Following the mass protests in Egypt, a number of Pakistani dailies wrote editorials, generally supporting the protesters’ demands for change. Though calling for Egyptian ruler Hosni Mubarak to step down, most of the editorials were also cautious in predicting a revolutionary democratic change in Egypt.
In some of the editorials given below, the Pakistani newspapers expressed the view that the Egyptian military remains powerful and the United States, wary of the emergence of Islamic forces in the Middle East, will continue to support the ruling elites.
However, the Pakistani newspapers generally articulated a view that the autocratic rulers in the Arab world can no longer suppress people’s "democratic will" and that such protests could spill over into other Middle Eastern countries like Yemen.
Following are some excerpts from an editorial in the Daily Times newspaper, titled "Power to the people:"[1]
"President Hosni Mubarak is Being His Usual Stubborn Self – A Trademark of All Dictators Who Refuse to See the Writing on the Wall"
"President Hosni Mubarak is being his usual stubborn self – a trademark of all dictators who refuse to see the writing on the wall. What is heartening though is how the Egyptian army is handling the precarious situation. It has refused to ‘crush’ the protests and vowed not to use force against the people.
"In a statement released on January 31, the Egyptian army stressed that it is ‘aware of the legitimate demands of the honorable citizens’ and that the ‘presence of the army in the streets is for your sake and to ensure your safety and wellbeing. The armed forces will not resort to use of force against our great people.’ If the army is not willing to put down the uprising and lets it continue peacefully, surely it means that the people of Egypt have won.
"The protests in Egypt were so far leaderless but now Nobel Laureate and former Director General of the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency], Mohamed ElBaradei, is emerging as the new face of this resistance movement. Both the secularists and the Islamists have tactically agreed on this issue. Mr. ElBaradei has asked the U.S. administration not to support the Mubarak regime. He said, ‘The American government cannot ask the Egyptian people to believe that a dictator who has been in power for 30 years will be the one to implement democracy.’
"The U.S. administration is also distancing itself from Hosni Mubarak and getting ready for a transition. The U.S. gives around $ 1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt apart from hundreds of millions of dollars for the state. Recent events have forced the White House to review its aid policy, which may be why Egypt’s military chief, Lieutenant General Sami Enan, who was on a visit to Washington last week [last week of January], cut short his visit to return to his country."
Following are some excerpts from an editorial in the Dawn newspaper, titled "Mubarak’s chances:"[2]
"The Most Terrifying Aspect of the Popular Revolt is the Absence of a Leader"
"Even if Hosni Mubarak is able to survive the current countrywide rage, it is doubtful that things will remain the same for him and for Egypt. The dissolution of the cabinet has done little to calm violent protesters. They are expressing their anger not just against the president; they seem to reject the system in its entirety. No matter who he inducts into the new cabinet, they will be perceived to be collaborators and rejected by those now engaged in running battles with the security forces.
"What Mr. Mubarak offered in his…. address [to the Egyptians] was perhaps too little and too late. He spoke of ‘reforms’ and offered to negotiate – but with whom? The most terrifying aspect of the popular revolt is the absence of a leader. Mohammad ElBaradei is hardly the man who could lead what is a spontaneous outburst of the people`s anger, triggered by Mr. Ben Ali’s flight from Tunis. Mr. Mubarak`s authoritarianism has given the Egyptian people neither economic opportunities nor a say in governance. What Egypt has witnessed in popular discontent is unprecedented. There were food riots in 2008, but the government managed to control them. Today, it is the urban middle class which is revolting against a system that doesn`t believe in accountability.
"As always, Mr. Mubarak’s foreign friends are either watching the situation with fingers crossed or have already tilted to the people’s side. Even though President Barack Obama walked a tightrope, the implications of his speech must be disturbing for the Egyptian president. While he urged Mr. Mubarak to deliver on his promises, and asked the crowds to express themselves peacefully, he also told his friend that ‘violence will not address the grievances of the Egyptian people.’
"For Egyptians, foreign advice is of no consequence. Ultimately, it is Mr. Mubarak’s ability to defuse the people’s fury that will matter, because the demonstrations are gaining in intensity. The shockingly low turn-out in the last parliamentary election seems to indicate the people have lost faith in the kind of ‘demo-cracy’ that was on offer… So far the army has obeyed orders, and even though like the ruling elite it welcomes America’s average $2bn annual dole-out, it is widely believed the generals dislike the president’s son, Gamal. If the demonstrations continue to spread in intensity, we are not sure how long the army will continue to support what may appear to many as a tottering regime."
Following are some excerpts from an editorial in the Daily Times newspaper, titled "Battle for Egypt:"[3]
"The Real Power Broker in Egypt is Its Army; [With] the Rapidly Deteriorating Law and Order Situation, It is Only a Matter of Time before the Army will be Forced to Pick a Side…"
"It is clear from President Hosni Mubarak’s last televised speech that he has dug in his heels and does not intend to relinquish power until the next election in September. The Vice President of Egypt, Omar Suleiman – former intelligence head – said the message of the protestors had been received and they must go home. Nevertheless, pro-democracy protests seem set to continue until President Mubarak steps down.
SUPPORT OUR WORK
"The real power broker in Egypt is its army. The army said it would not fire on its own people. The people of Egypt hold the army in high regard. Pro-democracy demonstrators, since the army’s deployment, have regularly chanted that the army and the people are one. Both President Mubarak – the supreme commander of the armed forces – and Vice President Suleiman have direct links with the military and are an integral part of the military establishment. The army meanwhile has remained a silent observer, playing the role of a neutral arbitrator, at times acting as the buffer between the different sets of protestors.
"The question is: how long is the army willing to play this role with neither the pro-democracy demonstrators nor President Mubarak willing to back down? Coupled with the rapidly deteriorating law and order situation, it is only a matter of time before the army will be forced to pick a side…"
"The writing is on the wall for President Mubarak. The Egyptian people have spoken. This revolt is not only against this regime but a revolt for their rights and dignity. Now there is no turning back for them. It is in the interest of Egypt, its people and the region that President Mubarak steps down from power before events take a turn for the worse and more bloodshed ensues."
"Egypt is an Important Ally of Both the U.S. and Israel; Peace in Egypt is Essential for Policing Gaza’s Border on the Egyptian Side"
"Egypt is an important ally of both the U.S. and Israel. Peace in Egypt is essential for policing Gaza’s border on the Egyptian side. It seems that the Egyptian armed forces have understood the signal from the U.S. and have decided therefore to refrain from using military might against the protestors. Mubarak has no hope left: his people want him gone, he has tacitly been dumped by his biggest backers in the international arena, and his own army has also sent him a loud and clear message, i.e. to exit peacefully because it is untenable to save him any longer. It is time for Mr. Mubarak to go.
"The protests in Egypt have taken the Arab world by storm. What began in Tunisia will likely not end in Egypt; the tremors are now being felt in Jordan as well where King Abdullah has dismissed the Jordanian cabinet and appointed a new prime minister after thousands of protestors demanded Prime Minister Samir Rifai’s resignation and an end to unemployment and rising prices.
"What King Abdullah does not understand is that a change in cabinet is not the answer to the woes of the Jordanian people. Political reforms in the Arab world would mean an end to monarchy and authoritarian regimes. Today the Arab people are standing up for their rights; they want democracy, freedom of speech and basic human rights. It is about time that they get what they have long been denied. More power to the people of the Arab world."
Following are some excerpts from an editorial in the Dawn newspaper, titled "The Arab scene:"[4]
"If There is a Common Thread that Runs Through the Fabric of the Arab World’s Political Ethos, It is the Suppression of the Democratic Will of the People"
"The Tunisia-inspired movement has created ripples across the Arab world. The intensity of the stir in Egypt may be nowhere near what happened in the western world`s favorite holiday resort in the Maghreb, but there appears to be real political flux. The diversity in culture and the internal political make-up is obvious enough from even a cursory survey of capitals such as Riyadh, Beirut and Cairo. But if there is a common thread that runs through the fabric of the Arab world’s political ethos, it is the suppression of the democratic will of the people.
"Either there is an absence of democracy, as in most Arab monarchies, or if there are elections and referenda, as in the ‘northern belt,’ they are manipulated to give quasi-civilian dictators a 90 percent win. Hereditary rule is not confined to the monarchies, and some Arab civilian strongmen nominate their sons as successors.
"Beyond the current wave of open defiance of authority in Egypt and elsewhere, muffled anger has existed in the Arab world for decades. The oil-rich dynasties may have given their people prosperity and a tax-free life. But the absence of rudimentary notions of democracy has alienated the intelligentsia and the fast-expanding educated middle class that, despite censorship and bans, know the world they live in. The regimes in non-oil economies have given their people neither a decent standard of living nor representative government in the accepted meaning of the term. Most Arab leaders today stand discredited."
"What the Arab Rulers Fail to Realize is They have Sown the Seeds for the Growth of Intolerant, Religiously Inspired Forces"
"While [former] leaders like Nasser, Bourguiba, Ben Bella and Anwar Saadat could perhaps claim to have some support from their people and certain achievements, today most Arab governments from the Atlantic to the Gulf have offered their people little that could give them a stake in the status quo. One or two Arab states have made attempts at reform.
"An Arab monarchy like Kuwait may put in place a pliant representative structure, but even in countries where elections are held periodically transparency in voting and an even playing field for all political parties and elements is lacking.
"What the Arab rulers fail to realize is they have sown the seeds for the growth of intolerant, religiously inspired forces. The one to lose is the liberal opposition, because it fails to convey its tolerant version of religion to the people in the open. Instead it is religious extremists with a hate message and radical agenda who have been given a safe gestation period. Tunisia should serve as a wake-up call to Arab rulers. Their people cannot indefinitely be kept away from shaping their own future."
Following are some excerpts from an editorial in the Daily Times newspaper, titled "Change in Egypt:"[5]
"As can be Seen in Much of the Arab World, the U.S. has Always Sided with Rulers Who Serve Its Agenda Best"
"Since January 25, youth from all walks of life in Egypt have been rallying against a system that has for too long given them nothing but unemployment, crippling price hikes, corrupt governance and police brutality to make it clear to Mubarak – and the world – that they are no longer prepared to put up with a dictatorship that has been seeking to inculcate a political dynasty through anointing Mubarak’s son as his successor (the son has fled in the face of the protests to London, complete with bag, baggage and family)…"
"Emboldened by the successful ouster of Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Egypt’s protesters, it seems, will not rest until they have rid themselves of a despot president…"
"As can be seen in much of the Arab world, the U.S. has always sided with rulers who serve its agenda best. Pumped up with some $2 billion in military and economic aid annually, Mubarak was the U.S.’s trump card to keep the ‘Islamists’ away from power – the Muslim Brotherhood is perceived by the West as Egypt’s biggest Islamist threat – and keep Egypt within the fold of Arab states who have made peace with Israel. Throughout the Arab world, the U.S. has aligned itself with despots who refuse to vacate power, making a mockery of the ‘democracy’ it otherwise advocates so fiercely. Even now, President Obama is urging ‘democratic reforms’ in Egypt but not the ouster of an unpopular president, while at the same time withholding $ 1.5 billion in military aid, perhaps as a signal to the Egyptian generals to intervene if they want the money.
"Considering the momentum of events and the unrelenting protests on the streets, it looks like President Mubarak’s days are numbered. With the Muslim Brotherhood remaining silent so far, it is yet to be seen what character this impending change will take. Any regime changes in Tunisia and possibly in Egypt will set the tone for whatever comes next in the Arab world. The entire world watches and waits."
Following are some excerpts from an editorial in The Express Tribune daily, titled "Endgame in Egypt:"[6]
"Still More Worrying for the U.S. is the Fact That the Unrest is Spreading, with Yemen Now Feeling Similar Waves of Upheaval"
"After ten days of protests in Cairo – and other cities – badly disrupting life, everyone seems ready for President Hosni Mubarak to quit. With the exception of the president himself, who insists there will be chaos if he steps down now. This argument ignores the fact that there is a situation close to anarchy already. People struggle to buy groceries, fear prevails on the streets and it seems quite obvious that things will continue to worsen unless the situation is resolved.
"It seems that even Washington, which ranks as one of Mubarak’s most ardent supporters, may have recognized that there is now no real choice but for the man who has reigned over affairs in Egypt for over three decades to call it a day. Still more worrying for the U.S. is the fact that the unrest is spreading, with Yemen now feeling similar waves of upheaval.
"It is always fascinating to see the manner in which dictators attempt to cling on to power. We have seen the reluctance to make an exit with grace in our own country – most recently in the case of former president Musharraf. Perhaps Mubarak has persuaded himself that he is truly needed by his people. Egoistical thinking is, after all, often a key characteristic of dictators. But the Egyptian leader needs to face up to the truth. He must step down, or see his country crumble into still greater disarray.
"All those who count themselves as friends of Mubarak must persuade him to do so. There is a lesson here for other dictators, across the region and elsewhere. There is a limit to the time people will accept coercive rule. The deaths that have occurred on the streets in Egypt have only added to the anger and the determination of the people that the aging Mubarak quit office. One hopes that he has the good sense to quit as soon as possible."
