Egyptian Rebellion “Allahu Akbar!” Ian Jonesi

Where is Egypt Located? Egypt is a country in northern Africa, extending south from the Mediterranean Sea. Egypt is bordered to the north by the Mediterranean Sea, to the south by Sudan, to the west by Libya and to the east (in the Sinai) by Israel and the Red Sea.

Evolution of a Revolution On Tuesday, January 25, thousands of people went to the streets to protest poverty, rampant unemployment, government corruption and autocratic governance of President Hosni Mubarak. The inspiration behind the protests came from the successful revolution in Tunisia. These were the first protests on such a large scale in Egypt since the 1970s. The Egyptian revolution is also referred to as the Egyptian Protests, Days of Rage, the Papyrus Revolution and the Lotus Revolution.

The Infamous Hosni Mubarak Mubarak first assumed his role after the 1981 assassination of his predecessor Anwar Sadat. Mubarak held power for over 30 years and proved to be a far more durable leader than anyone could have imagined Some of Mubarak’s mistakes that ultimately led to his resignation included: -Failing to spread the wealth. Egypt's economy as a whole has grown by a respectable amount, but most Egyptians don't feel they've gotten their fair share. Instead, they see wealthy businessman with ties to the ruling National Democratic Party stealing the country's riches. -Allowing corruption to pervade Egyptian life. One thing Egyptians complain about, it's the grand and petty corruption that makes it nearly impossible for anyone in the country to make an honest living. He has resisted any significant political change even under pressure from the United States. Denial is not just a river in Egypt, Mubarak was in denial that he had committed wrongdoings towards his country. “Hosni Mubarak and his family were convinced everything they did was for the good of Egypt and never understood that it was time for them to leave” – Author Chris Dickey of TheDailyBeast News.

How was the Revolt Carried Out? Civil Disobedience and Civil Resistance- peaceful riots and protests took place. Demonstrations also occurred in which people gathered in large numbers reaching tens of thousands and carried banners and flags Online Activism- planning was rampant over social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

Similarities Between Egyptian and U.S Revolutions In both instances, the primary reason for rebellion was for change in the government. The Revolts were primarily for freedoms gained and freedoms restored. Colonists revolted to gain independence from Britain, and the Egyptians revolted from Mubarak for their mistreatment and lack of ability to earn an honest living. In both revolutions, the revolutionists had no opportunity to voice their opinions. Both Egypt and the U.S wanted political reforms to end the corruption of their nations. The protestors and revolutionists both were at a militaristic disadvantage to their governments. In the colonists case, the British had the strongest navy and a very powerful world-class army. In the Egyptians case, the corrupt police used violence against the protestors.

Differences Between Egyptian and U.S Revolutions Colonists responded in violence and boycotts, whereas the Egyptians used peaceful protests The American Revolution was more independent because they were across the ocean from their ruler, England. The Egyptian revolution was sparked by the successful revolution previously in Tunisia. The American revolution on the other hand was sparked because of tensions between Britain and America. In the American revolution, there were clear leaders who helped shape the new America. In the revolutions in Egypt, there was no significant leader who guided the revolution.

Where Is Egypt Headed? In comparison to the American Revolution, I think that Egypt will establish a stable economy to raise more jobs as well as a democracy in which the people influence the government with a representative of some sort. Another aspect of the new Egypt could be a replacement of their previous civil authority, as there was much corruption in the justice system under Mubarak. If Egypt takes cares of these issues, than they have great potential to become a solid nation that will rise in power and prosper for many years to come.

Works Cited http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/25/egypt-protests-mubarak_n_813991.html#s229892&title=Emergency_Law_ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/30/egypt-revolution-2011_n_816026.html http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2046038,00.html http://www.irishexaminer.com/world/kfeyojauojsn/rss2/ http://www.france24.com/en/20110125-egypt-braces-nationwide-protests http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2086688,00.html

What Exactly Happened? Protests began on Tuesday, January 25th when thousands of people took to the streets to protest poverty, unemployment, government corruption, and autocratic governance by president Hosni Mubarak. This revolution was intended as a non-violent campaign. Violence however did occur but was only at the fault of the police.