Bianca Jagger gets no satisfaction on Egypt’s Revolution.
Egypt’s Unfinished Revolution
Bianca Jagger , Monday 30 Jan 2012
We must stand shoulder to shoulder with Egyptian protesters
25 January marks an historic date for Egypt. On this day last year millions of people stood in the now iconic Tahrir Square, peacefully demanding “Bread, Freedom and Dignity.” The number of protesters gathered in Tahrir asking for their basic human rights was unprecedented in Egypt’s history. It was not only the size of the assembled crowd that made this day different, but its diversity. During the 18 days of mass protests, people from all walks of life, religions, ideologies and ages stood together as one in the square for a common purpose: to end thirty years of brutal dictatorship.
On the 11 February 2011, Hosni Mubarak finally capitulated to the pressure from the millions of Egyptian protesters and stepped down as President of Egypt, handing over power to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). The atmosphere in Egypt in the following days was exhilarating, electrifying. The people had achieved a peaceful, leaderless revolution. Millions of jubilant Egyptians chanted together “The army and the people are one hand.”
I was skeptical when I heard this. Coming from Nicaragua and as a human rights defender who has witnessed the iron grip of military dictatorships all over Latin America, I was fearful that military rule could never uphold the principles of human rights, democracy and civil liberties. Sadly, my fears were justified. It is evident that the army and the people were never “one hand.” When the SCAF assumed power, they vowed to put an end to emergency law, to relinquish power to an elected president within six months, among many other promises. None of these pledges have been fulfilled. It was perhaps naïve to think that an army could peacefully protect and defend the rights of the civilian population.
