To express the widespread rapture, euphoria and excitement is impossible. Every single Egyptian in Cairo at one point or another must have left his or her home and gone to celebrate in Tahrir square. Women, children and men of all ages were chanting in joyfulness. I saw so many of my friends and cousins randomly. Without the exchange of words we rushed towards each other and hugged in celebration. People then started hugging each other regardless of being related or knowing one another. Strangers took strangers into their arms and congratulated one another.
Cars were honking their horns all over the city, and as I walked back home with my brother I met two friends. We told them how amazing it was in Tahrir Square as told them to go there faster when suddenly the sound of a car crashing into a civilian alarmed everyone standing. We all gathered around the young man who smashed into the window of taxi, flipped into the air and landed on the street. For a moment everyone was silent. I thought he was dead and the taxi driver rushed out his seat to make sure the young boy was fine. After laying still for a moment or two, he looked up and shouted “Unfortunately I’m not a martyr but EGYPT IS FREE!” Everyone laughed and cheered. The taxi driver carried him and drove him to a nearby hospital; both were smiling as they left. That’s how happy everyone was – broken bones weren’t enough to kill the bliss of the night.
No one knows what will happen next and it feels so good. I’m sick of the predictability of the regime and at last we are in charge of our own destiny. I’m so proud to be Egyptian. I’m proud of my people and my country. I’m proud of the support from all the foreigners I know. We made it, not through violence but through unity, harmony and peace. May the rest of the world act the same way and remember that we’re all human beings longing for happiness regardless of religion, race or nationality. I’ll go to bed now so I can wake up early and clean the streets with my fellow countrymen. Egypt is reborn. Good night. At last I’ll sleep knowing I’ll wake up a free Egyptian.
A letter from Cairo
Congratulations – you have indeed witnessed a miracle. Now its time to decide what you will do with your newfound freedom. Will you put all of your labor and resources into building a truly democratic society with a stable economy that provides work, education, and health care for all? Or will you waste this once-in-a-lifetime chance by putting all of your energy into defeating Israel and wind up living under the iron-fisted rule of the enforcers of Shari a Law? Best of luck!
And how about you, dprosenthal? Will you put all of your labor and resources into building a “truly democratic society with a stable economy that provides work, education and health care for all” right here in the USA, or is that irony lost on you? You might want to start by turning off Fox News and getting your head out of your behind.