Dear friends,
In light of the rapidly deteriorating conditions of Egypt, which is descending into civil war, I have a few brief thoughts to share with you.
This is without a doubt one of these rare times in history, the Egyptian uprise could be a defining moment in our history. Its impact is at the moment incalculable, its consequences for now beyond our understanding. The unfolding situation in Egypt could be far-reaching, it could prove to be a great moment in history or could prove disastrous and catastrophic, and I am not talking here about Egypt only; Oh no, I mean without the slightest hesitation and with certainty the whole world.
Winston Churchill said "We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." ...effectively leading the way to victory for the Allies in WWII.
Mahatma Gandhi said "All humanity is one undivided and indivisible family, and each one of us is responsible for the misdeeds of all the others. I cannot detach myself from the wickedest soul." Gandhi was a one of kind leader in human history.
Nelson Mandela said "During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to see realized. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." Mandela needs no introduction as to what kind of world leader he is.
John F. Kennedy said "Two thousand years ago the proudest boast was 'civis Romanus sum' (I am a Roman citizen). Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is 'Ich bin ein Berliner!'... All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words 'Ich bin ein Berliner!'." The speech is considered one of Kennedy's best, and a notable moment of the Cold War. Kennedy remains admired worldwide for the kind of world leader he was well on his way to become before his life was cut short by an assassin.
Ronald Reagan said "Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan spoke to the people of West Berlin at the base of the Brandenburg Gate, near the Berlin wall. Due to the amplification system being used, the President's words could also be heard on the Eastern (Communist-controlled) side of the wall. The address Reagan delivered that day is considered by many to have affirmed the beginning of the end of the Cold War and the fall of communism. On Nov. 9-11, 1989, the people of a free Berlin tore down that wall.
In light of the rapidly deteriorating conditions of Egypt, which is descending into civil war, I have a few brief thoughts to share with you.
This is without a doubt one of these rare times in history, the Egyptian uprise could be a defining moment in our history. Its impact is at the moment incalculable, its consequences for now beyond our understanding. The unfolding situation in Egypt could be far-reaching, it could prove to be a great moment in history or could prove disastrous and catastrophic, and I am not talking here about Egypt only; Oh no, I mean without the slightest hesitation and with certainty the whole world.
Winston Churchill said "We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." ...effectively leading the way to victory for the Allies in WWII.
Mahatma Gandhi said "All humanity is one undivided and indivisible family, and each one of us is responsible for the misdeeds of all the others. I cannot detach myself from the wickedest soul." Gandhi was a one of kind leader in human history.
Nelson Mandela said "During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to see realized. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." Mandela needs no introduction as to what kind of world leader he is.
John F. Kennedy said "Two thousand years ago the proudest boast was 'civis Romanus sum' (I am a Roman citizen). Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is 'Ich bin ein Berliner!'... All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words 'Ich bin ein Berliner!'." The speech is considered one of Kennedy's best, and a notable moment of the Cold War. Kennedy remains admired worldwide for the kind of world leader he was well on his way to become before his life was cut short by an assassin.
Ronald Reagan said "Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan spoke to the people of West Berlin at the base of the Brandenburg Gate, near the Berlin wall. Due to the amplification system being used, the President's words could also be heard on the Eastern (Communist-controlled) side of the wall. The address Reagan delivered that day is considered by many to have affirmed the beginning of the end of the Cold War and the fall of communism. On Nov. 9-11, 1989, the people of a free Berlin tore down that wall.
I could continue with more inspiring, world-altering quotations, but it's time to make my point.
When President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace prize in 2009, he said that it was premature, he had not done anything yet. Now is the time.
When Obama visited Egypt in 2009, he said "I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed; confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice; government that is transparent and does not steal from people; the freedom to live as you choose. These are not just American ideas, they are human rights, and that is why we will support them everywhere."
Now is the time for Obama to stand up and be counted among those historic leaders if indeed he wants his legacy to be regarded as such. Obama needs to forcefully declare something like "Mr. Mubarak, your country's stability and future, the Egyptian people's needs and aspirations are far more important than you are." Obama needs to say out loud, clearly and unmistakably, that no man or woman should be president for 30 years, that Mubarak needs to leave Egypt immediately before it descends into chaos with unimaginable consequences, that the best minds around cannot foresee a peaceful resolution to the current situation unless he leaves immediately. After decades of unwise and short-sighted American policy in the region, Obama, as so-called leader of the free world, has an opportunity to show the world that the US stands for the people and not only US interests, stands for the citizens of countries where US interests are and that we will try to do better from now on. The US needs to couple its interests with those of the people involved, and take a proactive role to bring them freedom, peace, and prosperity.
I am certain that if Obama does not do that very soon, he not only will have not lived up to his promise, not even close, he will quickly become inconsequential and his legacy would be relegated to the dustbins of history, and he will also further harm the United States interests and standing in the Middle East region and beyond for a long time to come.
I thought I would share these thoughts with you.
By the way, I know that I'm sending out a lot of emails on this topic. I am profoundly affected by ongoing events, and I'm feeling some degree of guilt at having walked out on my country so many decades ago when I could have stayed and worked to help bring Egypt to its rightful place in the modern world. If you would rather not receive further emails from me on this topic, please let me know and I will stop with absolutely no harm done to our friendship, that is a promise of a free and peaceful man.
Hussein
© Dr Hussein A Amin 2011
