Kameel Majdali's Road Ahead

  It is almost like watching a game of dominoes. One after another, various Arab nations are going through national upheaval. It all started with the self-immolation of an aggrieved man in Tunisia, who had been gratuitously slapped by a policewoman. His tragic death kick-started the ‘Jasmine Revolution,’ resulting in the deposing of their long-time leader   President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Algeria, Yemen, Bahrain, and Jordan began to experience civil unrest. Then 18 days of protest in Egypt succeeded in dislodging one of the Middle East’s longest serving heads of state, President Hosni Mubarak. He had been at the helm for nearly 30 years but after 18 days he was gone. King Abdullah II of Jordan has sacked his prime minister and replaced him. Now Libya is going through the greatest upheaval of all ... and the most savage reprisal. Libya has become synonymous with its mercurial leader, Mu’ammar Gadaffi (his name has various English transliterations, eg. Qaddafi). After he s...

Cairo, February 11, 2011 : A day that neither Egypt nor the world would ever forget. Recently appointed Egyptian Vice-President Omar Suleiman made the breath-taking announcement the entire nation had been waiting to hear. President Muhammad Hosni Mubarak, the man who had ruled Egypt for nearly thirty years, was stepping down from power. This man with the iron grip, who seemed as immovable as the ancient Sphinx itself, was toppled from power after only 18 days of protest. The scenes of jubilation are reminiscent of the heady days 25 years ago when ‘Filipino People Power’ led to the overthrow of President Ferdinand Marcos and the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall which lead to the   liberation of Eastern Europe. Upon hearing the news, the nation erupted in a delirious display of joy. From Alexandria to Cairo to Suez, the move was triumphant, exhilarating, and ecstatic, with soldiers and civilians standing hand-in-hand while fireworks lighted the sky. There were many refrains like (some...

By now you have probably noticed that America celebrated the 100th birthday the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan (1911-2004). The date was February 6, 2011. While it is good to honour a leader, Reagan was more than your average leader. He will be rated up there with Washington, Lincoln, and Roosevelt. What made Reagan a great leader? When Ronald Reagan entered the White House on 20 January 1981, America was in a  big national slump. The economy was troubled, the nation had been humiliated by an Iran hostage crisis that lasted 444 days, and morale was low in the wake of the Vietnam debacle. Reagan came on the scene and, like Nehemiah of old, lifted the nation’s spirit to a new and higher level. This was due in no small part to his reputation as ‘The Great Communicator.’ America’s ‘Communicator-in-Chief’ had an amazing ability to connect with Americans of all ages, despite being nearly 70 years old at the time of his inauguraiton. Focusing on the US economy, he ...

It has dominated the headlines for days. ‘Egypt Protests’ ‘Violent Protests Escalate Outside Egypt’s Capital’ ‘Egypt on the Edge as Demonstrations Turn Violent’ ‘Egypt Protest: Social Networking Sites blocked, Journalists Beaten                                                         ‘More than 100 killed in Egypt Protests’                                                       ‘Israel Shows Its Anxiety At Protests in Egypt’ Egypt is in a political upheaval not seen since the ‘Bread Riots’ of 1977. Following after the ‘jasmine revolution’ in Tunisia, Egyptians are taking to the streets en masse to demand the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, who has ruled this nation for nearly 30 years. Mubar...