Did the January revolution die?

The anniversary of the January revolution came this year and with it came the dreams of the Egyptians who took to the streets on the same day five years ago demanding freedom, human dignity and social justice. They staged a sit-in in Tahrir Square for 18 days demanding the fall of the regime until the president stepped down. We were happy, we thought we had triumphed. We danced, sang and chanted. This is the big trap we all fell into: the regime sacrificed only its president in order to live on with its deep roots which gripped the authority and the institutions of the deep state.

We were distracted by our false victory while the regime continued to plan, since that moment, to pounce on our new-born revolution and circumvent its noble goals. Since that day, January 25, they started planning the counter-revolution, and we all swallowed their bait. When I say all, I do not exclude anyone from this statement. The Islamists were happy with their seats in parliament and this distracted them from reading the events that were taking place on the ground and from looking into their true purpose and the unmistakable plotting and scheming taking place. However, the elation of the false victory blinded their eyes and blanked their minds, so they were unaware of the plotting taking place behind the scenes and in the dark rooms of the Egyptian, Arab and American intelligence agencies.

What happened, happened, and the plotting worked out and they attacked the people’s revolution. They were able to detain their elected president and most of its honourable figures and leaders; they stomped all over the revolution’s goals, exercised brutality, oppression and intimidation, and put their media machine to work. This is considered their most important weapon in their counter-revolution against the January 25 Revolution, considering it an American plot to overthrow Egypt and betray all of its symbols. One Member of Parliament even went as far as to propose that the month of January be removed from the calendar, and that the year start with the month of February.

Did you see how low the supporters of the coup have sunk? Another MP refused to take an oath on the constitution because it mentions the January 25 Revolution. In the days leading up to the honourable revolution’s fifth anniversary, the pro-coup television stations began terrorising and intimidating the people to prevent them from taking to Tahrir Square, warning them that their fate would be death and harm.

An unprecedented state of fear, intimidation and terror has spread across Egypt, and the state of panic and concern amongst the coup-led government drove it to block the squares with tanks and fill the streets with soldiers and police officers. We must admit that this security campaign or attack served its purpose as many Egyptians who were planning to take to the streets were intimidated and all the civil trends, with no exceptions, stayed at home. The April 6 Youth Movement announced that they would wear black and stay home, but they didn’t tell us if they were also planning on wearing black veils on their head.

However, only the Islamic trend, specifically the Muslim Brotherhood, took it upon themselves to take to the streets to regain the revolution which was stolen from them. They were not intimidated by the tanks and their bullets; it only gave them more hope, perseverance and determination to carry on until they achieve victory.

They are the true rebels who are not afraid and who are sure that God will carry them to victory. They are the ones who give us hope that the January 25 Revolution will not die and its goals will never be buried, no matter how much the tyrants and oppressors try. Good must triumph in the end; evil cannot go on, no matter how long it has survived. This is God’s fate for the world and there can be no other fate than God’s.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.