Egypt: The Curse of Disilluisonment

At one point, Mohammad Badr ‘owned’ Tahrir Sqaure.

The 28 year old activist along with two others founded the rebel movement ‘Tamarud’ to overthrow Egypt’s Islamist President Mohammad Morsi. Their planning and organization drew millions of Egyptians to Tahrir Square to protest against his rule.

Interestingly enough, Badr also played a part (though not as major)  in the ousting of previous military dictator Hosni Mubarak in 2011. A year ago, he even voted for Morsi to be in power. But like many other Egyptians, he soon became disillusioned.

In July, 2013 Badr elated by the success of the protests gave an interview in which he spoke about how they got so far. ‘"No one did what we did," he said. "Most groups held conferences or at most a protest in downtown Cairo, but we toured the country and went without sleep for days so we will not give up, and we will continue InshaaAllah (God willing)."

"We own the streets because we stand with the people and the will of the people, and we will always do so," Badr said.

Standing with the people may have been Badr’s intentions, but come September, who is he standing with now?

In the midst of Augist Tahrir Sqaure, and most of Cairo, was no longer the center stage of a revolution but a war zone choked by pools of blood. According to the Egyptian Health Ministry, about 200 pro-Morsi protestors alone  were killed by the military on 14 August, along with a number of journalists, notably Mike Deana of Sky News whose death has been condoled by British Prime Minister David Cameron. The Egyptian military government has declared a month-long emergency.

As I watch the videos of smoke billowing out of Rabaa-al Adaawiya and read the stream of tweets from Journalists describing field hospitals full of dead bodies and injured people, of mosques where women and children are taking shelter, I cannot help but remember the images of 2011, when a revolution really was taking place. On 4th February, 2011, during the Egyptian Revolution, the army’s crane approached the street on the Northern side of Tahrir Square in an attempt to remove the barricades formed by protesters after long nights of continuous violence and often deadly attacks, attributed to pro-Mubarak supporters. In response, people in Tahrir offered themselves as human shields to protect the entrance, many slept in front of the tanks as hundreds rushed to stand over and in front of the cranes refusing to let the military clear the barricades, what they believed to be their only protection. Earlier, as the looting and violence had intensified and the police were nowhere to be seen, some of the protesters lined themselves around the Egyptian museum, creating a human shield to protect it from the looters. Others actually removed all the products from the stores nearby, took them to their apartments and called the store owners to tell them their things were safe.

Perhaps the spirit that engulfed the Egypitans back in 2011 is what Badr had hoped to revive again. But it all went wrong…..horribly wrong. And this is they very curse of disillusionment. 

Mohammad Morsi was far from the ideal President his people had hoped for. What made it worse that expectations surrounding him were extremely high….which was only natural as he had ousted a dictator of 20 years and was Egypt’s first democratically elected President. He did little revive Egypts; economy and was seen as an ‘Egyptian pharaoh’ after he granted himself unlimited powers to protect the nation from the Mabarak-era period. For Egypt, a country already choked with economic losses, this meant the worst. Moreover, his Islamist-leaning policies would clearly have troubled a lot of Egyptian liberals.

But was this really enough to have Morsi removed by the army and place him under house-arrest?

The disillusionment of people like Badr succeeded not only in removing Morsi but in crushing the support and the hope of many Morsi Supporters. Unfortunately, for over 200 and maybe more, it took their lives.

As a Pakistani, why does the situation in Egypt bother me so much? Because we too have become disillusioned. We have every right to be, but what if, in a moment of blind desperation, we forget all reason? What if our revolutions too become bloody? What if chaos has to be fought by the likes of a military coup?

As I look back at Badr’ face, I am reminded of another face. That of Karl Ludecke who wrote the following about himself in 1924, “Of course, I was ripe for this experience. I was a man of 32, weary with disgust and disillusionment, a wanderer seeking a cause, patriot seeking an outlet for his patriotism.”

He sounds like any other patriot; Young and ready to take on all the challenged that tyranny throws his way.  Very much similar to the likes of Mohammad Badr, who was so eager to restore the military back in its place.

But read Ludecke’s words again and see if you can spot the curse of disillusionment. For who inspired him to feel this way? Who was he inspired to support?

It was Hitler.