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Egypt’s Activists: Now I Tweet in Arabic

The revolution has fostered a national sense of accomplishment and a newfound pride in being Egyptian.

The Nation

July 18, 2011

After thirty years under President Hosni Mubarak’s iron grip on power, Cairo is alive with activism. In a roundtable earlier this month organized by PolicyMic.com and The Nation and moderated by author Stephen Glain, young Egyptian activists debated some of Egypt’s most pressing issues, including the role and strength of the Muslim Brotherhood, the power of social media in sparking reform and the military’s stranglehold over politics.

The activists in these videos discuss their sense of accomplishment and newfound national pride in being Egyptian, but also express their collective fear that the revolution will run out of steam. With military tribunals still taking place, police oppression still widespread and the pace of reform at a standstill, change has not come quickly enough for Egypt’s youth. Elections are set to be held in September, and youth groups are scrambling to form parties, raise money and compete for seats in parliament. 

Be sure to also check out the other videos in this series: Democracy Is a Practical Process Where Will the Money Come From? I Wouldn’t Vote for the Islamists

The NationTwitterFounded by abolitionists in 1865, The Nation has chronicled the breadth and depth of political and cultural life, from the debut of the telegraph to the rise of Twitter, serving as a critical, independent, and progressive voice in American journalism.


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