Heard on the Street

Alexandria“Chaos, uncertainty and conspiracies of different agendas.”

— Kamal Ahmed, 30, engineer, Cairo“The amazing thing about this revolution is that everyone helped in whichever way they could, whether by posting an article to educate the rest of the crowd, cleaning the street next to their house or providing sandwiches to those in Tahrir Square. Every action showed how much Egyptians love and honor their country.” — Asma El Husseini, 25, fashion editor, Cairo “It means pride and dignity. You know, we [had] 7,000 years of civilization come back to [us] all in one moment.”

— Kareem Ibrahim, 29, public relations representative, Dubai, UAE “Worry and confusion. There is slight hope for change but more of fear and worrying.”

“My impression was that it was like a new spirit that happened in Egypt. My big hope is that this spirit will spread out of Tahrir and involve many different areas, institutions and human relationships. It meant a dream of change and tolerance. It was a symbol of a new era in

history.”

 “For me, Tahrir represented prosperity for Egypt, and I was willing to take my two children and wife and stay there.”

“As they say: the square of martyrs. I don’t like it at all and there is no need for the trouble to keep going since they fulfilled all their demands. The president was about to finish his term and then it would have changed anyway. I was upset they made him step down that way even though he changed the Constitution and after he served the country for 30 years.”

“I felt it was my second home, the heart of Egypt. It just made one feel so Egyptian. We had lost contact with our country for a long time and Tahrir brought us all back in contact.”

“TAHRIR: Taking Action by Honoring Rights; showing Initiative and Respect.”

“It was the cause of a lot of heartache, but it really showed me what all the Egyptian youth who protected their neighborhoods were made of.”

“To me, Tahrir means liberation. It means strength. It means the power of the people. Most of all, it means a future. A future for my children and for all Egyptians, where they will know the beauty of their country and to finally feel like they have a voice and feel as though that voice is being heard. Tahrir means the start of true justice in the world.”

“Tahrir, to me, is like medicine. It’s a sudden shock to the system. It’s not always pleasant. And who knows what the after-effects will be? But it did what it was meant to do: killed off the disease of fear that kept Egyptians, whatever class or age, from believing in a better future.”

 “Tahrir means commitment to change.”

“Tahrir, for me, means the return of my pride of being Egyptian, this new burning desire to go back to Egypt and just help build it up. It is this hope that I can return, I can raise my kids in Egypt and they can have as bright a future as being here in the US. It is the reason I left, because I thought this day would never come. And I am so glad I was so wrong.”

“All Tahrir means to me now is a headache. I spent the last two sleepless weeks being terrified of looters and watching my country fall apart.”

“Liberation Square has become the Egyptian utopia: unity, structure, kindness, selflessness, a common goal and, above all, creativity. Liberation for me is having a voice and an influence to choose a system that would turn Egypt into one big Liberation Square.”

“To me, Midan Tahrir stands against fear. My favorite placard during the whole revolution was one that said: ‘God please forgive me, I was afraid and silent.’ We are no longer afraid. We will teach you how to fight your fear. We will show you the way because, for the first time in a long time, Egypt has found her voice – and we’re not afraid to use it.”

“It means freedom and everything beautiful. It is for the people who died. Whenever I am in Tahrir, I will remember them.”

“It represents freedom. We’re feeling a change in society and the country. It is a revolution against all the corruption we’ve been seeing.”

“Tahrir means freedom, it means liberation, sacrifice and, most importantly, it’s what brought us all together to stand united and fight for our rights. It’s because of Tahrir that we saw the true compassion that lives in each Egyptian’s heart. It’s because of Tahrir that we joined forces to take action and saw it through until the end.”

“It’s the battlefield of our dignity and it’s the place where everything changed, where we broke the fear, where we were speaking about politics openly and spoke about everything with total freedom. It represents democracy.”

“It is the place where it doesn’t matter if you are Christian or Muslim, old or young, male or female. All these people came to say the word, ‘No!’ It’s the place of freedom.”

“When I think about Tahrir, I am really sad about the people that died. I am happy about freedom. They should change the name to Martyrs’ Square.”

“Tahrir to me means changing a lot of things, not just one person or a regime. It’s about not littering on the streets, not bribing a police officer to get out of a ticket, not using wasta [connections] to get what you want, no more bureaucracy. Even though the revolution began because of the regime, we don’t want to replace it and still continue the same way of life. Right now, people are celebrating that we won, but we still have a long way to go.”

“Change, but in a chaotic manner.”

“Tahrir gave us freedom of participation. In the past, we were hanging our detachment from our homeland and families on so many different reasons: Some of us would say [we left for a] ‘better opportunity for [our] kids,’ others for a ‘better lifestyle.’ But the true reason is now being clearly stated: ‘They succeeded in making us feel we do not belong to this country.’ Today, the scene has absolutely changed…this is our country and not theirs. Even if we gain foreign expertise, we’re willing to import it back to serve our new Egypt.”

“It means a new life, a change from the old to something better.”

“The revolution has reminded the world that the new generations of Arabs want change and that they will not tolerate corruption or the inhuman treatment of their fellow citizens.”

“It is a liberation of 30 years of occupation by depression, corruption and an anti-humanitarian regime. Many were cynical about the power of social media in playing a vital role in politics. This revolution proves that when there is a will, there’s a way. I live in London and I’ve always been proud of being Egyptian, yet in the past my head was down – feeling most of the time ashamed of our regime. Today, after this revolution, I’m very proud of being Egyptian. Our country is back to [being a] part of rebuilding Egypt.”

“I think Tahrir was more of a ‘New Egypt’ or the perfect city, el-madina el-fadela, for me. This is [the] Egypt I have been dreaming of for years. This revolution drew the most beautiful things out of us, and Tahrir was the epicenter of this.”

“For me it’s just a square. The important thing was the Egyptians there and what they used it for.”

“Tahrir means standing up for what you believe in — for your rights — and not giving up. It’s a symbol of determination. It makes everything possible.”

“I wished I was a shield to protect the advocates of truth, goodness and beauty against the bullets of treachery and oppression. Tahrir Square at [that] moment told me that alienation is painful, and it is so scary to be away from home when it is in dire need of you. And it told me how much I love Egypt and how pretty she is.”

“Freedom and an uprising. The people all united together and stood up for their rights against the government.”

“Tahrir means hope. Even if we are abroad, we felt that ‘yes I can change whatever situation — our youth did it, so can we’. I know some people after [February 11] have started to find jobs that they would like more, people who thought there was no chance of changing are getting on their feet and starting again to pursue their dreams. They have all been inspired.”

“The square lives up to its name and proved that all facets of Egyptian society could work together peacefully to ensure a better life for coming generations, as well as ensuring that Egypt has a working, successful democracy. ”

“To me, indeed liberation, but more than that: The rebirth of a great nation happened.”

 “It is for the youth; they had nothing, no jobs, no hope.”

“The revolution means justice, equality and empowerment. A future where one can express himself freely and where Egyptian culture can flourish, unrestricted and in a democratic fashion.”

“Now, I hope for peace for the people who died in Tahrir, the 400–500 people. The country, maybe it will change. Insha’Allah, it will change. Food for families and people who are 20–21 years old. Peace for Christians and Muslims.”

“A symbol of endurance, coexistence, solidarity of different people and a brand new age that embraces me, making me work to its [betterment] and accepting the cost. It sure came in the right time. I just hope it doesn’t fade out.”