Angry Young Men in Egypt? Diversity Beyond Tahrir
The eyes of the world have been drawn to Egypt over the past week. Demonstrators were killed in clashes with the security forces and Tahrir Square was swiftly reoccupied creating scenes reminiscent of earlier in the year.
Young men have been prominent at every stage of the Arab Spring and once again it is males in their teens and twenties who have been at the forefront of the occupation of Tahrir. But there is more diversity of opinion than you might expect among the youths of Cairo.
Queue at polling station in Darassa - Simon Ash
As polling started on Monday morning Twitter was awash with reports of people not receiving their accreditation to vote, of unstamped ballot papers and polling stations being closed, but at the polling station in Darassa (east of downtown Cairo) things seemed to be progressing relatively smoothly. The queues stretched for hundreds of metres but they were orderly and good-natured. The wait was a long one but people were buoyant and I was able to share jokes with those waiting in line.
At the front of the huge human snake, below the myriad of political banners, there were representatives of different parties doing some last minute canvassing. Many of those doing the campaigning were only just old enough to vote.
I met Ramy Maklad, a second year law student, who was canvassing for his uncle. Ramy was positive about the proceedings and even exchanged pleasantries with other young men handing out flyers for rival candidates.
This was all in plain view of the security provided by small numbers of police and military personnel at each location. They did not interfere with the canvassing but concentrated on controlling the flow of voters instead. Most of the police were mature gentlemen, but the soldiers were as young as Ramy (just not so keen to talk).
Omar: a youthful protestor in Tahrir - Simon Ash
In the queue I met Mahmoud, another man in his twenties, who was patiently waiting to cast his ballot. Mahmoud works in the tourist industry and had travelled up from the Red Sea in order to vote. He said he supported the protestors in Tahrir but he wanted to vote and was favourable towards the Muslim Brotherhood.
This statement would have been a contradiction in terms for Mahmoud’s peers that I met in Tahrir Square. Gouda Diver – one of demonstration organisers and in his late twenties – was adamant that the revolution was not over and there should be no voting until the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) hands over power.
His explanation of the demonstrators’ position was interrupted when a fight broke out a few metres away. It was not a political disagreement but one of the turf wars that have sprung up between the street merchants who peddle their wares in Tahrir. Stalls have been set up by people of all ages but in this case the flying fists belonged to more male youths.
Other than this scuffle Tahrir Square was peaceful and despite the square being quieter than on previous days a solid core of protestors still remains. Hany Bedair, a professional musician, has been with the protestors all week pressing for change. He did not like the manifesto of the Muslim Brotherhood but was sanguine about the idea of them being elected. Given the cautious approach evident in their political dealings to date he thought they would fail to deliver and would be voted out after a single term in office.
Gouda (on left) one of the organisers in Tahrir - Simon Ash
But not even all the people in the square were of the same opinion. One local youth told me that the protestors should not be there. He said that the protests earlier in the year were good but as far as he was concerned the occupation had achieved its aims: Mubarak had gone and elections were taking place. In his mind it was time to vote and for people to move on; “Tahrir does not represent Egypt,” he said.
I got yet another perspective from Abanoub, a recent graduate and part of the Coptic Christian community in Cairo. In his mind the revolution had failed. When asked why he thought this he said “what was the point if we have no jobs?” He was also worried about the future. “We are discriminated against,” he said in a hushed voice. Abanoub was concerned that things will just get worse for Copts (native Egyptian Christians) if the Muslim Brotherhood take power.
Just a few streets away from Tahrir Square there were a steady flow of workers arriving in downtown stations to cast their vote. Amr, a young Muslim man, was much more positive than Abanoub about how things were progressing. He was not worried that people were canvassing at the polling stations, what was more important to him was that there was no bribery, that it was a secret ballot and there was no trouble.
The Revolution Artists Union in Tahrir
Such was the diversity of viewpoints that I encountered among the young men of Cairo. Everywhere I have been in the past few days people – especially young people – have been keen to talk and share their opinions. They are also desperate to hear what other people think about the events in Egypt.
With the media’s magnifying glass focusing on Tahrir it is not easy to judge the broader mood from reading the headlines. Tahrir has been vital to political development in Egypt but Cairo is buzzing with diverse political viewpoints. Whatever happens in Tahrir and whatever happens in the elections we can credit this diversity, and the open sharing of opinions, as a positive step towards a meaningful democracy.
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