Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Saturday, February 12, 2011
I feel so proud of this young generation of Arabs. They have proven all the skeptics wrong and their heroism is remarkably infectious. What my generation has been unable to do, these young Arabs have done it effectively and peacefully. What a historic day. There is much excitement, but there's a lot of trepidation also about what's to come next. I don't want to focus on the trepidation for now. Egyptians deserve to enjoy this revolution and relish it for days to come. This was no small feat. Bravo, bravo, bravo! We've seen the pictures and we've heard that collective sigh of relief in Tahrir square. A huge psychological hurdle has been removed now. Let's hope the winds of freedom in Egypt today turn into winds of actual reform. For now, a big chain has been broken and let's see now what free souls will do next. To understand better the impact of a day like this, it's best to see how Egyptians themselves have reacted to the news of Mubarak stepping down. Below is the reaction of one Egyptian, Mona Eltahawy, a journalist/activist in New York who has been critical in supplying vital information about the uprising in the last three weeks. Let's celebrate today and reflect on the future tomorrow.
I was born and raised in Morocco. My research focuses on the intersections between Islam, Arab popular culture and the media. I'm currently an assistant professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Colorado-Boulder.