For the past three or four days, I have woken up and immediately turned on my television. Since Egypt is 8 hours ahead of Waco, the day is already halfway over by the time I roll out of bed. Every day, I have turned on the TV hoping to see news that Mubarak has finally seen the writing on the wall and negotiations are on-going to create an interim government and figure out how to make a peaceful transition to a post-Mubarak Egypt. Every morning, I have sighed, disappointed that this has not yet materialized and thought to myself, “Bukra, in sha’ Allah.” (Tomorrow, God willing).
Egyptians, like most Arabs, have a casual relationship with time. Meetings often start more than an hour after they were planned. Asking any Egyptian to get something done quickly is a risk. Follow up with him or her and ask when the task in question may be accomplished, they will smile serenely and say, “Bukra, in sha’ Allah.” This can be infuriating and frustrating to Americans who are used to punctuality and getting things taken care of quickly, but it is the Egyptian way.
As the protests carry on into a second week, it is becoming increasingly obvious that Hosni Mubarak’s grip on power is slipping. Secretary of State Clinton started talking about a transition to democracy while making the rounds to the Sunday shows. The Egyptian army has announced that it will not fire at demonstrators. Omar Suleiman has announced that the regime wants talks with the opposition and may consider new elections to correct the massive corruption from the November parliamentary elections. Things are looking grim in Mudville.
Bukra. Bukra, in sha’ Allah. The opposition parties have been working hard to organize a million man march on Cairo tomorrow, presumably centered at Tahrir Square which has been Ground Zero for these protests. Is this finally the day? Will this finally get through to Mubarak, the stubborn old coot, that he isn’t welcome in Egypt anymore? I hope so. Not just because the Egyptian people deserve better than Hosni Mubarak, but because Egypt needs to move forward—politically, socially, and perhaps most importantly right now, economically.
Last week, the Egyptian stock market plummeted 20 %. It has been closed the past two days. Schools are closed, universities too. Many stores are closed. Those that aren’t closed, especially supermarkets, are running out of food staples. Banks are closed, and ATMs don’t have any more money in them. The airport in Cairo is packed to the gills with Americans and other foreigners trying to get the hell out of Dodge. The tourist industry—a $10 billion/year enterprise—has come to a screeching halt. Most Egyptians, who live on a wing and a prayer on the best of days, haven’t worked for almost a week. If this keeps up, the Egyptian economy will be in such shambles when all of this over that political stability will be the least of the country’s worries.
Resolution needs to come quickly. If that means Barack Obama needs to fly to Cairo himself and personally escort Mubarak to a private plane that will take him to London where his family is, then so be it. Hop a plane, Mr. President. There won’t be many people in the arrival hall at the Cairo airport. Passing through customs would be a breeze. Okay, so that’s not so feasible, but Obama needs to let it be known to Mubarak that the gig is up. He can save his country. His final act as president could be his best. But to do it, he has to swallow his pride—a bitter pill no doubt.
So for now, I go to bed, knowing that in the morning, I will turn on the TV when I wake up to see what’s going on. Bukra, in sha’ Allah….
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