Mubarak's Departure Seen As a Chance for Renewal

After 18 days of mass protests against his rule, Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak has stepped down, and the country’s vice president has appointed a military council to run the country's affairs, according to an AP report today.

Mubarak reportedly is in Sharm el-Shekh, a Red Sea resort 250 miles from Cairo. 

His departure marks the end of a 30-year authoritarian regime, as the younger population looks towards greater political participation and more freedom overall.

However, not everyone is so optimistic about the recent coup. Economists, professors and Egyptian journalists all weigh in: Unless the power structure of the current regime is completely deconstructed – which is unlikely in the short-term – Egyptians will wake up and find that little change has taken place at all.

Fady Heikal, 32, is a Bed-Stuy resident who was born and raised in Cairo. He lived under Mubarak’s regime almost his entire life. Five years ago, he moved to the United States after obtaining his degree in pharmacology from Cairo University.

Heikal says, although he does not trust the existing parliamentary government, he is hopeful that life will improve for Egyptian citizens.

“No Egyptian in his right mind will trust the whole establishment. It’s done; it’s old, its corrupt,” said Heikal. “But I am hopeful for the future because, they know that that they cannot mess with us now; they understand that if we did it once, we can do it again.”

In Brooklyn, Heikal is one of about 8,560 Egyptian residents – about one-fourth of the total population of Arab residents in Brooklyn – according to the U.S. Census (2000).

Heikal points out that, despite media perception, the revolution in Egypt was not waged by the poor, but by the middle-class—people who were not necessarily suffering so bad. Heikal counts himself a part of that group.

He admitted that the middle class definitely felt the pressures of the country's rising inflation. But their anger grew more from years of being amongst an educated class that was denied a voice, a chance to participate in the parliament and have a say-so in its own future.

“The most amazing part about this whole thing is, until a month ago, most of the people had no hope that it would ever change,” said Heikal. “And if you think about it, there was no buildup. There was no grassroots movement. It was a sudden outburst of common emotion.”

Heikal is an only child, but he says his parents are Cairo natives now living in Kuwait, and they’re ecstatic about the change. He pointed out that his parents lived through a period in Egypt when people actually felt a strong attachment to the country. But over time, Mubarak made promises to everyone that things would get better, when they only got worse and worse.

“So for them, this is a renewal, fresh air,” said Heikal.

“We have to continue to monitor the changes: We need a new constitution; we need new parliamentary elections; and, the most important thing, the youth need to have a political voice,” said Heikal excitedly. “Basically, we will have to act like a watchdog.”