CAIRO - The Egyptians' revolution has amazed the world, proving an inspiration to others as far afield as the US. Madison, a city in the US state of Wisconsin, began its own protests on February 15, only four days after President Mubarak stepped down. These demonstrations erupted in opposition to certain provisions in legislation proposed by Republican Governor of Wisconsin Scott Walker. The legislation would require state employees to contribute 5.8 per cent of their salaries to cover pension costs and put 12.6 per cent towards their healthcare premiums, as well as weakening the collective bargining rights for most public employee union members. Democrats and union leaders offered to accept the increased cost of benefits, but not the removal of bargaining rights. Protesters, including union members, students and other citizens, lifted banners revealing their respect for the January 25 revolution and their esteem for the young Egyptians, describing them as freedom fighters. The photo of one banner, which read “Fight like an Egyptian', has been shared on the social networking site Facebook, showing the way that our revolution has inspired others' protests. “We used to take the US as an example in everything, but now they're taking us as an example, because we fought for our legitimate rights peacefully,” says Mahmoud Emad Eddin, a 24-year-old information technology graduate. A Facebook user, who asked not to be identified, said that we should not be astonished to see other nations imitating us. “This is not new to the Egyptian people, as Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi said: ‘Egyptians have made history as usual.'” Yasmine Hassan, a housewife who lives in Australia, says that she now can walk around telling everybody that she is Egyptian, before being asked the famous question ‘Where are you from?' An Egyptian expatriate, who was travelling back to the US after a short vacation in Egypt during which President Mubarak was toppled, says that, when he arrived in America, the passport control officer at the airport checked his passport. On realising that he was Egyptian, he shouted out loud: “Egyptian! Egyptian!” The people around him started clapping and whistling. He was so touched by this unexpected welcome that he burst into tears. “To see other countries taking us as an example is a huge responsibility,” according to Youssef Ali, an assistant lecturer in the Faculty of Pharmacy at one of the universities in 6th October City. “This responsibility should encourage us to be the best nation in every way: economically, morally and scientifically. We have to embrace what has been already accomplished and build on it,” he adds. Previously, a phrase was used to make fun of Egyptians, namely “Walk like an Egyptian”, which was the title of a song by an American band called The Bangles, released in 1986. Significantly, this phrase has been replaced since the January 25 revolution by the phrase “Fight like an Egyptian”.
