Tahrir Republic To ‘Try’ Mubarak

By Ahmed Al-Jarallah

Ashen-faced former Egyptian president denies charges of corruption and complicity in the killing of protesters.EGYPTIAN TV

Egypt has been witnessing a never-ending chaos since Feb 11, 2011. The situation has weakened Egypt on the political front because it has given concessions to some ‘protesters’ without considering the impact of such acts on the majority of the Egyptians since the ouster of the former president Hosni Mubarak, who will be tried soon by the Criminal Court to satisfy a few. The obvious question is: ‘On what grounds will Hosni Mubarak be tried and prosecuted? Hosni Mubarak is not Saddam Hussein who left behind dozens of mass graves. He is not Muammar Gaddafi who has gone underground and unleashed terror to burn Libya due to his illusions of leadership. Hosni Mubarak is not Bashar al-Assad, whose security forces have terrorized and killed the Syrians just because they demanded reforms and freedom.

Hosni Mubarak is not one of those who butchered people to remain in power. He has not committed any crime for which he can be punished. On the contrary, Mubarak has given in to the demands of the people by choosing the road towards the peaceful transition of power. This incident must be recorded in his favor, in addition to his achievements while he was in power. The trial of Hosni Mubarak comes on the heels of the terrible Salafi demonstration, which was viewed by millions of people in Egypt and the world last Friday. This incident shows the ‘Republic of Tahrir Square’ is holding the reins of power.

This is the only place in the world where the affairs of the state are managed from street corners and public squares. The protests and sit-ins have become the daily bread for the Egyptians and have disrupted production and paralyzed the institutions. The dictators of the ‘Republic of Tahrir Square’ have destroyed the state because they want to make illicit gains by controlling the decisions of the Military Council which, at the moment, are being criticized by sensible people. The former president served as the commander-in-chief of Egypt’s Air Force during the famous 1973 October War, which made the Egyptian Army proud once again. How can the Military Council succumb to blackmail and bow to the demands of the demonstrators and agree to put the former president on trial? Does this mean the trial of the Military Council itself?

Yes, mistakes may have been committed, but then again no one is infallible because only those who work make mistakes. The former Egyptian president is among those who have devoted their lives in the service of their countries. This is why he did not flee the country or run away from the prosecution. He intends to face whatever comes his way. It will not be long before people realize that his accomplishments far outweigh his mistakes. All campaigns to unearth Mubarak’s illegal bank assets all over the world have failed. He has come out unscathed because he is innocent.

-This commentary was published in The Arab Times on 03/08/2011
-Ahmed Al-Jarallah is the editor-in-chief of The Arab Times and the Kuwaiti Arab daily Assyassah