An Egyptian man who has called Red Deer home for the past three years is cautiously supporting the throng of protesters who are demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak’s 30 year reign in Egypt.
The man — who did not want to be identified so to protect his family that mostly still lives in Cairo as well as himself if he ever returns — said he is concerned that extremist groups may take over the helm of the northeastern African country.
“I am satisfied with what is happening right now if it will lead to more comfortable and better life for people back home in Egypt,” he said.
“If we will get a new government and someone else who will treat all the persons equally, the Muslims and the Christians, the poor and the rich, that will be the best. But if the Islamists and racial groups reach the first place of authority in the government in Egypt, it will be a problem.”
If Islamic fundamentalists do end up in control, he fears the country will transform into an oppressive state similar to Iran.
Still, he is advocating for positive change in Egypt, a country of extreme wealth and extreme poverty.
“We can’t predict the future but I think the people back there are insisting of taking their rights and to say no for the corruption,” he said.
The corrupt government has ensured that the rich continue to get richer while the poor struggle to live on as little as $2 a day, he said.
About 40 per cent of the country’s population lives under the poverty line set by the World Bank and face a shortage of essential needs and limited education. Even salaries for private sector jobs like teaching are not compatible with rising expenses, the man said.
A physician in Egypt, he came to Canada and is working on completing his exams to become a doctor here.
He has been watching closely as events unfold in his native country, fearing for the safety of his and his wife’s family that still live in Egypt.
Violence, theft and home envisions escalated when demonstrations started although protests have been fairly peaceful the past few days.
Just under 100 people have been killed and thousands injured since demonstrations started a week ago.
As of Monday night, he hadn’t been able to reach his family for two days. The Internet was disconnected in the country and phone lines are jammed, he said.
His father said stores are crowded with people trying to stock up on dwindling supplies in between the imposed curfew from 3 p.m. to 8 a.m. when they talked earlier last week.
Mubarak, 82, announced Tuesday that he will not run in the next election that is scheduled in September.
But the thousands that have been gathering in Cairo’s Tahrir Square want him out by the end of the week.
“We just need the chance to make the country better,” he said. “So we are having a chance right now but it’s in the hard way, but still there is a chance to say no for the corruption.”
ptrotter@www.reddeeradvocate.com