that could not be completely linked to a certain political movement.
Then, on Friday, we were told by many local people not to venture far from our house because there was going to be more protesting downtown in Tahrir Square. Tahrir Square has become symbolic for the events that occurred in January and February and has become a meeting point for protestors. So, on Friday we stayed close to home, mostly because we were sick, not because we were afraid. We stayed in our area on Saturday and on Sunday we went back to school. We did not really follow the news over the weekend, but were promptly informed of the unrest in the square and that the protests were escalating in terms of size and violence.
I am sure you have seen the news over the past 4 days. The headlines, "Egypt in Crisis", seem ridiculous to me. We are here, living in Egypt, only 45 minutes away from Tahrir Square. It is calm, quiet and peaceful. I am not seeing tanks driving down the street, rather, I am seeing donkey carts with fruit for sale and kids riding their bikes. Is there unrest in downtown Cairo? The pictures on the news casts make it clear that there is. But to label the occurrences in downtown Cairo as the picture of what is happening throughout Egypt is a ridiculous statement. Is there unrest in other parts of Egypt? Yes, there is. In most major cities there has been a gathering of people from the city to protest. Is it the picture of what is happening everywhere? No, it is not. And sadly, many people will watch the news, as I did in January and February and believe what the media is saying, and perhaps, worry for the Canadians that are in Egypt.
I have been asking local people why the protests are happening again. It hardly makes any sense to me because the elections start next week! But, I come from a democratic country and am used to the process of elections and voting and the democratic process as a whole. When I have asked the local people, they say that there are many different stories as to why the people are protesting again, and all the stories are convincing. It is hard to determine who is being truthful and who is trying to grow a following of people. This has caused a division amongst some of the people. Ultimately however, Egyptians have decided that they are tired of the rule of the military regime because they believe that it is merely an extension of Mubarak's rule. So, Egyptians are gathering by the thousands, and potentially, by the millions, in cities around Egypt, to protest the rule of the military. Egyptians what the military to step down and allow Civilian Rule to take its place. Again, my thoughts are, the election is next week, why all this protesting? It remains a mystery.
We have been in Egypt for 3 months now, and there has not been a moment that I have not felt safe here. Sure, we have driven past tanks and seen military on patrol with AK-47's and really, really, sharp knives. Yes, we have driven through some pretty interesting road blocks by oil fields, but everyone has been really friendly, welcoming and kind. I have no desire to venture to Tahrir Square right now and join the protest (aside from the fact that my contract states that I cannot become politically involved). We have been paying closer attention to the news over the past couple days, but for the most part, are not aware of what is happening downtown until after it has happened.
Are we in danger? Not any more danger than if we were at our house in Winnipeg. If we were in danger, the embassy would be rushing us out of the country. The protests could escalate and become more frightening, but as they are now, it is very centralized and we are in no danger unless we go to the places where the protests are occurring. The school has a very thorough evacuation plan in place in the event that the country truly enters a crisis and we have plenty of extra dry goods and water in the house if necessary. There are many people looking out for our best interest and safety including the owner of the school.
For those of you that have thought of us during this time we are grateful. As I mentioned, I am unsure as to why the people have decided to protest again when the elections are so close. There are many theories as to why the protests are occurring and pieces of them all may be true. We do not know how long the protests will continue. The elections begin on the 28th of November and there are several other election days between the 28th and the end of December. As I type this, the clock is turning to 4 PM. The Million Man March should have just begun. As the march develops and grows, the violence may also grow. I may not have to go to work tomorrow if they protests become extreme. Right now, we are living moment by moment because things can change in an instant.
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| Protestors in Tahrir Square, November 21st, 2011. |
I will be the first one to admit that when Egypt erupted into protest in late January and early February of this year, I saw the news and assumed that the whole country was in unrest and that the whole country would be a very unsafe place to be. I assumed that what the news was reporting was accurate and that the country was complete chaos. At the time, I had no real attachment to Egypt, so my desire to investigate what was actually happening was minimal.
Then I got a job in Egypt. That changed my entire perspective on the protests, riots and chaos earlier in the year. As I looked into the protests more, the more I discovered, that the riots and protests were fairly centralized in certain places. People here wanted some change and as you all know they got the change they were looking for. Mubarak stepped down and the country was on a path towards an election and democracy.
Egypt has been under military rule since Mubarak stepped down in February. People rejoiced at his resignation and looked forward to the, "New Egypt". There have been disturbances and protests since then, and a couple since we have been here. But, both the protests since we have been here have been relatively isolated incidents that could not be completely linked to a certain political movement.
Then, on Friday, we were told by many local people not to venture far from our house because there was going to be more protesting downtown in Tahrir Square. Tahrir Square has become symbolic for the events that occurred in January and February and has become a meeting point for protestors. So, on Friday we stayed close to home, mostly because we were sick, not because we were afraid. We stayed in our area on Saturday and on Sunday we went back to school. We did not really follow the news over the weekend, but were promptly informed of the unrest in the square and that the protests were escalating in terms of size and violence.
I am sure you have seen the news over the past 4 days. The headlines, "Egypt in Crisis", seem ridiculous to me. We are here, living in Egypt, only 45 minutes away from Tahrir Square. It is calm, quiet and peaceful. I am not seeing tanks driving down the street, rather, I am seeing donkey carts with fruit for sale and kids riding their bikes. Is there unrest in downtown Cairo? The pictures on the news casts make it clear that there is. But to label the occurrences in downtown Cairo as the picture of what is happening throughout Egypt is a ridiculous statement. Is there unrest in other parts of Egypt? Yes, there is. In most major cities there has been a gathering of people from the city to protest. Is it the picture of what is happening everywhere? No, it is not. And sadly, many people will watch the news, as I did in January and February and believe what the media is saying, and perhaps, worry for the Canadians that are in Egypt.
I have been asking local people why the protests are happening again. It hardly makes any sense to me because the elections start next week! But, I come from a democratic country and am used to the process of elections and voting and the democratic process as a whole. When I have asked the local people, they say that there are many different stories as to why the people are protesting again, and all the stories are convincing. It is hard to determine who is being truthful and who is trying to grow a following of people. This has caused a division amongst some of the people. Ultimately however, Egyptians have decided that they are tired of the rule of the military regime because they believe that it is merely an extension of Mubarak's rule. So, Egyptians are gathering by the thousands, and potentially, by the millions, in cities around Egypt, to protest the rule of the military. Egyptians what the military to step down and allow Civilian Rule to take its place. Again, my thoughts are, the election is next week, why all this protesting? It remains a mystery.
We have been in Egypt for 3 months now, and there has not been a moment that I have not felt safe here. Sure, we have driven past tanks and seen military on patrol with AK-47's and really, really, sharp knives. Yes, we have driven through some pretty interesting road blocks by oil fields, but everyone has been really friendly, welcoming and kind. I have no desire to venture to Tahrir Square right now and join the protest (aside from the fact that my contract states that I cannot become politically involved). We have been paying closer attention to the news over the past couple days, but for the most part, are not aware of what is happening downtown until after it has happened.
Are we in danger? Not any more danger than if we were at our house in Winnipeg. If we were in danger, the embassy would be rushing us out of the country. The protests could escalate and become more frightening, but as they are now, it is very centralized and we are in no danger unless we go to the places where the protests are occurring. The school has a very thorough evacuation plan in place in the event that the country truly enters a crisis and we have plenty of extra dry goods and water in the house if necessary. There are many people looking out for our best interest and safety including the owner of the school.
For those of you that have thought of us during this time we are grateful. As I mentioned, I am unsure as to why the people have decided to protest again when the elections are so close. There are many theories as to why the protests are occurring and pieces of them all may be true. We do not know how long the protests will continue. The elections begin on the 28th of November and there are several other election days between the 28th and the end of December. As I type this, the clock is turning to 4 PM. The Million Man March should have just begun. As the march develops and grows, the violence may also grow. I may not have to go to work tomorrow if they protests become extreme. Right now, we are living moment by moment because things can change in an instant.
It's so interesting to read an "insider's view." I guess the news blows things out of perspective so it makes better... news. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteGlad that you enjoyed our perspective. As the situation progresses I plan to keep the blog updated more frequently. It is certainly an interesting time to be in Egypt!
ReplyDeleteHi to the traveling Bishops
ReplyDeleteGreat to know that you are safe and sound. Also looks like you are enjoying yourselves. We will be adding your blog on a regular basis to keep track of you.
Ps - you likely know that we are going to Jamaica with your parents. We will try not to corrupt them too much!!
Mike & Cheryl Knight
Mike and Cheryl,
ReplyDeleteIt is great to hear from you! I have heard that you are traveling to Jamaica with mom and dad. I am sure you will have a great time! I try to keep the blog updated at least once a week, but with the unrest am keeping on top of it more. Happy traveling!