The Farewell of the Century: the Second Departure of Mubarak

Salma Ahmed

Editor-In-Chief

Tuesday morning news outlets reported the passing of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. 

His passing away was received on all ends of the spectrum, those who mourned his death, those who believed he is not worth all the media attention but the main reaction was that of people complaining about the traffic jams that will ensue the following day, the day of his funeral.  

Even dead, he seems to be causing inconveniences.  

Social media flooded with people expressing their opinions on the man, their oppressed opinions that went years unheard. 

Then, there were those who were crying standing outside the Tantawi mosque, where the funeral was held, or at least media outlets said so. It is hard to believe that after all the misery he had caused the country, people still chose to shed tears because of his departure. 

“Love him or hate him, I grew up with him as president and spent my adult life forced to look up to him and his many achievements,” my mom said. 

It seems that her generation was the most impacted by the former president’s death. Those just tasting adulthood, however, fail to see the man’s appeal. 

After having gone through the “trial of the century,” Mubarak ended up passing away with his name cleared of all accusations. He died a “hero” despite all he had done, all the corruption he had caused and all the lives he ended, directly or indirectly. 

The former president destroyed Egyptians’ concept of “democracy,” he led them to believe that it is a made-up concept which led to actual democracy becoming a scarce and rare implication in the country. From schools to households, authoritarianism disguised as democracy became the norm. 

Despite all the misery he caused the citizens of Egypt, he did one thing right that cannot be forgotten. He led Egypt to speak up, shout out loud and break its silence. 

In the past few decades, the press hinted at the “money talks” mindset; no matter what injustice took place, you could find your way out of it. Even taking a life became something one could get away with, if there was enough money to be exchanged, and power or knowing the “right people.”

Mubarak’s 30-year rule was all some people knew growing up. My generation, 20-something-year-olds now, would spend their time listening to stories about the good old days, back when Egypt was where the celebrities would come to make it big. Or the days when sexual harassment wasn’t a lurking threat on most Egyptian streets. 

Those good old days, that parents and grandparents love to preach about, often refer to the time of former President Anwar Sadat in office, implying that Mubarak’s rule put an end to the glory days. 

Unfortunately, no matter how much time passes, Mubarak’s era will remain talked about and discussed. The good thing is that despite all the support he seems to be getting he will go down in history as “the Egyptian President who was forced to stand down after days of protests against him”.

Death is no excuse for someone’s wrongdoings to be erased. Call it lack of empathy or inhumane all you want, but Mubarak does not deserve to go down a hero when he was anything but. 

Personally, I took Mubarak’s death like I would any public figure I had no knowledge of, except all the bitterness and anger I once felt about him resurfaced.

It was during his time as president that I doubted my own country, my homeland. He was the reason I wished to flee and never come back. He was the reason when all would talk of how much they miss their homelands, I would shake my head and state that I was happier elsewhere. 

I would walk around another country and be amazed by the lack of garbage and the lack of harassment no matter how short my dress happened to be. “Egypt was once like that,” my mom would say, over and over again. 

She would fail to reply when I ask her what changed, but as I grew up I came to realize the answer is fairly simple, Mubarak’s era.  

During that time, Egypt became the land of the rich and famous, destroying everyone else in the process, the majority of whom live below the poverty line, with many still illiterate, and the majority of whom fail to see that the power of meritocracy over inheritance of power.   

May he rest in peace and may he answer for what had become of Egypt over a whole generation.