By Aline Kazandjian
As the founder of Evetalk I have sent many emails during the past year. I rarely mentioned my name in the signature because I never felt the need to.
Our About Us section reads as follows: “In a world where politicians make the rules, businessmen make the money and celebrities make the trends what’s left for us girls to do but talk. Hopefully, we can have a say about how we would like things to be.”
Surely, after the momentous events that are unfolding in our country since Jan. 25 we have to at least talk about what we are witnessing, as a way to participate in the political debate that is going on and that will eventually shape the future of Egypt.
Allow me to start our conversation with this email..
I was born in Egypt in 1961. My parents are of Armenian origin but they were both born in Egypt as well. I guess you could call me a Khawagaya, but I can assure you I can hold my own with any bint balad to defend Egypt hands down. My parents didn’t leave Egypt when most khawagas did in the ‘60s.
I grew up in Heliopolis at a time when it was common for teenage girls to ride bicycles in the streets wearing shorts. It was also a time when my cousins used to send Chiclets chewing gum from abroad because all we had in the form of candy was the Rocket chocolate/caramel bar which you usually finished with a chipped tooth. I lived my love stories as a young adult in the ‘80s when my boyfriend would take me to Whimpy’s for a big date, the first Western style fast food joint that opened in Egypt after the Open Door Policy adopted by the regime then.
I was never a political activist. I was too scared to criticize those in power even when tiny dozes of freedom of expression were administered to the people, almost as a form of experimentation. I realize now that my passivity and apathy is what brought this country to the verge of complete collapse.
I can’t complain that I was ever arrested or tortured by the regime. I was not discriminated against although I’ve heard many such stories from fellow Christians. But, I saw Egypt deteriorate every day and did nothing about it. Education, health, safe roads, clean residential areas, cultural censorship, religious extremism, these are woes we all suffer from to some degree. Isn’t it about time we at least support those who want to change all this?
Over 300 people lost their lives in the protests. Some are glorifying their actions as “the first popular revolution in Egypt’s history.” I believe we need to see a lot more than a government change and the appointment of a vice president to call the January 25 movement a revolution.
God bless our beloved Egypt.
