By Safaa Abdoun
CAIRO: The mass protests that took place in Egypt Tuesday attracted international media with reports and commentaries analyzing the situation.
Internationally acclaimed journalist Robert Fisk wrote a commentary tackling the current turmoil in the Middle Eastern countries of Palestine, Lebanon and Egypt, titled “A new truth dawns on the Arab world.”
In it, he discusses the Egyptian people’s call for the downfall of Mubarak and his potential successors. “In Egypt, the future of Hosni Mubarak looks ever more distressing. His son may well be his chosen successor. But there is only one Caliphate in the Muslim world, and that is Syria. Hosni’s son is not the man who Egyptians want. He is a lightweight businessman who may – or may not – be able to rescue Egypt from its own corruption.
“Hosni Mubarak’s security commander, a certain Mr Suleiman who is very ill, may not be the man. And all the while, across the Middle East, we are waiting to see the downfall of America’s friends. In Egypt, Mr Mubarak must be wondering where he flies to.”
Fisk concludes with “In Lebanon, America’s friends are collapsing. This is the end of the Democrats’ world in the Arab Middle East. We do not know what comes next. Perhaps only history can answer this question.”
The German Spiegel magazine ran an interview with Nobel Peace prize winner, Mohamed ElBaradie, founder of the National Association for Change, on the ‘Day of Anger.’ When asked if the protests will lead to change, he said, “They mark the beginning of an historic process. The Egyptians have recognized that they must take their fate into their own hands. For the first time in the country’s recent history, they are really prepared to take to the streets. The culture of fear that the regime cultivated has been broken. There is no turning back now. Activists anticipate the biggest demonstrations in decades. These protests are a snowball that could turn into an avalanche.”
The demonstrations also made headlines on Time magazine’s as well as The New York Times’ websites, with articles titled “Egypt Take to the Streets, but will it shake Mubarak?” and “Protestors Call for a Second Day on Unrest in Egypt” respectively.
