Egypt, you've been "Tahrired"
We've been gripped with news from Cairo's Tahrir (Liberation) Square and all across Egypt for the last 18 days and felt happy that finally, the peaceful protests led to Mubarak's resignation as President a few hours ago. (If you missed out on the news the past couple of weeks, watch this report that summarises the past 18 days.)
I was in line waiting to get tickets for A Single Flower when I heard the news and saw the joy on people's faces when they were sharing the news around me and I was trying to imagine what the scenes in Egypt must have been like. After the show (which was great by the way) I rushed home to catch up on the news. I then received this video from Karim Shaaban which I'd like to share with you (I've featured his work on this blog last August/September, the Ramadan video series).
It's a small glimpse of joy the Egyptians are feeling tonight. This is my favourite quote from the video, it really sums up why the people have had enough,
"I dream of liberty, of development in our country. I don't want the FA (Football Association) to have a big budget while scientific research does not. We're 30 years behind, the country is full of trash."
All I can say is Egypt, you've been 'tahrired' and high five to all the brave protesters across the country. Now's your chance to prove you can really be Om El Donia and hope the blood that was shed won't be in vain. After the celebrations are done, let the real work begin. We all hope good things come out of this and no hidden agendas start creeping in.
This is the last entry I read on the BBC page covering the Egypt protest, it was posted at 1757 GMT:
The last word for Saturday in the BBC's live coverage of Egypt should go to the veteran of another liberation struggle: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He's now a member of the Elders, a group of global leaders who offer their advice on the challenges of our time. The Elders tweet:
"'Brothers and sisters of #Egypt, you have given the world the most precious gift: the belief that ultimately right will prevail.' Desmond Tutu"