Day of Deliverance!

If only we would have known—but really, NO one could have imagined this!

11 February, 2011
After prayer (12:30p.m.) we spent most of the day inside, not knowing what was going to happen, but expecting the worse. More people were protesting than ever before. They were in front of the National TV station, the Presidential Palace, Parliament and other major squares downtown. The T.V. stayed on most of the day but nothing really happened.

By early evening word had spread that Mubarak was in Sharm el Sheik, a resort town in the Sinai. Half believed it. Questions began to circulate, why would he leave Cairo? Should we expect another Tiananmen tonight? Did he just not care anymore? Was Suliman in power? A few hours later Suliman was to appear.

I sat next to my friend’s sister in the small sitting room, his parents were sleeping. CNN streamed in Suliman from National T.V. I don’t even remember the first words/sentence but within less than 30 seconds the CNN interpreter monotonous voice quickly gave way to incredibility, “He stepped down. Hee Stepped down. MUBARAK STEPPED DOOWN!” Not even the reporter could hide his disbelief (and I would like to think, his excitement!) I grabbed her arm and squealed with delight! I guess it was more than delight as I woke up his parents. I ran to change to street clothes again and call my protest buddy to come and get me— time to party!

Tahrir was incredible! Really, beyond description. Flags, music, people jumping, people hugging…actually, it was kind of like a mosh-pit too. If it wasn’t for the fact that I was surrounded by four guys I easily could have been trampled but it was a PARTY!

In 2002, when I was living in Brazil and Brazil won the World Cup it really felt like the country exploded with excitement. Nationalism was personified and I thought I would never feel such an incredible feeling again. Well, for a normally apathetic population to unite and mobilize to topple a three decade long, oppressive regime totally surpassed that feeling from Brazil! For the first time in a long time, people exercised their rights to Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Expression, Freedom of Assembly and true democracy—and they did it all PEACEFULLY… it brings tears to my eyes.

My words cannot do justice to feelings of empowerment, pride, relief, belief in power of people that night…there are plenty of videos on Facebook, Youtube and other internet pages that attempt it…
It was a truly incredible feeling…one I’ll never forget and hopefully never again take for granted.