Peace is defined as an interval between two wars. If so, then Egypt, with a population of approximately eight crores has enjoyed a very long spell of peace lasting more than 30 years under Anwar Sadat and then under present Hosni Mubarak. Thank God for it. Thank the 1967 six - day war which led to Gamel Abdul Nasser's resignation. However, as could be expected, he was reinstated. He soon died in 1970. America brokered a peace deal with Israel and there was peace.

This peace was again shattered when on January 25, 2011, thousands of people came on to the streets of Cairo and converged at Tahrir Square, probably inspired by what happened in Tunisia where a few days back its incumbent President was forced out of the country for reasons of rampant corruption, unemployment and under - development of the country. Fortunately, Mubarak did not use the army to quell the uprising like Communist China did on June 4, 1989 at Tiananmen Square to quell the uprising by students for democracy, who were inspired by the re - establishment of democracy in Soviet Russia.

It is, however, not clear whether Mubarak was showing his humane face and compassion for the agitating crowds at Tahrir Square or that it was because of the army which was reluctant to suppress the uprising militarily with violence. It is said, one reason could be that in the Egyptian Army, the senior officers are Mubarak's entire ilk and are old. The middle level officers and the soldiers are all young. Naturally, these young officers and soldiers wouldn’t wish to harm the peaceful uprising. Nevertheless, Egypt is on the boil.

Egyptian civilisation is one of the most ancient civilisations in the world with some of the great wonders of the world like the Sphinx, Pyramids and all those temples in the Valley of the Kings at Luxor where now the Aswan High Dam is located. The dam itself is another wonder. Completed by the end of 1969, the dam spans the legendary River Nile — the life line of Egypt. It is over two miles long, rising 365 feet above the river level. Behind it is Lake Nasser, the biggest man - made lake in the world, stretching 314 miles upstream, providing water for Egypt and Sudan.

I had been to Israel some years back with a Holy Land tour group along with my friend Gururaj, a retired Provident Fund Commissioner. Gururaj and I decided to break away from the group and go to Cairo. The problem, as expected, was about getting a visa since we were seeking it from Egypt’s enemy country, Israel. We got over the problem with the help of a highly connected member of our group from Delhi, who knew someone in the Egyptian Embassy. I had great expectations of seeing Cairo being, if not similar to a developed Western city, at least similar to our own New Delhi. Perish the very thought! It was almost like being in Old Delhi and no better!

We went to Giza to see all the Pyramids there and had even entered one through a tunnel - like passage made by thieves who apparently looted the treasures from the burial chambers of the Pharaohs who built these Pyramids. Paul Brunton has written a book about his spending a night alone inside the Pyramid and had described his mystic and ghostly experience which, in my opinion, is nothing but a figment of his imagination to make the book interesting to the readers.

We also visited the famous Cairo museum where we paid an extra entry fee of US $ 15 to see the mummy of famous Pharaoh of Egypt, Rameses II, whom we had seen in the famous film, “Ten Commandments”. Yul Brynner had acted as Rameses II in a manner that had indelibly remained etched in my memory. Indeed it was the extraordinary performance by Yul Brynner of a role that appeared tailor - made for him in every way. Be that as it may, it is sad the present uprising in Egypt had led to the burning of this great heritage museum with invaluable artifacts that were a witness to Egypt's history of thousands of years. I was reminded of how the evil people of the Taliban destroyed many of the thousand - year old Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan. The apprehension is that the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood may also destroy the famous Sphinx of Egypt at Giza. After all it is also a statue like the Bamiyan Buddha. Man creates, man destroys.

The present uprising has indeed dented Arab pride once again, may be beyond redemption for the reason: if Mubarak goes, who comes? It should not be a case of “The tyrant is dead, long live the tyrant”. The fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood which has been playing politics of the Taliban and Al - Qaeda kind ever since the early 20th Century, cannot be the hope for the impoverished Egyptian people for protecting their human rights and giving them democracy, which they hope to get once Hosni Mubarak is removed. After all, we do know what happened first in Afghanistan when the dreaded Taliban was dislodged and also in Iraq.

Small wonder, Egypt had ventured in 1958 under Nasser to project itself as the leader of the Arab world and even had the audacity to go about forming what was called the United Arab Republic (UAR) which was a union of Syria and Egypt with of course, Nasser as its President: the President of UAR. Nasser had also dreamed of bringing into the fold of UAR, the other Arab countries like Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. Not surprisingly, soon the Syrians disliked the Egyptian hegemony and in 1961, broke away from UAR.

Paradoxically, the only rallying point for Arab countries to live in peace among themselves was their common hatred for Israel. Not surprisingly, it was said in jest that if the Arabs are not fighting among themselves, that’s because they are busy fighting the Israelis. Let it be.

Right now a spectre is seen haunting Egypt — the spectre of Muslim Brotherhood. Therefore, though the uprising might be an anti - corruption movement, an agitation against unemployment and poverty, the choice before the agitating people is between another autocrat like Hosni Mubarak or the Muslim Brotherhood. Democracy remains a dream.

According to Egypt watchers, the present situation is likely to lead to the supremacy of Israel in West Asia, even if the United States’ role in Egypt might suffer a setback.

Surprisingly, some newspapers have taken sides. Some are pro - Mubarak. One newspaper even went to the extent of giving good counsel to the protestors saying, "Hold on." Whatever might be the outcome of this uprising, one thing is very clear that all the autocrats and their minions are worried about their positions. What will happen to them in the future? After all they are the very ones who precipitated the chaos by their corruption and mal - administration.

The poor people of Egypt are indeed worried of the dangers inherent in the uprising, which may replace Mubarak the autocrat, by another autocrat called “Muslim Brotherhood”, the fundamentalists. The young of the present Egypt, it is reported, are disgusted with the present government's dispensation where they have to bribe their way to get jobs. But they have no money to bribe.

It is indeed strange that every Arab country that was created after the dismantling of the Ottoman Empire following World War I, wants to become the centre of the Arab world, just as the Egypt under Nasser had wanted. Ironically, looking at the Arab countries at present, it seems that unwittingly, the Arab countries are enabling Israel to become the centre of the Arab world — West Asia (which the West calls Middle - East).

Right now, the people's movement seen on the streets of Egypt does not seem to be about religion at all, but about making Mubarak quit. However the fear of the Muslim Brotherhood taking over seems to be at the back of their minds. It is also said that the cause of the present uprising is in the failure of the Mubarak government in utilising the American aid for economic development and instead, siphoning off that money for military and security. It is fortuitous the Egyptian Army right now is ostentatiously neutral and it is said that the only organised institution of Egypt today is the army which is sustained, as mentioned earlier, by American funds.

Mr. T. J. S. George, the well - known journalist, author and columnist, writes in the Sunday Express (February 6) about what he calls, “Cairo revolution” and says, criticising America in a subtle way for what is happening in Egypt: "No force can stop the human mind’s natural yearning for freedom and some dignity. That is why a barefoot army in Vietnam defeated history’s mightiest military machine. But fools never learn."

Yes Mr. George, you are right. But let us also remember the time - tested saying, “Fortune favours fools”. America, in truth, is not after military victories outside America, it is after seeking fortune through war on another’s land. It is after business not only in military hardware but also in many other items. In many countries America itself is not involving in wars but creating war - like situations between countries, for example as between India and Pakistan or between Cambodia and Thailand. As a result America's military and other hardware industries are kept busy, creating a fortune for itself while other fools never learn. India has recently purchased from America six C - 130 Super Hercules transport aircraft at an estimated cost of US $ 4 billion and also 10 super long transporters C - 17 for some more billion dollars.

And finally, though I am not Nostradamus, I may venture to make a prophesy: This eruption, call it uprising, may disappear for now after a few days. However, it may appear in a more severe and violent form sooner or later as it often happens in all Muslim - Arab countries.

Sting – in – the - tail:
Unlike Iranians in 1979, who did not have an example to fear the Sharia law, the Egyptians have before them the example of the Iranian people who opted for Sharia and have lived to regret it.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali
who works to protect the rights of Muslim women

Courtesy: Star of Mysore

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