Stability at the cost of oppression

Watching the Egyptian protests in the wake of what happened in Tunisia does make Malta's battibekk on divorce tame journalistic fodder. Although sympathy is now with the oppressed populace, we have all ignored the plight of the exploited in Egypt and Tunisia and enjoyed cheap holidays there.

Countries notably the USA, which has subsidised Mubarak’s military at the tune of 1.3 billion US dollars a year, can now be making much of the importance of human rights but it is their tear gas being used against the protestors.

Mubarak has enjoyed support from the West because he was seen as keeping Egypt stable and keeping the Muslim Brotherhood strictly controlled, but at what price? The oppression of it’s people has only been given lip service by Western leaders until now and Mubarak’ government received about $30 billion in economic aid from the US besides the support to its armed forces.

But it was not the Muslim Brotherhood that started the revolution, although it has given its full support and the protests gained momentum after prayers on Friday. The Western world is fearful that Muslim fundamentalism is gaining too much ground and is anxious that Egypt, up till now seen as an ally, will become yet another breeding ground for terrorism targeting the West, if the Muslim Brotherhood gain power in the country.

The people of Egypt want Mubarak out, but the West is anxious that the Muslim Brotherhood will overrun the secular Opposition. That is why the message from the White House, while being sympathetic to the people’s uprising is not urging Mubarak to go. The US President spoke to Mubarak after his speech to the Egyptian people, which included "I am absolutely on the side of the freedom of each citizen”.

That statement is as hollow as it is outrageous, yet Barak Obama is still backing Mubarak. "When President Mubarak addressed the Egyptian people tonight he pledged a better democracy and greater economic opportunity. I just spoke to him after his speech and I told him he has a responsibility to give meaning to those words, to take concrete steps and actions that deliver on that promise," he said last Friday.

I am sure that there was a lot more said to Mubarak in that phone call then the US President told us. Meanwhile a Washington Post editorial opined "Rather than calling on an intransigent ruler to implement 'reforms', the administration should be attempting to prepare for the peaceful implementation of the opposition platform."
The problem is that the secular opposition, which the paper supports, has been suppressed for so long that it is has not got a platform. That is the irony of ‘stability’ at the cost of oppression.