Regardless of the brutality of the army, or the opportunism of Islamists, Egypt's revolutionaries will keep fighting for dignity and freedom, writes Azmi Ashour When you read what analysts write about Arab revolutions, particularly the Egyptian revolution, and when you hear what the politicians have to say, it's hard not to imagine that there are two mindsets dominating the scene. On one hand, you get those who derive their information about the revolution from the media, while sitting comfortably in their homes and offices. These are mostly people who had vested interests in the previous status quo, and who have been suspicious of the revolution from day one. Their assumptions are almost entirely divorced from reality, and they seem to revel in the insidious allegations of the media, so long as these allegations suit their contempt for all things revolutionary. Some people in this category are influential, people who appear on TV and get interviewed by the press, and they are not going to allow their misjudgement to be clouded by facts. On the other hand, there are those who have related to the revolution from day one, not necessarily as hardcore revolutionaries, but as true sympathisers and believers in change. These are mainly members of the Egyptian middle class, finally coming out of their cocoons after decades of inaction. Inspired by the prospects of the revolution, people in this category are not easily swayed. No amount of information, no attempt at discrediting the revolution makes a dent in their beliefs. Now let's keep one thing in mind. The revolution that started on 25 January is far from over. We may have removed the head of the regime and a selection of his associates, but the extensive body of beneficiaries of the old regime is still intact, and it is fighting tooth and nail to recreate the past albeit in a slightly altered form. This is why it was important to keep the pressure on, with Friday protests in Tahrir and sit-ins. In a far from perfect world, the revolution has to continue, or it will be swept away by the counterrevolutionaries. The supporters of the old regime are using a variety of tactics to fight the revolution. Their main tactic so far has been to discredit the revolution and cast aspersions on the revolutionaries. They would have us believe that the revolutionaries are the cause of the country's economic woes; that they are the ones who have unleashed the thugs and robbers against the nation, that they are the ones who set fire to public buildings, including the Scientific Society. Those who want to turn back the clock in this country have found allies in: the supporters of political Islam; and the authorities running the country during the transitional period, especially the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). The recent events in Mohamed Mahmoud Street and near the Cabinet offices clearly demonstrate the uncanny similarities between the SCAF and the old regime. But we mustn't be disheartened. So far, everyone who tried to discredit the revolution has failed. If we truly believe in a democratic Egypt, we must press on with the revolution and keep its ideals alive. The good thing about the tragic events of 19 November and 16 December is that they separated the chaff from the wheat. We now know who the real revolutionaries are and those who have jumped aboard the revolution for personal gains.The revolutionaries are the ones who took to the street to uphold the ideals of the revolution. They risked their lives, and they will go on doing so. By contrast, the army showed its real face. When army soldiers stripped girls naked in the streets, all pretence ended. The army's heart was never with the revolution, but with the old regime. Likewise, the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) was too eager to celebrate its electoral victory to bother to show up in the protests. How typical. This was the same MB that refused initially to take part in the revolution and only came to the scene belatedly and after some of its younger members practically defected to join the protests. For years, the MB thought that it controlled the streets. Now all of a sudden, it has woken up to a new reality. The young people of this country have accomplished what the Brotherhood failed to do for 80 years.Whenever it suited its purposes, the MB was willing to ally itself with the military against the revolution and the young people of this country. The MB sees the young revolutionaries as a threat. It views their struggle for freedom, dignity and social justice with suspicion. This is why young MB members keep defecting, or at least challenging the authority of their elders. The Friday of Restoring Honour, held on 23 December, was a new start. It was a message to the counterrevolutionaries that Egypt is still alive. The young men and women of this country, with support from many members of the middle class, are going to keep fighting for the ideals of 25 January. The writer is managing editor of the quarterly journal Al-Demoqrateya published by Al-Ahram
