Egypt's March toward Self-government

Organizers of a mass protest against Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi said Saturday that more than 22 million people have signed their petition demanding the Islamist leader step down, saying that the number of signatures, double the number who voted for Morsi in the presidential election, was a reflection of how much the public has turned against his rule. But many fear that the mass demonstrations could turn deadly and spin out of control, dragging the country into a dangerous round of political violence. The mass protest reflects the growing polarization of the nation since Morsi took power, with the president and his Islamist allies in one camp and seculars, liberals, moderate Moslems and Christians on the other. Mahmoud Salem, a prominent blogger known by his blog's name Sandmonkey and a vocal critic of the Moslem Brotherhood, said, "They have alienated everybody." Even if no violence breaks out, Salem said civil disobedience is expected in a movement designed now to "save the country." Morsi's supporters, on the other hand, question the validity of the petitions, saying his opponents are led by members of the ousted regime of Hosni Mubarak who are trying to orchestrate a comeback and are instigating violence," said Hani Salaheddin, a presenter on the Moslem Brotherhood-affiliated TV station Misr 25, predicting that Sunday will bring an end to the questioning of Morsi's mandate. "Tomorrow is the end of every corrupt person," he said, as the slogan "legitimacy (of the ballot box) is a red line," appeared on the TV screen during his program. Riots in cities north of Cairo over the past week have left eight people dead, including an American and a 14-year old, as well as hundreds injured. Clashes broke out outside offices of the Moslem Brotherhood and its party in at least five different governorates, and rival protests turned into violent confrontations. In a reflection of the seriousness of the situation, President Barack Obama said the US is working to ensure its embassy and diplomats in Egypt are safe after the 21-year old American was killed in Alexandria. He urged all parties to refrain from violence and the police and military to show appropriate restraint. One of Morsi's legal advisors offered his resignation late Saturday in protest of what he said was Morsi's insult of judges in his latest speech. Egyptian Defense Minister Fattah el-Sissi last Sunday gave the president and his opponents a week to reach a compromise and warned that the military would intervene to prevent the nation from entering a "dark tunnel." Morsi had called for national reconciliation talks but offered no specifics. Opposition leaders dismissed the call as cosmetics. The opposition's petition is evidence of what it says is widespread dissatisfaction with Morsi's administration, and has used the signature drive as the focal point of its call for millions of people to take to the streets to demand the president's ouster. The opposition movement appealed to supporters to gather in every street in their hometowns instead of converging to the main rallies planned in Tahrir square and outside Morsi's palace. The opposition wants to deal a symbolic blow to Morsi's mandate and put in stark terms the popular frustrations with an administration that critics say has failed to effectively deal with the country's pressing problems, including tenuous security, inflation, power cuts and high unemployment. "We gave (Morsi) a driving license but he couldn't drive the car. We all feel the country is collapsing, not because the president is from the Brotherhood ... But because the ruling system has failed completely." Many Egyptians fear the new round of unrest could trigger a collapse in law and order similar to the one that occurred during the 2011 revolt. Already, some residents have increased the security around their homes, erecting metal fences and installing barbed wire. Residents in neighborhoods to the west of Cairo have reported gunmen showing up to demand protection money. The army is advertising hotlines for civilians to call if they run into trouble. ~~~~~ Dear readers, these are troubling times for the Egyptian people. Mass street protests always hold out the possibility of violence. Egyptians are right to be worried and to try to protect themselves. But, when the Egyptian march to democratic self-government began more than two years ago, I wrote about the need for the world to help - and the need to be patient. What we are now witnessing is the continuation of Egypt's democratic birth pains. We should take comfort in the fact that the citizens of Egypt are not content to replace one dictatorship with another one. They want real, responsive government, working public services, jobs and a functioning econony. Morsi has not provided these basic components of an operating government. Egyptians are now demanding the chance to find leaders who can provide what is needed. Again, it requires all of us to help where we can, offer moral support and be patient. Above all - be patient. Rome wasn't built in a day. Neither was London or Tokyo or Paris or Washington. Cairo is no different. But we can take heart from the courage of the Egyptian people in pushing on toward their goal.