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Who to blame and what to hope for

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What is unique and difficult about this new chapter in the developing saga is that it is the Egyptian people fighting each other.

Refaat Mohamed
9 December 2012

There are two things that I have seen from the beginning of the revolution, and was never able to comprehend, or digest - celebration and supportive marches.

I might sound negative or pessimistic, but I think that I am just realistic. I didn’t celebrate on the day that Mubarak stepped down: I thought it was too early to celebrate, plus I believe marching in the street makes sense only when it is registering opposition.

“With freedom comes responsibility” - I strongly believe in that. And I think everybody was well aware of that, even Omar Suleiman was aware of that when he uttered his famous quote, “ But when?” So being forced to regard the Muslim Brotherhood as enemies, is shocking, and sad, and something that I never wished, or wanted to happen, but it is not going to be the first or the last obstacle to face the revolution.

It is just like a videogame. We keep having a new obstacle, or nemesis, at every different stage of the revolution. First it was Mubarak which was the barrier, then came the SCAF, minor clashes with MB, and Salafists, and then Ahmed Shafiq, and most of the revolutionary movements, and forces supporting the MB, and Mohamed Morsi, not out of love, but for the sake of not reviving Mubarak’s regime. What is unique and difficult about this new chapter in the developing saga is that it is the Egytian people fighting each other.

All of the previous stages, and clashes since the beginning of the revolution were directed mostly against the regime, as it was represented by its vigilante militias, police forces, and military forces. This is the first time that major, severe clashes have broken out with fatal injuries as a result, between two flanks of the Egyptian people, both of whom have revolutionary credentials – despite the false claims of the MB and FJP that those who oppose them are remnants of Mubarak’s regime.

I blame the MB, and the Islamist forces for the sticky situation that we are in right now, for two main reasons. Firstly, all of the liberal forces warned everybody about the dire consequences of having political parties based on a religious footing - not just because it gives the religion-based parties an undeserved and unfair leverage in the political scene, but also because of the division and polarization that has lately shown its ugly face to the whole world. Second, the Muslim Brotherhood, which is the force in power at present, didn’t ensure a healthy democratic atmosphere for an opposition to operate in. Instead they fiercely attacked the opposition and accused them of many thing, like being Mubarak remnants, spies, and similar libels, that I never imagined I would hear someone say about respectable figures like Dr. Mohamed ElBaradie among others.

The Muslim Brotherhood chose to clamber on board the raft while leaving the rest of the Egyptian people to drown. If they allow this general situation of the political scene in Egypt to continue, they will be the first to feel the fall-out. The revolutionary forces are in for a new challenge. It is a hard one, but I believe that Egypt is going to overcome this peacefully.

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