Some have been accusing the Muslim Brotherhood as having an ulterior motive, a hidden agenda through all of this. They don't believe that the MB or Morsi care about Egypt, but rather, they are seeking control of Egypt for the sake of their Nation of Islam. This is not hard to believe when you wonder how the hell a man could have the gall to make himself higher than any authority in this country (by definition, a dictator, or pharaoh as many are calling him) when just a year ago the whole world witnessed Egyptians overthrowing the dictator they'd been living under for 30 years!!
In response, Morsi claims that his intentions are honest, and for the sake of the re-trials, but now that he's seen the peoples' reactions, he's even been backing down, or taking back some of what he's said. The MB was expected to be in Tahrir to counter the opposition's protests, but they then decided to change their location to the other side of the Nile, near Cairo University. Ultimately, they decided to cancel their protest entirely, most likely to prevent clashes.
I held a debate about this whole Morsi issue in class with my English students. The room was split between those wanting Morsi to be removed, and those saying he needs to stay. My personal opinion is that either way, Morsi shouldn't be considered a "leader," he's the test pilot. He's the first man that Egypt ever elected to run the country. This is the first time in the history of Egypt that Egyptians claimed their right to a democracy, and voted. Whether it's Morsi or someone else, the first elected President in this new government couldn't possibly get it right. Not to mention that Egypt has so many issues that need resolution, it will take decades or at least, several 4-year Presidential terms. But the important thing is that armed with their newfound courage and their starvation for democracy, Egyptians should absolutely speak up when they're not seeing their government run the way they want it to. That is exactly what a democracy is- when its citizens have the right and role to speak and influence their government. If they didn't react to Morsi on this level about something so significant, he could slowly and gradually seize power without fearing or suffering any consequences.
Throughout all the years I've spent coming to Egypt, I've always pointed out the obvious problems in the country. I questioned Mubarak, I asked friends and family why they don't speak up or try to change their government, and the response I always got was a passive, 'ehh, this is how it is, it will never change.' I would always leave feeling so frustrated, so disappointed. So when I saw the revolution take place last year, I could not believe my eyes. I remained glued to the TV, laughing and crying. I felt extremely proud and shocked that Egyptians had finally done something so incredible, so life-changing, so world-impacting.
That's why I found it so moving to witness the massive protest held in Tahrir last night. To now be living here, all for the sake of a better, more real-life experience, and to witness hundreds of thousands of Egyptians assemble in the world famous Tahrir Square in active participation of their new roles in their new government... it was just amazing. I had little to say, but I kept smiling and shaking my head in total amazement.
I went with my journalist girl friend and her friends, and had been strongly advised to be on guard as sexual harassment of women has been rampant in the square. We witnessed fights break out in the crowds over women being harassed or abused. In one corner of the square, there's a field hospital set up to treat victims with injuries. Just as we had been crossing it, there was a massive fight, and 2 women had been carried out, over the crowd to the field hospital. The fighting was dragged towards the hospitals, and the doctors had been using flame throwers (a spray bottle and a lighter) to keep the crowds back. It was happening all around us, and I felt disgusted and angered by it. Apparently, during the revolution, some thugs had been paid to harass women as a means of keeping them and other people, out of the square. I told my friend that should anything ever happen to me, I want pictures and stories blasted all over the internet and media. I want everyone to see and to know.
On the ground, it was impossible to get a perspective of the density of the crowd, but it was loud and very crowded. Eventually, we were led to the top floor of an apartment building right on Tahrir Square, where a friend had been broadcasting live news coverage of the protests. She turned out to be a very inspiring girl from England. She'd been previously writing for fashion magazines in London and had a sort of similar, 'What the fuck am I doing here? I need to find something more meaningful,' reality check, to mine. So she eventually made her way over to Cairo and has been covering all the latest activity since the revolution.
The view from that building was just amazing. It offered us a whole new perspective of the protest... And it was massive. Tahrir hadn't been flooded with people like this since the revolution. Every inch, every corner, was covered with people. Marches had been coming through from every road and bridge that led to the square. Tents were sent up in the middle, banners were strewn all around, flags were waving from hands, and painted on faces. From above, we could hear the loud chants from every corner of the square, each group having a different voice.
Many members of my family had been there, but it was so difficult to coordinate, as cell phone coverage was very poor- with so many people in one location using their phones simultaneously, this was to be expected.
I feel so lucky to have been there.
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