CAIRO: The January 25 Revolution is a fine example of the Egyptian people’s ethics, and resilience in the face of difficulties and attempts to thwart the revolution, a report issued by the Cabinet of Ministers’ think-tank, Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC), concluded.
The report, titled “Egyptian People’s Revolution … Inspiring the World,” added that Egyptians survived and maintained their peaceful nature despite having their patriotism questioned and their image distorted through different media.
Causes
The report outlined the causes which led the people to go on massive demonstrations against the government on Jan. 25. These include the deterioration in the social and economic status of citizens due to the high inflation rate, high unemployment rate, which was reflected in the increase of strikes.
The repressive practices by the police and security forces towards the people by violating their freedom and basic rights also contributed to the uprising, the report said.
The spread of political and administrative corruption, with an increase in ill practices such as bribes, misuse of state resources, abuse of power by officials and election fraud in the National Democratic Party’s favor, was also listed as one of the causes. The report cited Global Financial Integrity which states that the flow of illegal transfers from Egypt during the period of 2000–2008 was around $6.4 billion annually.
The IDSC also cited the continuation of the state of emergency for 30 years.
The report recounted all the major events day-by-day starting from the peaceful demonstrations on the ‘Day of Anger,’ Jan. 25, until Feb. 11 when ousted president Hosni Mubarak stepped down.
Jan. 25 gains
According to IDSC, the Jan. 25 Revolution has accomplished five major political gains for Egypt, including “eliminating the inheritance of power” scenario; the ousting of Mubarak; dissolving the People’s Assembly and the Shoura Council; suspending the constitution and introducing amendments; and finally, investigating corruption.
Furthermore, the revolution has also had a number of social and behavioral gains, which include the ability of the Egyptians to change as they remained relentless in their demands, inspiring the rest of the world.
The revolution also revealed the cohesion of the Egyptian people, quelling attempts to foment sectarian strife.
A sense of nationalism and loyalty to the country was also revived in the people.
IDSC’s report also cited the kick off of numerous initiatives and campaigns aiming at rebuilding Egypt and spreading positive behavior as one of the revolution’s gains.
The revolution rediscovered the Egyptian youth, negating the stereotype that young people suffer from a weak sense of belonging to the country, and lack a clear vision for the future.
The final gain is having Tahrir Square as a forum of art and innovation as people expressed their opinion through various creative forms such as music, poetry and acting.
Egypt’s economy
The report also included a briefing on Egypt’s economic performance during the revolution, summarizing the situation in the different sectors. The industrial sector, for example, lost LE 3.7 billion in the period between Jan. 28 to Feb. 5.
The communications and information technology sector lost $90 million during that period.
As for the tourism sector, 210,000 tourists have left Egypt during the last week of January which resulted in a decrease in expenditure by $178 million. Canceled reservations during the month of February resulted in losses up to $825 million.
Outside analyses
The IDSC report collected the opinion and analyses of the different international newspapers, think-tanks, world leaders, organizations, writers, journalists and celebrities on the revolution.
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy discussed “Israel’s Strategic Concerns over Upheaval in Egypt” on Feb. 23, saying “What worries Israelis is the transition period between the two [antidemocratic and a democratic Middle East], given the risk of radical Islamist forces exploiting the turmoil to hijack the domestic political process away from democracy and peace. If this happens in Egypt, Israel could be directly impacted.”
US President Barack Obama was cited in the report saying “I am confident that the people of Egypt can find the answers and do so peacefully, constructively, and in the spirit of unity that has defined these last few weeks, for Egyptians have made it clear that nothing less than genuine democracy will carry the day.”
The international media applauded the revolution, according to the report, citing a CNN article saying, “For the first time, we see people make a revolution and then clean the streets.”
