Egypt’s Youth at the Forefront of Next Wave of Revolution – Turkish Paper

It always comes after a disappointing speech. Without fail, President Morsi’s almost three-hour-long address to Egyptians Wednesday night has ignited the next wave of revolution. Following the recognizable pattern of last chance speeches, Egypt’s president, struck the match to light the fire. Not that the already increasingly frustrated majority of Egyptians could have expected anything more, listening to him, hopes for any possible resolution of an already severely criticized one-year-old rule, were crushed.

In his attempt to project confidence and attract support for his rapidly crumbling rule of Egypt, Morsi pointed fingers at his political opponents and supporters of his deposed predecessor. Nothing novel about claiming others were to blame, for Egypt it has notoriously been referred to as the unidentified third party throughout. This time Morsi spent much of his talk identifying names of past politicians, even deceased ones, claiming they were to blame for all the shortcomings and sabotaging of his rule. For many, this level of pointing fingers, only confirmed an inability to deal with the massive responsibility of ruling Egypt.

In a country that has been suffering political polarization ever since it began its struggle for freedom and social justice in 2011, the president’s messages June 26 failed to offer anything close to a compromise or an attempt to bridge the gaps with his political opposition. His formal opposing “Salvation front” was quick to announce that the speech increased their determination to call for early elections. Hailed by his brotherhood as a strong and exposing speech, that commemorates his year-long achievements and challenges, this points to the severe degree of political polarization and almost disconnected political vision for the rule of the nation. Not surprisingly, in the ongoing battle for power of high politics, the one real power on the ground has been continuously alight, sometimes by cracking down on it, other times by attempting to lure them into their camp.

Let us remember that it was not any political opposition that ignited the first wave of this revolution, the power that dared confront, the power that stood up and made the first crack in the failing system and rallied the population around it was the youth of Egypt. It might have been a short lived attempt, one that encouraged all the ghosts in the closets to grab a golden opportunity: to rule Egypt. They have been derailed, maybe even demotivated at times. Serious attempts to break their unity, their drive and tarnish their dreams of a free and just Egypt have been effective. It made them stronger. It brought them back to lead the nation, to REBEL, once more. The beginnings of this wave of revolution officially scheduled for June 30, have already begun.

Nothing surpasses failure and falling down as the best learning tool. It is however, the courage, determination and persistence to achieve your vision that is the essence of youth leadership. The youth of Egypt, unlike their ailing elders, lack none of these qualities. The past can never return, the present must become past. Only the future becomes the present. The youth of Egypt have been the future. They will prevail as they claim their rightful present.

Source: Hurriyet Daily News