Skip to main contentIn this week's paper, we wrote about a local Egyptian couple and the expectations they have for their home country in its time of tumult.
We checked in with Ahmed Raslan this afternoon to get an update on his thoughts given the rapidly changing political climate in Egypt. He says his sense of hope has been boosted and that though some anxiety lingers, he feels confident President Hosni Mubarak will make good on his promise to not seek re-election this September.
"Violence is not going to work," Raslan said. "Now it's a waiting game. It's a matter of when the president will step down. It's not like Mubarak will stay. His fate is sealed. He's done."
At last Saturday's Pioneer Courthouse Square rally, Raslan said he was envious of his fellow Egyptians out protesting in the streets of Cairo and Alexandria. Now that jealousy has turned into guilt that he is not in Egypt, he said. Though some demonstrations turned violent earlier this week, Raslan said he doubts the violence will continue. When he spoke with relatives yesterday, they said protests had taken on a festive, celebratory tone.
And yesterday, Raslan's wife Abeer Sayed began checking
airfare to Cairo. Raslan said they were considering a short visit to Egypt with
their children.
"We owe it to our country to participate in that change and help with what will happen," Raslan said. "I want to express my opinion, to add one more voice to the voices calling for democracy. It's a small voice, but it's still a voice."
The Egyptian community has planned another rally for Saturday, Feb. 5, again at Pioneer Courthouse Square from 1-3 pm. More details are on Facebook.
WWeek 2015