“Mabrouk…mabrouk…mabrouk” has been the word on every Egyptian tongue since the army ousted Musri from his post as president last Wednesday. Mabrouk is the common word of congratulations in Egypt, but what non-Arabic speakers may not know
“Mabrouk…mabrouk…mabrouk” has been the word on every Egyptian tongue since the army ousted Musri from his post as president last Wednesday. Mabrouk is the common word of congratulations in Egypt, but what non-Arabic speakers may not know, and what many Arabic speakers may overlook since the word is commonly meant as a mere congratulatory note, is that the word is literal for “blessed”.
All represented
Following days of unprecedentedly huge, nationwide mass protests against Mursi and the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood group to which he belongs, the army stepped in to oust Mursi. Egyptians, who felt bitterly oppressed under the Islamism that was being imposed on them by the Islamist president and his regime, and a grinding economic crisis, were besides themselves with joy once Colonel General Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, announced the news in a televised address on Wednesday evening. He was flanked by representatives of all the sectors on the Egyptian spectrum, major among them were the Grand Imam of al-Azhar sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II, the leading opposition figure Muhammad AlBaradei, and representatives of the youth Tamarud (Rebel) movement which led the protests to bring down Mr Mursi.
Roadmap
General Sisi said: “the Armed Forces could not ignore the call of the Egyptian masses”. He said that all those present had jointly drawn a roadmap for Egypt’s future, which included an the swearing in on the following day of the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court Adly Mansour as Egypt’s interim president, suspension of the Islamist constitution until consensual changes may be applied to it, forming a new national government, passing the law for the political rights and the House of Representatives, integrating the young men and women of Egypt into the official executive posts in the country, forming a commission for national conciliation, and holding early presidential elections.
Among the short speeches given once General Sisi has delivered his was one by Pope Tawadros who said that the roadmap had been drafted by honourable people who sought the interests, first and foremost, of Egypt. Mr ElBaradei, whose name has been proposed as the coming Prime Minister, said the roadmap aimed for national reconciliation and represented a fresh start to the January 2011 revolution.
Islamist revenge
The army moved fast to deploy its forces all over Egypt. Mr Mursi was placed under house arrest, and MB leading figures were caught and detained. Islamist TV channels went off air.
Islamists backlashed by targeting rejoicing civilians all over Egypt and a Minya church, leaving some 12 dead and 278 injured.
The jubilant public mood, however, and the high hopes for the future have persisted. A young mother of three summed it all up when she said: “I feel as though a load has been lifted of my chest. Now I can look forward to a future that has something to offer my children in their motherland. Now I can join hands with other Egyptians to really work for that.”
WATANI International
4 July 2013