Cairo

I no longer have my hand tied behind my back. The future now seems filled with light. Mona Anis, editor-in-chief for culture for the Al Ahram Weekly (the weekly supplement for the pro-government Egyptian daily English language newspaper Al Ahram) was until recently ready to leave her job. Now instead she wants to stay on. The revolt started by young Egyptians has infected everyone and she too wants to be part of it. “The atmosphere is lighter in the news room ever since the news came that the leaders of the trade union for Egyptian journalists had been replaced,” explained the journalist who analyses the Egyptian revolution at her Twitter address @monaanis – “This is an important result considering the violence and intimidation addressed at journalists, and not only Egyptian ones, during the protests.” The leaders of the Egyptian journalists’ trade union had been accused in particular of not having done enough to ensure the truth emerged about the death of Al Ahram’s reporter, Ahmed Mohammed Mahmoud.

In her untidy office on the ninth floor of a building in central Cairo, used entirely by the newspapers offices, Mona Anis lights a cigarette and stares at a pile of parcels filled with books that is on her desk. Then she shows me a photograph of herself, standing in front of a tank, taken that very morning with her iPhone. She looks at me and smiles. Then she says, “I will stay on as the editor-in-chief for culture of this magazine (founded 138 years ago, Editor’s note) because now I can really do my job as a journalist, I can be the conscience of Egypt and also the rest of the Arab world.” These winds of change are not only affecting the traditional press, but also the world of bloggers, “who, together with young activists on Facebook and Twitter, played a decisive role in launching these protests.” Mona Anis emphasises the fact that a number of bloggers have suddenly decided to reveal their identities. “At last we have discovered who Sandmonkey is (a well-known online activist who during the protests was arrested and then released after being beaten up by security forces, Editor’s note). His name is Mahmoud Salem, and he is 49-years-old. He is not a young man as many believed.”

“These young people have surprised us. We did not think the protests would last more than a couple of days,” continues Mona Anis, who believes that an important role was played by the Islamic movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, (banned but tolerated by authorities in Cairo) which quickly organized aid for the protesters in Tahrir Square. “That is what frightened the authorities most. This spirit of cooperation and solidarity that transversally involved the young from many different social backgrounds, and with different political and social beliefs.” According to this journalist, activists belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood are no more than 20% of the population. However, should they have a majority in the new parliament, she would not be worried. “We do not want to be governed by a religious party. This 20% of Islamic activists is opposed by an identical number of secular Egyptians who do not wish to see the Muslim Brotherhood in power. But this organisation has existed in Egypt since 1928. The repression inflicted on its member in these past years has not dissolved the movement. So, if we want to be a democratic state, we must accept the possibility that they may be chosen by the people to govern the country,” insists the journalist, who grew up in an Egyptian Muslim upper class family and spent long periods abroad. “In Tahrir Square we saw them praying and not shouting propaganda slogans in favour of the imposition of Shari’a (Islamic Law, editor’s note)”.

As far as the transition period that will take Egypt to new presidential and general election is concerned, Mona Anis expresses her concern. There is one point one should reflect on, “I honestly believe that the people will be capable of choosing a new leader, if more concrete issues are addressed. Most Egyptians nowadays support the representatives of the movement (not a political party, but a cartel of activists led by the April 6th and Kifaya movements) that sparked this revolution, and I do think that what has happened so far in Egypt should be called a revolution. But greater commitment is required to recreate national consensus regards to the institutions. According to the English daily newspaper The Guardian, Mubarak’s assets are worth $70 billion, while the Egyptian people are starving.” Mona Anis, who reminds me she took part in the 1972 protests during Anwar Sadat’s presidency (with Mubarak as Vice President until he was assassinated in 1981), tells me that thanks to this revolution, she has finally understood the meaning of book written by Egyptian author Tawfiq Al Hakim, entitled “awdat al ruh”, which in English means “The Return of the Spirit.” For over thirty years, Egypt remained a sleeping spirit,” she explained., “Then the country reawakened and no one was able to stop it.” In this new era too it will probably remain a leader in the region.

Translated by Francesca Simmons