It is revolution time in the Arab World!
It took most of us by surprise. Some are afraid, but many, including myself, are euphoric.
Many people got so used to the status-quo, and they are comfortable with that. They are "wise" and do not like revolution; revolution is trouble.
The young people on the streets however are like Hamed, in one of Ghassan Kanafani's short stories. Hamed was on a mission to blow up an enemy tank, but he stood so close to it that the blow made him deaf. When he went home he could not hear his "wise" uncle (i.e. father in law) preaching to him about the importance of staying out of trouble.
Like Hamed, we are tired of the wise people preaching about the value of stability even if it meant lack of freedom. The toppling of dictators has been so loud that we are now too deaf to hear their stories!
It took most of us by surprise. Some are afraid, but many, including myself, are euphoric.
Many people got so used to the status-quo, and they are comfortable with that. They are "wise" and do not like revolution; revolution is trouble.
The young people on the streets however are like Hamed, in one of Ghassan Kanafani's short stories. Hamed was on a mission to blow up an enemy tank, but he stood so close to it that the blow made him deaf. When he went home he could not hear his "wise" uncle (i.e. father in law) preaching to him about the importance of staying out of trouble.
Like Hamed, we are tired of the wise people preaching about the value of stability even if it meant lack of freedom. The toppling of dictators has been so loud that we are now too deaf to hear their stories!
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