CAIRO - Seeing a group of revolutionaries digging their graves in the heart of Tahrir Square, we should hold our breath, as it is an act that symbolises the state of despair those young people are feeling at their revolution. Apparently, those disconsolate young people meant to convey a clear last message to the ruling council, the government and parliament that they can no longer stand their manoeuvres and political chicanery in making some political gains at the cost of the revolution. Actually, our young people would not have reached this feeling of desperation, if they had not been abandoned by others, who, a year ago joined them in celebrating the toppling of the Mubarak regime. Although they shared the same aspiration that this moment would be the start of building a free, democratic and progressive country, the majority of the Egyptians seem not to have the strong will and persistence to continue the momentum until their dream comes true. It is only those youthful enthusiasts that launched this revolution, who were eager to continue their efforts to fulfil its goals. Instead of appreciating their exertions and the great sacrifice they have continued to pay for the welfare of the whole nation, we have allowed some malicious campaigns to distort their image and depict them as thugs some of the time and rioters most of the time. What is even worse is to accept the accusations being directed to them as agents of some foreign powers seeking the downfall of Egypt and its divisions into small states, without thinking of the price young Egyptians might pay in confronting the military or civil police. They are subjecting themselves to the risk of death or serious injuries that might disable them for the rest of their life. One of the many causes of the state of despair felt by revolutionaries and many other citizens today is the collusion one sees between the government and the military council on one hand and parliament on the other to distort the image of the Egyptian youth and underestimate their movement. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which has continued to claim that it is protecting and supporting the revolution, seems to be fighting it and scorning its leaders. This has become apparent in the violent reaction to any demonstration calling for fast transition of rule to a civil authority and SCAF's clear support for the Islamists, despite their clear violations of the law in their election campaigns, making the majority of the electorate vote for their candidates. What is worse is to see many of the parliamentarians – who supposedly belong to the parliament of the revolution – encouraging the security agency to take tough action against the young demonstrators protesting outside the Ministry of the Interior in Cairo at the death of the Ahli Ultras in Port Said. Ironically, the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi parliamentarians continue to aver that they defended the revolutionaries during the 18 days of the revolution in January 2011! If this were true, they should feel grateful to the revolutionaries,whose movement enabled them not only be recognised by the state authorities but also be allowed to form political parties and enjoy a majority in parliament. Even though adopting Machiavellian tactics to obtain their political ambition no matter what, the Islamists should reconsider their stand on the revolutionaries and count the loss they would suffer as well as all Egypt if those young people carried out their threat and committed group suicide in Tahrir Square. The main cause of despondency the youth and many other Egyptians might feel today could have been the sudden withdrawal of Mohamed ElBaradei from the presidential race with no other apparent alternatives to make people feel that their revolution really has proved successful. ElBaradei was the first to challenge the Mubarak regime and call for it to be toppled and so has been considered as a symbol of the revolution. However, the defamation campaigns led by different media with the blessing and support of the former and present authorities forced him to walk out of the presidential race, leaving the young revolutionaries in a state of loss. If one asked any one of them about which presidential candidate hopeful they intended to support, they would immediately respond: "I don't know". This is not because of their inability to choose but because they did not see any suitable presidential hopefuls that meet their aspirations for the first president of post-revolution Egypt. Their dismay is being enhanced by the attempts exposed of SCAF and the Muslim Brothers and Salafists to agree on a single person to support and influence ordinary citizens into voting for. This means that the coming presidential elections, which the revolutionaries are continuing to work to bring forward, will not end with a president chosen through free elections but through new political manoeuvring similar to that of the parliamentary elections. Before it is too late, Egyptians should wake up and confront all these wicked campaigns intended to smear the image of our noble revolutionaries. Before it is too late, the Egyptians should resist the ongoing intrigue by the military rulers and their Islamist allies to force a new president on the nation Before it is too late, the Egyptians should insist on the constitutional committee being formed from some enlightened persons and representing all popular factions to ensure the writing of a modern constitution to meet the ambitions of creating the new civil democratic republic of Egypt. Before it is too late, let us head to Tahrir with some flowers in our hands to express our support for the brave young people there, instead of waiting to lay down these flowers on their graveyard in the square. Thanks to them, it acquired great fame as the iconic epicentre of a peaceful revolution and could soon turn into a symbol of the death of hope.
