Mubarak has Pushed the Protestors to the Wall

The Revolt Could Take a Bloody Turn now

The uprising in Egypt is now more than two weeks old, and Mubarak has once again refused to step down. To be precise, stepping down or aside didn’t find any mention in his speech delivered today (10/02/11) at about 11 PM Egypt standard time. Given the security-state nature of Egypt one was fearing from day one strong reprisals from the Mubarak regime against the demonstrators, but that did not happen. The military came, and they remained apparently neutral. However, it is the Egyptian Army who has played the dirtiest game: by befriending the protestors they acquired the ability to influence their course of action, and manage/contain the crowds. Actually when talking of this uprising we should be clear in our minds what we are talking about. What is the conflict all about? Who are the real conflicting parties? What are the stakes? What are the possible outcomes, short and long term? What will be world like after these outcomes, and what will be the lessons learnt? These and similar questions need to be properly answered but not here, the next issue of Al-Mizan, the monthly organ of Mahazi-Islami Occupied Kashmir, will carry an analytical editorial about these issues. However, after listening to Mubarak and getting, both, angry and disappointed, I have now come to Wanepeynd to very briefly share a few thoughts about this historical uprising with my fellow visitors.

First, let us make no mistake that in its essence the conflict at Tahrir Square in Cairo is between the soul of Egypt which is Islam, and global Kufr led by United States of America with Western Europe as its ally, and the regimes like the one in Egypt as its installed client regimes. When we talk of Islam and Kufr, please DO NOT make the mistake of thinking that that we are issuing fatwas about the religious identity of the people. No, we are not qualified to do that, and that is not our business at all; we are only describing a current political reality, and the line-up of forces on the stage of history. In the conflict of the historical forces, we are identifying who is on which side of the fence, and that precisely is our business. USA, Mubarak, Ale-Saud, are on one side; the struggling masses of Egypt, their supporters worldwide including the Islamic Republic of Iran are on the other side.

Second, what sort of a guy is this Husni Mubarak? Is he indispensable? A unique entity which is irreplaceable? True, he is crucial to the West’s main objective in the region, namely, protecting the illegitimate Zionist entity, Israel, but is there no one else who can do that? Yes, why not, Omar Suleiman can, and so can dozens others, so why is Mubarak’s presidency so fiercely being defended? Very simple answer: Mubarak’s fall will mean what Mubarak calls ‘chaos’ and what US envoy Frank Wisner endorses. The present political order in the region is completely a colonial creation, pieces of jigsaw puzzle put together by colonial powers in the first half of the last century to perpetuate their global hegemony. Anything that disturbs this order, will mean chaos for the West. Mubarak is nothing, but he symbolises stability. His exit as a result of people’s uprising is regarded to have a huge destabilising impact on the region where stability is considered topmost priority.

Third, the West has two conflicting tasks to perform simultaneously: It should be seen as defending democracy and democratic rights of the people, and at the same time, it has to safeguard the existing order also. US president Obama openly called for Mubarak’s exit, and so have other Western leaders. That alone cannot, and does not dislodge Mubarak, but the west is seen to be on the side of democracy. What could make Mubarak relinquish his chair, is a clear indication from the Army to that effect. However, that indication is not coming, because Army is closely linked to the West and is the biggest recipient of US aid. By not asking Mubarak to step down, it is effectively doing the West’s bidding, and is truly serving the West’s interest at this critical juncture.

About Blogger:
Dr. Syed M. Inayatullah Andrabi is the founder convenor of Mahazi-Islami, Occupied Kashmir. He is an intellectual-political activist from Srinagar, capital city of occupied Kashmir.