CAIRO – Perhaps former president Hosni Muabark watched a silent film called ‘The Egyptian Revolution', that took 30 years to make, before finally deciding to step down. ‘The Egyptian Revolution' starred and was directed by the Egyptian people, who kept struggling till their voices were heard, not only by the president and his corrupt regime, but also by the whole world. Around 45 intellectuals, politicians and activists who shared in this revolution decided to put pen to paper and the result is a book entitled Oyoun Ra'at Al-Thawra (Eyewitnesses of the Revolution). Among them is scriptwriter Bilal Fadl, who describes the reaction of his little family – his wife and daughters – on hearing that Hosni Mubarak had stepped down on February 11. Fadl likens Egypt to a newborn baby who has just emerged from the womb of his unknown mother, where he'd been growing for 30 years. "The ‘Mother of the World' has become a daughter for whom we should work hard and make sacrifices so that she can grow stronger and live forever," he writes. As for the poet Abdel-Rahman Youssef, he recalls the days of the revolution, which he spent in Al Tahrir Square, facing many challenges like the Battle of the Camel, when the security forces and thugs hired by the former regime killed many demonstrators. He even describes the sound of the shooting and then the silence as the martyrs lay dead and dying. Still in Oyoun Ra'at Al-Thawra, famous writer Galal Amin expresses the optimism he felt about the Egyptian revolt. He also says how impressed he was with the younger generation, who freed Egypt from 30 years of tyranny, something the older generation failed to do. Another famous writer Salama Ahmed Salama, who has also contributed to this book, agrees, stressing that the Egyptian youth have breathed a new spirit into the nation and revived it, after our sense of dignity and pride had vanished. "They struggled for a long-awaited change of regime. They were persistent and insistent." As for the revolutionary poet Ahmed Fouad Negm, who has lived through three revolutions and three Egyptian presidents, he says that the recent revolution was different from the revolution in the 1970s, when it was anger that motivated the protesters. (Acting upon the World Bank advice, late President Anwar el-Sadat lifted subsidies on flour, rice and cooking oil and cancelled bonuses and pay increases. These actions led to a two-day protest across the country on January 17, 1977, in which 800 people were killed and thousands more injured.) “This time, our young people were moved by their minds and reason, which cannot be defeated,” Negm explains. Blogger Ghada Abdel-Aal says we have Tunis to thank, as the revolution there was a model for our revolution. Meanwhile, writer Farouq Goweida says that the former regime depended mainly on security, authority and money, neglecting the main pillar for success of this weak, fragile system: the Egyptian people. And when this system collapsed, it was the Egyptian people who took over. Writer Youssef Zidan agrees, arguing that the major sin of the former dictatorial regime was to despise its opponents. According to journalist Youssri Foda, Egyptians' destiny remains in their hands and we should not forget what the American Jewish political activist Naom Chomsky said about the situation in Egypt and the reaction of the US: “Washington doesn't fear the Islamists, but rather that Egypt will become more independent, making its own decisions.” Oyuon Ra'at Al-Thawra, published by Dawwen Printing House, is something special, as so many prominent writers and figures have contributed to it their experiences of the revolution. Other notable contributors include journalist Ibrahim Eissa, Abul Ela Madi, Counsellor Ahmed Mikki, Ayman Nour, Eyad Harfoush, George Ishaq, Gamila Ismail and many others.
