From a city divided to a city united

Soon after taking the U-ban into East Berlin, we found ourselves walking on Weichsel Strasse heading towards our hostel. We went through the usual motions of checking in, finding a bed, unpacking and of course grabbing a map of the city. On the back of the map was an ad for daily tours of Berlin offered in all languages. The tours promised a trip through the rich history of Berlin with a focus on WWII and the Soviet era. How could someone say no to that?

The tour, given by a 20-something year old Scot, took us over Hitler’s bunker and through the

streets of East Berlin, often walking with one foot on the former East Berlin, and the other over West Berlin. The footprint of the infamous wall is still marked on the street with cobble stone, a reminder to all of the dark days of division. We heard stories of dangerous escapes, about victims who hoped to get on the other side, and the daily struggle in a city divided. The suffering may have lasted a long time, but the will of the people prevailed at the end. All we’re left with now is powerful images of the wall coming down, and a few cobblestones in Berlin as a reminder.

As the events unfold in Egypt I can’t help but dream about the day where the protests will be shown to kids in history classes, the same way that the fall of the Berlin wall is shown nowadays. The video would show images of men and women chanting in the street, brave protesters challenging heavily armoured vehicles in Cairo, and a dictator fleeing the country. I reflected on the time I spent in Berlin on that tour, and daydreamt about what the Egyptian equivalent would be like. Perhaps the tour would start in Tahrir Square, the symbol of the revolution. The tourists would then be guided through the streets of Cairo, where they will see burned down police stations, kept untouched as memory of the oppressive regime. They would make their way to the ministry of interior, where protestors were shot at with live ammunition, and where the police state was directing its last attempt at survival. Egyptian state televisions and radio stations are next on the tour. The tour guide would tell the tourists about the last pieces of propaganda uttered by state media. The tourists chuckle, much as I did in Berlin. Next stop is the presidential palace, which has now been turned into a museum to commemorate the revolution, and which includes relics from Mubarak’s Egypt. His heavily armoured car is on display, as well his solid gold cutlery, ancient Egyptian artefacts he used for decoration, among many, many other items. The tour would conclude back at Tahrir Square, although now the tourists are brought to the centre, where a statue stands tall and proud. The statue includes 15 people representative of the Egyptian population, with some holding up their hands in protests, a mother carrying her child in one arm and a poster in the other, and an old man with a faint hope in his eyes.

I hope it won’t be long before the day dream becomes reality, and we can all go to a free Egypt and take the tour. Egyptians have all it takes to deliver: determination, bravery, hope, and vision. It’s only a matter of time...

The Jurse

There is a lot that I hate about winter. The freezing temperatures, driving issues, lack of sunshine.. I can go on forever. But in the midst of darkness of winter a hidden positive comes to light. You see, unless you are in a man Europe, carrying a man’s purse (murse) is not fashionable. While Seinfeld took a stab at popularizing the European carryall, his effort led into nothing but a popular episode. Men still have to struggle carrying the necessary trio: a wallet, a cell phone, and keys . All of these things have to fit in two mere jean pockets, leaving most men with bulging pockets and depending on the thickness of their wallet, lack of circulation in the legs.

This is where winter comes in. With winter comes wearing heavy jackets, and jackets come lots of pockets. I can now carry my wallet, keys, cell, and even a pack of gum and extra Kleenex, all while keeping my jean pockets free. Of course, my jacket can’t compare to a woman’s purse in terms of capacity and variety of items, which from what I hear can have things ranging from Band-Aids to collapsible cups, but it does the job. So my fellow men, on a cold winter day, with your hand in your pockets and head tucked below your collar, rejoice in knowing that you have all you need and possible a little bit more contained in your jacket. You no longer have to stuff your things in your pockets, that is until late spring of course, at which point we’re screwed.

In Honour of Mohamed Bouazizi

Last night I slept a happy man. The news of the day left me and millions of other Arabs reflecting on events we thought we would never see. The brave Tunisians’ protests finally cracked the dictatorship that had ruled them for well over two decades. The president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, was forced out of the country flying from place to place until he finally found refuge in Saudi Arabia. Before going on any further, I think we have to pause and pay tribute for the brave man who gave his life, and started the revolution.

Mohamed Bouazizi’s story is similar to the story of millions across the Arab world, a young man full of potential, let down by his country and forced to make ends meet by way of street vending. He had purchased a farm which was confiscated by corrupt officials. He then turned to street vending where his fruits and vegetables were confiscated repeatedly. Desperate to feed his family, he had borrowed money to buy fruits and vegetable to sell, this time after the police confiscated his wheelbarrow, he went to complain to the Governor. No one listened to him. Enraged, he decided to set himself on fire, dying from his burns on January 4^th. How desperate, and powerless does someone have to feel before going to such measures?

The bravery of Bouazizi was in no doubt the catalyst to the unimaginable change we’re witnessing today. A sweeping change that no one expected. After Tunisia’s protests, others started to protest in Algeria, and Jordan. Could this be the awakening that many had thought, and dreamt about?

Unlike me, the handful of corrupt leaders across the Arab world most likely had a little trouble sleeping last night. The lessons from Tunisia’s revolutions are simple and clear. With today’s technology protests can be organized, documented and broadcasted across the world, by individuals. There’s no need for official media organizations to cover a story, as clearly demonstrated with this revolution. I can’t speak for European media, but North American media stayed largely silent during the past few weeks, a stark contrast to the coverage that Iran’s protests received just months ago.

The second lesson is that the people are not far from the boiling point. This was clearly demonstrated by the protests that erupted in several other countries. Once the protests develop a certain critical mass, it becomes next to impossible to stop them without a massacre. While history shows that massacres are not far from the imagination of certain dictators, the development of technology which I talked about earlier makes their actions impossible to hide.

Another important consequence of the revolution is setting precedence. As Tunisia develops a democratic government, neighbours will want the same. An example has been set now, the steps have been laid out by the brave Tunisians, all that’s missing is the catalyst.

Lastly, Tunisia now serves as a prime example that freedom is not an American export. What the Tunisians did with the deaths of 66 brave protestors, America still hasn’t done with tens of thousands of civilian deaths. Freedom and democracy are not cars and Hollywood movies.

When we reflect on the events of the past few days, let’s not forget the bravery and sacrifice of Bouazizi and the other protesters. You will never be forgotten. You have entered history books from grandest gates.