CAIRO - Since Mubarak regime's ouster, which crowned the success of the peaceful revolution the Egyptians launched in January 25, some quarters have voiced fear of a counter revolution being carried out by the remnants of the ex-regime and the formerly ruling National Democratic Party(NDP). To support this assumption, some noted writers, who personally participated in the January 25 revolution and shared with the young people in their demonstrations of Tahrir Square, have leaked some information. It concerns an alleged conspiracy hatched by former officials of the now-defunct State Security Agency to exhaust society with taxing events and turmoil to raise public anger against the revolutionaries. The concept of a counter-revolution seems logical even without mentioning specific events that have already taken place towards this goal, such as reviving sectarian differences between Muslims and Copts to break their unity that was admirably manifested in Al Tahrir Square presenting the best possible image of fraternity and citizenship. One cause is that, since the success of the revolution, Egypt's Prosecutor General has started investigating the files of corruption that have been exposed involving senior officials and politicians in the toppled regime. In the mean time, a travel ban has been issued against many of those officials and even the ex-President Hosni Mubarak and members of his family. With the passing of time, shocking facts about the previous regime have been revealed to the public raising public anger, contempt and even suspicion of any person connected to these 30 years of Mubarak rule. In other words, a large number of the most influential members of the former regime have found themselves besieged by accusations of financial and political corruption, and are facing or about to face trial and have been prevented from fleeing the country and dealing with their funds. In this case, what could be expected from a person facing scandal, prison or even death but to seek any mean to escape this looming fate? Considering the huge number of assistants and supporters of those former statesmen and businesspeople, one can imagine the kind of threat Egypt is facing today and how many hands are trying to put a spoke in the wheel to prevent Egypt moving ahead with its new republic. How are we to get out of this dilemma? Can we go on with our roadmap of having a new parliament, president and constitution under the protection of the army and in the meantime continue opening the thick files of corruption to bring more corrupt officials to justice? What about the obstacles that we will constantly encounter to hinder our progress? Some voices keep calling for removing all the members of the ousted regime who are still holding positions as the heads of different institutions, including universities, local municipalities and governorates. Even if there were no real counter-revolution being brewed up by some parties to abort the January 25 revolution, shouldn't we expect some reaction from those persons, whom we intend to oust and marginalise in the worst possible way? How can we start a new phase of building new Egypt while having hundreds of thousands or even millions of persons feeling a deep sense of anger and annoyance at the revolution? The formerly ruling party NDP kept claiming that it had some three million members nationwide. So could we exclude three million citizens from living and participating in a new Egypt? Apparently, we have to seek another option especially that we have seemingly started to suffer from a mania about everything and suspect everyone of working against the interests of the revolution. But with this heightened fear and suspicion we cannot move steadfastly ahead. The only possible way out from this dilemma might be in the form of a phase of reconciliation between the nation and all persons who once co-operated with the old regime and party even if they were involved in some cases of political and financial corruption. Of course, this must not be misinterpreted as a call to pardon the senior officials who misused their power to obtain huge fortune from the public wealth or those involved in murdering hundreds of people in the days of the revolution. Instead, it refers to some officials and business people, who got involved in some financial corruption and are ready to make financial reparation for the looted funds and lands they illegally obtained from the ex-regime. This means that we shouldn't close all doors in the face of those seeking repentance and a new chance to live as good citizens and contribute to the building of new Egypt. This is not an idealistic vision that is hard to obtain as it has already been followed by South Africa in the post-apartheid stage. After long years of the worst possible discriminatory system against the black in South Africa, we saw Nelson Mandela, who himself was imprisoned for many years under the apartheid rule, call for starting a new phase of coexistence between white and black people. He sought reconciliation between them after the long years of atrocities practised against the black majority and making a fresh start for the whole nation with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. By this reconciliatory stand, Mandela guaranteed a successful start to his country that in a few years came to have the strongest economy in the African countries. The vital question is: could South Africa have achieve this notable position in the continent, if it launched its post-apartheid phase by liquidating accounts from its ex-rulers who inflicted long years of humiliation and even massacres on its black peoples? By this vision, some might accuse me of unrealistic idealism and others might even see me as a former supporter of the toppled regime or a corrupt person try to escape punishment. I remind them of the example of the Prophet Mohamed who was long humiliated and fought together with his companions by the infidels of Quraish until he was forced to migrate to Medina where he continued to face their conspiracies and wars against Islam. However, when he was able to conquer Mecca in the eighth year of the Hijrah (migration) at the head of an army of some 10,000 fighters he announced his famous words of reconciliation to the people of Mecca, “I am freeing your neck from death today”. Don't say that because he was a Prophet who had this spiritual character capable of reconciling with his enemy and forgetting about the harm they caused him, that we cannot do the same. We have been requested to follow the acts and recommendations of our prophets in order to be good believers. Otherwise, what is the goal of sending prophets and messengers to humanity but to make people behave well! Even from a more practical viewpoint, the expected financial loss of not bringing all corrupt persons to account and restoring the looted wealth to the nation would be much less than the huge losses we would surely incur through maintaining their enmity at such a critical rebuilding stage.
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