Egypt's Dwindling Hope

Egypt- a country known for its historic richness and cultural bounty, yet it is only seen for its dictators and violent oppression. Egypt's geographical location acts as a bridge between the Middle Eastern and North African world. However, it is not for its history or cultural amalgamation that Egypt pops up on a Twitter feed. As the stronghold for the Arab Spring of 2010, Egypt's protests and eventual overthrowing of longtime President Hosni Mubarak allowed it to become the face of revolution and civil activism for Middle Eastern and North African people. As the world watched, Egyptians from all backgrounds stomped Tahrir Square to demand the removal of a dictator who, for almost thirty years, militarized Egyptian socio-economic issues. Through the lens of social media, Egypt became a symbol of revolutionaries collaborating for the progression of an entire nation. However, today in 2015, Egyptians still find themselves in disarray and discontent with their political leadership. After removing Mubarak, electing Mohammad Mursi, and now attempting to overthrow Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, Egyptians remain to clash with their own government. With feelings that not much has changed since Mubarak's removal, many Egyptian people still find themselves in an authoritarian regime; Sisi's new legal stance of restricting protests is exemplary of this. As we reach the fourth anniversary of the Arab Spring, peaceful protests created to commemorate those who lost their lives in the first revolution of 2011, turn violent as almost 20 members of the protest are shot and killed. Egypt's confliction between Sisi and a more democratic rule proves to be the same story from years past. However, it is its protestors and courageous activists that find themselves unfortunate. Whether it be the Egyptian court dropping case against Morsi and his sons of corruption, or many passionate Sisi supporters backing his relentless militant unlimited rule, it is evident that the Egyptian government will not see "true" democracy anytime soon.

Yoomna Rahim
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/1/25/egypt-protesters-killed.html