The BU Arabic Program page on Facebook has proven to be a
chest of treasures, its gems being its unending supply of Arabic scholarships,
study abroad programs, and cultural opportunities. Needless to say, I visit it
often. A few visits ago I came across a post publicizing a screening of Jehane
Noujaim's Oscar- nominated documentary, "The Square". At a quick
glance my mind was made: I called my friend, bought our tickets, and two days
later we sat in front of the screening that would spark my interest in the
Egyptian Revolution of 2011.
The film documented, more than anything else, the
unrelenting passion of six young Egyptian activists-Ahmed Hassan, Magdy Ashour,
Khalid Abdalla, Aida El Kashef, Ramy Essam, and Ragia Omran- who utilize the
power of music, media, and persistence to show they are a force the government
will not easily dissolve. In fact, it has been two years since the beginning of
the revolution and it is still largely apparent that the revolutionaries are not
leaving The Square.
The Square, known as Tahrir Square in Egypt, holds great symbolism
in that it is the designated place where the Egyptians come together in solidarity
against the corrupt regime. The bulk of what is occurring in the revolution- demonstrations,
marches, riots, and civil resistance- all occurs in this exact square. The
Square is so widely seen as the pulsating heart of the Egyptian movement that
its name has become synonymous with the word “revolution”.
The uprising began on January 25th, 2011 when
citizens took to the streets demanding free elections, freedom of speech, an
increase in jobs, higher wages, a stop to food price inflation, and the eradication
of the root of country’s problems- the corruption that pervades the Egyptian
government. Protesters also demanded that the thirty- year Hosni Mubarak regime
come to an end.
Mubarak stepped down permanently to appease protesters and
appointed former head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate Omar
Suleiman as Vice President. The constitution was suspended, both houses of
parliament dissolved, and the military gained rule over Egypt for the six
months prior to the planned election. Mubarak also stood trial on charges of
premeditated murder of peaceful protestors. If found guilty, he could face the
death penalty.
Although he was found guilty he only faced life
imprisonment, but this sentence was overturned on appeal and he received a
retrial that led to no consequences.
In June of that same year the Islamist Mohamed Morsi won the
presidential election, and on June 30th he was inaugurated as the 5th
president of Egypt.
This has appeased only the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt who
believes the state should be run by Islamic rule, but a large portion of the
population, including five of the six cast members and activists of “The Square,”
believes Egypt should be run by secular rule.
Despite the efforts of the youths of “The Square” and the
millions of citizens who have tenaciously sacrificed their lives for the cause,
Egyptians have a long way to achieve their desired goal. Perhaps next they must use
The Square as a place where they may construct a new constitution, one that
protects the needs of the people, not the desires of the government.
This is super interesting! I am taking a class where our professor told us about this movie and I was curious about seeing it. I watched the trailer but it seemed like there were limited showtimes and locations. It is interesting to see the various forces at work here: the Muslim Brotherhood, the political leaders, and the military... how none of them can really seem to agree either with each other or amongst themselves.
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