Day 17 of the Egyptian protests in Tahrir Square, and it seems the Egyptian people are only growing in solidarity and determination. Just yesterday, protestors blocked the entrance to parliament in efforts to overtake it — in particular, the House of Commons. The protest — as of this time — has managed to remain peaceful, as the military stood in protection of the government buildings.
Vice President Omar Suleiman — yes, the CIA torture specialist we told you about — addressed the Egyptian people, urging them to stop and think — is a coup d’état really the best way to go about things at this point? He warns that if a coup does occur, this “would mean uncalculated and hasty steps, including lots of irrationalities” in terms of what will occur afterward. With regards to protestors wanting Mubarak’s head, Suleiman reiterated that the people need to stop —he claimed their actions are “disrespectful” to the Egyptian people themselves.
Suleiman went on to threaten “there must be an end to this crisis as soon as possible.” He made sure to mention the ever so clear threat, “We don’t want to deal with Egyptian society with police tools,” which ― as I suspected ― was found anecdotal by the Egyptian people in times of crisis and turmoil. How can you threaten tens of millions of people with a police force that is hardly a fraction of the population? Desperate times, I suppose.
It is undoubtedly getting more serious by the minute for Egypt’s economy. About 6,000 workers have decided to go on strike at the Suez Canal ― a major trade canal between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean ― and those aren’t the only reports of “industrial unrest,” as the British Broadcasting Corporation has put it. A brilliant course of action: hitting the state in the pocket where it’s really going to hurt.
We know what the Egyptian people want, but what is the best possible outcome for the surrounding nations? While each individual case is different and has its own separate history and politics, we will take the case of Jordan in particular. As a Jordanian American, I often find myself torn with regards to Middle Eastern politics — I want what is best for my people, and when I say “my people,” I mean both Arab and American, alike.
Geographically speaking, if a war is to take place in the Middle East, whether it be nuclear or not, Jordan could potentially be wiped off the map due to its size and its lack of possession of nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction. Furthermore, it would be in my immediate interest to find mediation and peace, which both the late King Hussein and the current King Abdullah II had worked so hard to preserve.
As an American, I still view the U.S. as the world’s hegemon in many ways, and I can not even fathom the idea of a major battle or war being fought on its soil. Therefore, what is the ultimate goal for a person like me? Peace in the Middle East.
The more dominant part of me is rooting the Egyptian people — and any other Arabs or oppressed peoples who are fed up and have decided to take immediate action — all the way. Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world,” and today, his famous words have taken shape in the actions of many in the Middle East.
Dina Al-Hayek is a senior political science major and a columnist for the Daily 49er.
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