The outcome of the Egyptian revolution so far, writes Geoffrey Aronson, is one Washington can live with Egyptians wait with bated breath to see their revolution move forward to its natural apogee -- the trial of ex-president Hosni Mubarak. Demonstrators are frustrated by the slow speed at which events are moving forward, but they should remember that just a few short weeks ago, this man was revered by the people, respected around the world as the representative of the most powerful Arab nation. To expect officials who obeyed him for decades to treat him as a common criminal is a huge leap. Most Egyptians will not accept the spectacle of their former leader behind bars. While the man must be judged for his deeds before his people, to put an octogenarian in declining health in jail is not a sign of mercy, Islam's greatest attribute, and is a bad culmination to a glorious moment in Egypt's long history. This is not to say that leaders should not be held responsible for their actions, should not fear the judgement of their subjects. A public servant, whethera minister or a president, by the very nature of the term is an embodiment of the people, the concept also implies serving the people and attending to their needs. Unfortunately, whatever the financial crimes of Mubarak, it was his high-handedness that became the hallmark of the last decade of his rule. The question of prosecuting the ex-president has divided public opinion in Egypt. However, it should not hamper the Egyptian people's quest for social justice and democratisation. Neither of the two camps should force its views on the other and the law must prevail. The independence of the judiciary is a vital element of a viable democracy. Egypt is heading in that direction. So let us take advantage of the current situation. Let us prove that Egyptians are capable of handling their domestic affairs in a civilised and refined manner. The million-strong gatherings in Tahrir Square on consecutive Fridays provide ample proof that the people want to be active participants in the political life of the country. Many cannot forgive the former leader for letting the political life of the country deteriorate so alarmingly during the last years of his rule. Even as he was being summoned from his retirement home in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh to account for his actions the people yearned for justice. The case of Hosni Mubarak is not unique. Some who are thrust into power as he was find the heights of political office too heady, and they become drunk on authority and lose their moral compass. Not all Egyptians are sad and angry to see their father figure stripped so unceremoniously of the accoutrements of office, humiliated before the world, and most importantly before his "children", the Egyptian people. Few world leaders who suffer this sorry fate have risen above their personal tragedy and called on their citizens to forgive the faults that they fell prey to. Let us hope that ex-president Mubarak is one of the select few who do overcome the tribulations of this trial. The best course for Egypt's long-serving ex-leader is to accept the judgement of the people of Egypt and that of the law. It is not too late for Mubarak to redeem himself before the nation and before the world. Egypt is the Arab world's hope to finally bring peace to the troubled Middle East. It must change direction to find a way out of the dead end that three decades of autocracy and submission to foreign dictates have resulted in. We call on the ex-leader to help his country move forward, to resume its leading role in the region.
