(This post is for those who are as mixed up as I am)
Fact 1:
Democracy is not "a la carte" so you cannot go and vote then sulk that your choices did not win. And NO you cannot wish for retreating back from the path to freedom based on your choices not being adopted by the majority. When you lose you use your energy positively and proactively to do better the next time around. As in anything in life their is a downside to democracy but that doesn't mean we depart from it at the first obstacle.
Fact 2:
One of the world's most cited & celebrated democracies - India - started with a literacy rate of 12% and is still thriving while enjoying the largest number of illiterates in the world. Here is a shocking one for you: India currently has a literacy rate of 61% versus 71% for Egypt. What's your estimate for the literacy rate in the US or the UK when they embarked on building their democracies?
Fact 3:
Tunisia has a literacy rate of 79% so they are not way ahead of us for those who adore drawing the comparison. Yes I was surprised to know that too. Before you sharpen your pencils to respond to this I give you they are both a much smaller nation and population. Egypt actually has a higher percentage than Tunisia in terms of univesrity graduates among youth whilst Tunisia defintely has a much more superior educational system where it comes to quality.
I know you are now dying to prove the statistics I used in fact 3 & 4 wrong so to help you here is the link I used as my source :
(Percentages may vary a bit from one source to the other; the basic fact remains!!!)
Fact 4:
I personally prefer the course Tunisia took in its post revolution path but you should be reminded that it was based on elections of representatives and had we taken the same course we would have had the same results we are seeing now or even worse (by some definition) if the elections was not by lists but rather only individuals running for office. So end result would still be a majority voted in steering the writing of a new constitution (again Tunisia path is more direct). My point is that though Tunisia chose a much clearer and more direct road; the one we are using shouldn't give us a much a different end result as per the Egyptian voter inclinations identified by our elections results.
Fact 5:
This one s a bit shocking so hang on tight: there is NO FAIR DICTATOR. Does not exist and has not existed through history; Sorry!!! This is like trying to find a vegetarian lion; has not been born yet. If your mind is working fast now and Omar Ibn El Khattab's name pops out please read about him and you will find that he has ruled by democracy; he was very just and firm but never a dictator. And for the record Mahatir Mohamed was in no way fair and there were a lot of personal freedom infringements during his reign in addition to numerous human rights violations & atrocities.
Fact 6:
No! You cannot take away the right of a citizen to vote based on the fact that he/she is illiterate. Those who are crying for citizenship rights for the Copts for example should know that this entails equal rights for all; so the "ignorant" as you call him/her has the same rights just as you do. I know this one is a bit hard to swallow among some of us who think they are better than others. Dwell on this: if illiterates are not allowed to vote then our Prophet Mohamed عليه الصلاة والسلام wouldn't have voted either (I am not sure about Jesus عليه السلام but he too would have probably been not allowed).
Fact 7:
Please understand that it is not right for you to wish -as the woman who got raped- for your rapist to rape the other woman you hate. You have to and need to stand up to a rapist in any case. Capice?
Fact 8:
There is no manual for revolutions. There is no handbook for revolutionaries. Revolutions by definition seek change and if they do not get it they continue; needless to cite how long the French Revolution took to finally declare it is triumphant.
Fact 9:
People learn from other people's and other nations' experiences. The American revolution copied a lot from the French and there was specific transfer of a lot of experiences' however no one ever said George Washington & Co were traitors (except the British of course); another Capice! is needed here I guess.
Fact 10:
Books & heritage are very valuable and we should definitely lament their loss. I beseech you though among your flood of tears to save one or two for those who were killed and slain in an attempt for a better life. Human life is priceless ; as to books there are always reprints.
Fact 11:
In the civilised world crime is punishable (and in some cases by the death penalty) but after fair trials and definitely the execution is not on the street and not on the basis of your looks that have you appear as a thug. Your personal attire or conduct under any human rights code does not have you tagged as unnecessary to the society and therefore dispensable.
Fact 12:
Human rights are God given. We were all born free and should be allowed to live free in a just world. Utopian? Yes indeed it is but then as humans we should try to achieve the closest we can to that. But we do not try to do that for ourselves and on our terms but also for the next guy and the one next to him/her.
Fact 13:
Liberalism is not a religion nor is it about absolute freedoms. It is more about protecting minorities and social justice and its Fathers (Locke & Rousseau as examples) launched it to counter the elitism of the Athenian republic (the form of democracy quite a few of us are wishing for were the elite and "enlightened" govern the less fortunate by their knowledge and by virtue of class and creed).
Fact 14:
Our country needs us to have our own personal interests step back for a while. It is a tough call and it is not easy for anyone to see comforts he/she are used to withdrawn but there is a price to be paid for change.
Fact 15:
The women of Egypt are unmatched as to their resilience except by its youth. And it is by the strength of them both that Egypt will prevail.
Have faith and try to adhere to what your heart tells you. We all know what is right from wrong because God has created us with this knowledge. Do not let convenience misguide you or sway you from what is radiantly and obviously right.
