2013:8 - What's the news?

One of the phrases of greeting that I’ve learned in Arabic asks “What’s the news?” The person using the greeting isn’t really asking what’s the news, because the response is usually something like “Perfect! Everything’s good.”

Asking “What’s the news?” in Egypt these days is a loaded question. Because there’s lots of news floating about. If you’ve not yet heard about it in the news you are likely to hear of it in the coming days and over the weekend. Here’s what I know about what’s happening.

30 June marks the one-year anniversary of Mohammed Morsy’s presidency. Most Egyptians are very unhappy with his leadership, with the leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood and other more conservative groups. In the last year the situation in Egypt has deteriorated. There is a fuel shortage. When we are out an about we regularly see enormous lines along the side of the road with drivers lined up for hours awaiting their turn for gas. We hear that in parts of Upper Egypt that gas stations are simply closed because there isn’t gas. The Egyptian pound has plummeted – this is great for tourists who come to Egypt – but horrible for the millions of poor people throughout the country who find the price of food and other basics rising. In addition to the struggling economy, the electric grid is overwhelmed by need. I’m thrilled by the addition of air conditioning in some rooms in the seminary but the reality is each new air conditioner installed in Egypt draws more power away from an overtaxed electrical grid. The result is daily rolling power outages throughout the country. Again, these are worse in Upper Egypt, but even in Cairo we have experienced several blackouts this summer. If all that weren’t enough, Ethiopia has begun to build a dam on the Nile which threatens Egypt’s water supply. This is perhaps the gravest concern of all because it threatens Egypt’s ability to provide water and food for it’s 70+ million people.

Do you sense the growing despair that these conditions can lead to? As a result opposition groups have been collecting signatures for many months calling for Morsy to step down and asking for early presidential elections. These petitions will be delivered to the presidential palace on Sunday and plans are underway for what are expected to be enormous demonstrations throughout the country.

The government and the Brotherhood are opposing these demonstrations and the rumors of impending violence are rampant. The military came out over the weekend and said that they will not tolerate violence. Since Monday we have seen the military and government preparing as soldiers and police are mobilized and moved into position. Roads are being closed which has resulted in even worse traffic than normal in a city famous for it’s traffic. (I’ve been in two of the worst traffic jams I’ve ever seen in the last few days, but I’ll save that for another post).

The US Embassy has announced it will be closed on Sunday and has advised American citizens in Egypt to stock up on provisions, stay home and keep a low profile. We will be heeding that advice.

With all this going on around us, Egyptians continue carrying with life as usual. The markets are full as people are preparing for Ramadan, which begins on 9 July. The conversation at dinner this week has been more apt to be focused on Egypt’s latest World Cup qualifying match or the seminarians own football exploits than on 30 June. But this morning for the first time we felt the tension at breakfast. The seminarians were unusually quiet. When asked why they complained of the hot night which made sleeping difficult and their fatigue after two evenings of football, but when pressed one student admitted to one of my colleagues that everyone is worried about what will happen this weekend.

I have every confidence that we will be safe, protected and secure in the coming days. First and foremost I want you to know that. I have never felt in danger in Egypt and I don’t expect to in the coming days. If worse comes to worse we are registered with the US Embassy who is giving us updates and will help us to evacuate. We will not be venturing out to see if we can glimpse the protests. I’m planning to get a good book today and I figure out I’ll have a quiet weekend of reading and studying Arabic. I know you will be praying for our wellbeing and safety and I’m grateful for that.

But please don’t end your prayers there. I hope you will also pray for the continuation of Egypt’s revolution, which only began on 25 July 2011 and has not yet been completed. The Egyptians who peacefully protested for the removal of the Mubarak regime longed for freedom, peace, security, justice and opportunity for ALL Egyptians. Those ideals have not died though they have been frustrated over the last 2½ years. Those protesting against the current government in the coming days are not thugs or extremists. They are ordinary Egyptians who have not yet let go of the new vision for their country that begin in Tahrir in 2011 and is yet to be brought to fruition. As a student said to me last year, “The French Revolution lasted for 20 years. We cannot expect that ours will be completed in a day, or a week, or a month.” I hope you will join me in praying for the peace, justice, opportunity and security for ALL Egyptians and for a peaceful continuation of the people’s revolution.