Saudi FM calls Indian, Pakistani counterparts to discuss developments    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Arabia cracks down on fraudulent Hajj campaigns, urges pilgrims to use official channels    Nammos Amala Resort to open soon with Saudi-Greek designs    Saudi Arabia completes 674 Vision 2030 initiatives, achieves 93% of KPIs as ninth-year milestone marked    Literature Commission inaugurates Saudi Pavilion at Muscat Book Fair    Saudi Minister of Culture holds talks with his Costa Rican counterpart in Jeddah    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    MHRSD: 80% of recruitment offices are non-compliant with regulations    At least 50 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza    Teenage girl killed in French school stabbing attack    Trump claims meeting with China after Beijing denies any trade negotiations    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Jennifer Lopez dazzles in Jeddah with a Formula 1 performance    Saudi Arabia open to expanded 64-team World Cup in 2034, says sports minister    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Film Commission launches 'Cinema' initiative to enhance content    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Ayoon Wa Azan (Technology Made One Leader, and Ruined Another)
Published in AL HAYAT on 19 - 02 - 2011

It was technology that made Gamal Abdel Nasser a leader, and it was technology that led to toppling Hosni Mubarak.
Abdel Nasser had very strong charisma, and was extremely eloquent in addressing the masses. He would have probably remained an exclusively Egyptian leader were it not for the transistor radio that carried his voice to every corner of the Arab world, rallying the entire nation behind him. Arab citizens in the capital or the village, from the ocean to the Gulf and vice versa, heard from him what was music to their ears, as they awaited the emergence of an Arab renaissance. But since they heard him and did not see him, Arabs only saw the good side (which indeed existed) in Abdel Nasser's words, but missed the bad or negative aspect on the ground.
The technology of the sixties is now outdated. Present cutting edge technology involves services like Facebook, Twitter and blogs, which have stoked the dreams of Egypt's youths, and helped bring them together. These youths discovered that there is a big gap between what the president and the regime say and reality. In the end, an uprising or rebellion took place, culminating in a popular revolution, which we heard being described as the revolution of the youths, the revolution of anger, and the revolution of hunger; then Hosni Mubarak stepped down.
Of course, if the president had heeded my advice, he would have still been sitting happily on Egypt's throne. This statement is just sarcasm, though. I did not give him any advice. Instead, I read what those who made a 180 degree turn wrote, claiming that they told him to do this and that, and objected, rejected, protested and gave sincere advice, but that the president completely snubbed them and their ideas.
After President Hosni Mubarak was ousted, I chose not to say anything about him that I did not say while he was still in power. I had noted down several dozen times the opinion that all Arab countries without exception are undemocratic, with no independent rule of law, accountability or women's rights. I reiterated this stance in my recent articles, and found it published on 10/05/2010, 22/12/2010, 04/02/2011, and 06/02/2011. Regarding Egypt in particular, I said that there was corruption, and that the perks of economic growth did not benefit the poor. After the parliamentary elections last November, I was surprised that the Muslim Brotherhood did not win any seats, and said that this is not possible in fair and free elections, and asked the President to choose the appropriate time to dissolve the parliament and conduct new elections.
Since the above is on the record in my column published before the 11th of this month, I can say it again today. But I shall not ride any wave and will not do what I criticized others for doing.
What I am saying today is that it has never occurred to me before, either in my sleep or in my waking life, to read the headlines like the ones published in Al-Ahram, which I receive in my office in London every morning.
On the 26th of last month, the main headline was about ‘wide protests and unrest in Lebanon', with another headline underneath it that said “thousands participate in peaceful demonstrations in Cairo and the provinces”. Thus, the number one national newspaper decided that the headline from Lebanon was more important, and that the demonstrators in Egypt were thousands, instead of one or two million. This was then followed by:
- 118 citizens and 162 policemen injured, and 100 arrested in Cairo and the provinces (27/01/2011).
- Mubarak is closely following the developments and has called the Governor of Suez to check on the citizens (28/1/2011).
- A million-strong protest calls for change (02/02/2011).
- Millions are coming out in favor of Mubarak (03/02/2011).
- Al-Adili, Izz, Garana, and Al-Maghrebi banned from travelling, and their assets frozen (04/02/2011).
- Hundreds of thousands of people in Tahrir Square calling for change (02/05/2011).
- Al-Sharif, Gamal Mubarak, Azmi, Izz, Shahab and Hilal resign from the secretariat of the National Party (06/02/2011).
- Attempts to form a coalition for the January 25 revolution (08/02/2011).
- Suleiman: Egypt has two options ... Dialogue or a Coup (02/09/2011).
- A new era in Egypt ... The army, welcomed by the people, to lead the country (02/11/2011).
- February 11, 2011 ... The fall of the Mubarak regime. And under this headline, a large banner with says in red: Congratulations to the people of Egypt (02/12/2011).
- Egypt is ‘cleaned up' (13/02/2011).
- Suspension of the constitution and dissolution of the People's Assembly and the Shura Council (02/14/2011).
- The corrupt fall (15/02/2011).
- No return to the situation before January 25 (16/02/2011).
- A million-strong march today in Tahrir Square Rady to confirm the demands of the revolution (02/18/2011).
For me, caution is a second nature, which also reflects my experience. When the civil war first started in Lebanon, I was certain that it would not last more than three months or six. Instead, it lasted 15 years, and after that, I no longer ventured to speculate, and I have since then preferred to writer as a historian, not as a clairvoyant.
[email protected]


Clic here to read the story from its source.