2013:12 - Departure

As I write this I am about half-way through my flight to New York. I left the seminary at 5:30 a.m. on Thursday morning with my colleagues Dea and Brett. Abuna Bishoi, who had not yet been to sleep, accompanied us along with the driver from the seminary. We had an easy time working our way through the Egyptair terminal to our gate. We saw lots of weary-looking people at the airport, most of who looked like foreigners and like they had spent many hours at the airport waiting for flights.

On Wednesday, along with all of Egypt, we watched the departure of Mohammed Morsy from the presidency. The day unfolded with a combination of routine and last minute activity. In the morning we held our final classes as we waited to learn what would happen up on the expiration of the military’s 48-hour ultimatum, which was scheduled to expire around 4:30 in the afternoon.

In the afternoon I occupied my time with packing and finishing up last minute tasks. As 4:30 rolled around I began to hear that Morsy had been placed under house arrest and the military was preparing to make a statement. As the hours passed we made our way to the dining room for our end of the course party, which began at 7:30. We ate and celebrated and waited for news. Some of the students spent the evening with earphones plugged into one ear as they followed national events on the news as the hour of the military address to the nation kept getting delayed.  The most poignant moment of our evening happened early on when we sang the National Anthem of the U.S. in honor of our Independence Day celebration and then our students rose to sing their national anthem with such national pride and hopefulness.

The party continued and when the address began we instantly stopped our celebration and turned our attention to the news. We sat in a circle with the students and listened in silence as the head of the military addressed the nation in Arabic.

Since I could not understand the words, I watched the faces of those around me. At first there was little movement, no sound and few noticeable changes in the serious expressions on their faces. But as the address neared its end their expressions softened and at the news that Morsy had been removed from office they broke into cheers. When the speech finished, I turned to one of my students and said, “well?” His response was simple, “Morsy is done.” When their cheers and celebrations subsided we asked Nevine, one of our Egyptian teaching colleagues, to explain to us what had been said and that’s when we heard about the actions the military had taken.

The party wrapped up quickly from there and as we said our goodbyes and began to make our way back to our rooms, we could hear the horns and the celebrations roaring all around us from the streets of Ma’adi. We made our way up to the rooftop where we caught glimpses of the fireworks going off within blocks of the seminary. The roar of the horns was deafening, different from what it had been in the previous evenings. Instead of the usual rhythmic honking, people laid on their horns and did not let up. On the rooftop we stood amazed at what we were witnessing from afar and were all grateful that we were leaving in the morning. For while Morsy’s removal from office is what most Egyptians wanted I fear that this news will be met by violence and bloodshed in the coming days.

In the moment, however, I was filled with admiration and a deep sense of privilege. Admiration for what the Egyptian people had done in taking to the streets to express their longing for a government that represents all Egyptians. And privilege for the opportunity to be a witness to this moment. Over the last two years our students have said that the revolution of 2011 proved that Egyptians were not afraid anymore. They would no longer abide by governments that cared only for themselves and not the needs of all Egyptians. To see that unfold before my eyes over the last few days has been a gift for which I will be forever grateful.

I know there are those who argue that by removing Morsy from power, Egypt has weakened its new democracy, not strengthened it. They wonder what will happen when the next crises arises and the one after that? Will Egyptians only mobilize through street action and not through their engagement in the political process? The argument is valid and at some point Egypt has to make its democracy work. The problem with this argument is that fails to recognize that in the aftermath of the 25 January Revolution conservative Islamist groups were the only organized game in town and so when it came time to draft a constitution, run candidates for parliament and form the foundations of Egypt’s new democracy, the deck was stacked against more moderate and liberal elements Egyptian society who have a broader vision for what Egypt can be.

In addition, because of his efforts to grab power from the military and the judiciary in the last year, Morsy had removed any way for his rule to be challenged through the democratic system. In his final days Morsy argued that if Egyptians didn’t like his governance they could remove him from office after four years. Unfortunately with a fast-deteriorating economy and worsening living conditions for ordinary people, Egyptians couldn’t wait four years and there was no method within the existing constitution to remove Morsy from office except to take to the streets.

To be sure, Egypt has to figure out how to make its democracy work and it has to do this quickly. I’m heartened by what I’ve seen over the course of this summer. Opposition groups were able to organize, unite behind a single agenda and identify representatives who will speak for them. This level of organization and strategic thinking was lacking in the aftermath of 25 January 2011 and will be essential as a caretaker government works to draft a new constitution and as Egypt moves towards new parliamentary and presidential elections. Moderate and liberal thinkers are going to need to continue to unite and compromise with each other in order to build an Egypt that is able to embody the ideals and the vision of the 25 January Revolution.

 As I depart Egypt this year I do so with a mixture of hope, fear and anticipation. I’m filled with hope for my friends in Egypt after what I’ve seen unfold in the last week. Egyptians have not forgotten the ideals that lead to the 25 January 2011 Revolution and they are willing to raise their voices to fight for these ideas. Nonetheless, I fear what the coming days and weeks will bring. Prominent leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood have been arrested but the ideals represented by them and other more conservative groups remain embedded in the hearts of many, especially in Upper Egypt. Somehow Egypt has to find room for conservatives, moderates and liberals to come together and find common ground around building a better Egypt for all her people.

I don’t know what the coming year will bring for Egypt. But as I think about my friends and the place that I love so dearly, I will eagerly follow the events that unfold and will eagerly anticipate my return. As I await that day I will continue to pray for security, peace, justice, opportunity and freedom for ALL Egyptians. For you who pray and have come to care for the people of Egypt through my travels and my work, I hope you will join me.