Tonight is the second night in a row where the city of Beirut is celebrating alongside of their Egyptian brothers and sisters. Fireworks can be seen scattered throughout the city. After 18 days of protests, Mubarak’s resignation marks the end of an era – more than 30 years of rule characterized by a corrupt government and diminished freedom of the people. No more. The people of Egypt have taken a stand and their voices have been heard. Looking back over the past two weeks, I am in awe of the unity expressed by the hundreds and thousands of people who participated in the protests. Christians and Muslims coming together around a common cause – this is no small miracle – and certainly something to be celebrated. I heard from church members in Cairo about worship gatherings that were held in Tahrir Square where Muslim men and women stood guard and protected the Christian community while they were praying and worshiping. I have heard stories of Christian groups doing the same for their Muslim neighbors. There were certainly scary things happening during the protests. Questions were asked about what role the army might play and where their loyalties would lie. There were bands of rogue individuals who terrorized communities, looted, raped, and attacked when they had the opportunity. The Egyptian people lost the protection of the government’s police force. However, as in the areas of protests, communities came together and supported one another. Young men and old took turns placing perimeters around their communities and kept watch during the night to shield off looters and ruffians. Thousands of criminals escaped around the country so there was certainly fear and uncertainty. All the while the protests, believing in their cause and purpose, persisted in the face of significant adversity – and little sign that Mubarak would be moved. Here is one account from an international friend in Cairo who remained with his family for the first several days of protests:

“We could not be more proud of Egyptians. Not only have they courageously stood up for their rights, standing together as one, Muslim and Christian, but they have also come together to protect each neighborhood, in one of the most spontaneous well-organized neighborhood vigilante networks one could imagine. And consequently, once we got used to the gunfire, we have felt safe under their care…knowing they are protecting us, together with their own families and property. Every street in our neighborhood has make-shift barriers/road blocks, manned by the local “volunteer militia”….holding clubs, knives, swords, shotguns or pistols. But they are there to help and protect us all.”

The Egyptian people are a testimony to the rest of the world that non-violent protests can make a difference. Here are the words of that same friend in Cairo: “Dear friends, the miraculous still happens today! Amazing…the Egyptian people have shown the world the way…..peacefully. Gandhi and Tolstoy and their nonviolence approach still leads the way. We all need Egyptian flags to wave!”

I agree wholeheartedly with these sentiments. Mabrouk, Egypt! (Congratulations, Egypt!). We must take the time to celebrate the heroic efforts of the men, women, and children who have been giving so much the past couple of weeks and in years past in their care, love, and advocacy of the Egyptian people. Aljazeera reported the celebrations this way: “Fireworks lit the night sky, cars honked under swathes of red, white and black Egyptian flags and people hoisted children above their heads. Some took souvenir pictures with smiling soldiers atop their tanks on city streets… Everyone cried, laughed and embraced in the hope of a new era.” I, too, cried when I heard the news.

The question that is immediately on the minds of the world… what happens next? The rule of Egypt was handed over to the military and to Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. The protests were not only about the removal of Mubarak, but about overturning an unjust system. One of my previous posts outlined some of the main points of the protests and the desire of the people for an entirely new governmental system. The protestors are calling for free and democratic elections. In fact, many protestors continue to remain in Tahrir Square and have vowed to do so until their “democratic agenda is implemented” (Aljazeera). Now the transition for the government and for the country has entered into a very critical stage… Nobel prize winner, “ElBaradei reiterated that Egypt now needs to return to stability and proposed that a transition government be put in place for the next year. The government, he said, would include figures from the army, from the opposition and from other circles. “We need to go on … our priority is to make sure the country is restored as a socially cohesive, economically vibrant and … democratic country,” he said.” (Aljazeera). As Westerners attempt to make sense of the situation in Egypt and the greater Middle East, I hope that we will not be given over to a spirit of fear. Rather that we might have hope and confidence in the people of Egypt as they seek to implement their dreams of democracy and freedom.

Yesterday I posted about the similarities between the 1917 Russian revolution and the Egyptian revolution of today. Here is where the comparison ends. As the 1917 Russian Revolution resulted in one of the bloodiest transitions in history under the leadership of Lenin and later Stalin… today, my prayer for Egypt, is a peaceful governmental transition. May Egypt have the opportunity, free from the rule of an oppressive regime, free from outside manipulation and control, to democratically elect a government that will protect the freedom of all Egyptian people – Muslim and Christian alike. Here are the words of an Egyptian from Cairo about the events of the past two days:

“Dear friends, I just came back from down town, not Tahrir square, there was no way to reach there, but a mini-Tahrir square in the area where we live, it was unbelievable celebration. I was 2 years old when we have the revolution which brought Nasar to power, followed by Sadat then Moubarak , 60 years of dictatorship, operation and state ruled by fear and brutal state security, I never knew anything different, today and for the first time of my life the 60 years of brutal dictatorship is ended, today I can smell and feel the wind of freedom and democracy moving in my country, today I feel proud of being Egyptian. Today 2 years ago our son was released after he was kidnapped by the state security for 4 & half unforgettable days; today I can say that we are liberated. Thousands of people were praying for Egypt over the last 18 days, and today we see the answer of these prayers. But it is just the beginning, the road ahead of us is long and hard; it may take generations to see the fruits of the change. My prayer is that with the freedom we dreamt of for the freedom to choose will come, and above all the freedom to choose the way to worship God. It is a right which was never given to the peoples in our area; let us pray to see it a reality.” (From Cairo at 4pm 02-11-11)

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