4 February 2011 Last updated at 15:19 GMT Arab media view Egypt 'earthquake'
A portrait of President Mubarak is left behind by demonstrators Time for change in Egypt? As events in Egypt continue to dominate media coverage across the Middle East and beyond, Arab commentators ponder the impact of Egyptian developments on the wider region. Whatever their view of what might happen next, most agree that events on the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities constitute an "earthquake" for the Arab world. Many see "winds of change" at work and speak of a "revolution" taking place. Abd-al-Aziz Gurmul in Algeria's El-Khabar The maps are changing and the people's power is breaking the steel ring of fear. An entire generation is moving towards another future. From Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen and tomorrow Libya, Morocco and Algeria, the earth is shaking for the Arab police states due to the people's protests, civil disobedience and strikes calling for the removal of governments. Editorial by Yusuf al-Kublit in Saudi Al-Riyadh [Egypt's] earthquake is laying the foundations of a new map!... We are facing a variable that changes in consecutive tremors. This time the West cannot place the Soviet east at the forefront and neither can Arab journalists and politicians claim that these are conspiracies plotted by the West. This is because what is taking place is tension that has exploded at a moment that has not been planned, which is an issue that will have major consequences for all. Shafiq Nazim al-Ghabra in pan-Arab Al-Hayat The winds of change in Egypt will blow all over the Arab world, carrying with them a new Arab generation which is searching for a secure and free life and participation in the building of democratic civil states. The generation of "Facebook", the internet, globalization, freedoms and participation is knocking at the doors of all Arab countries. Abd-al-Bari Atwan in pan-Arab Al-Quds Al-Arabi The situation in Egypt is very confusing, but one thing that is very clear is that President Husni Mubarak has refused to respond to the demands of the overwhelming majority of the Egyptian people to leave his post... If only the Egyptian president, his army and allies would immediately emulate the Tunisian example as there is no shame in this. Editorial in Saudi Arabi's Arab News The demand for change in parts of the Arab world is deafening and has to be heard. But stability, security and effective government are also fundamental rights which the public demand. We have seen in Egypt and Tunisia where people's immediate concerns lay when the looting started. In Iraq and Somalia the absence of stability and security has had far more devastating consequences. It must not be allowed to happen elsewhere. Change must be managed in a way that guarantees stability. Muhiyadin al-Muhammad in Syria's Al-Thawrah What happened, and is still happening, in Egypt is the natural outcome of a policy of ignoring the people and allowing others to violate the sovereignty, national interests and national security of Egypt and the [entire Arab] nation. Samir al-Hajawi in Jordan's Al-Ra'y In spite of all these rapid developments what is happening in Tahrir Square remains the determining factor and the decision of the youth in Tahrir Square will remain the decisive one in the coming hours. It is a decision that is open to all possibilities. Jalal Amin in Lebanon's Al-Safir The explosion by the Egyptian people that began on Tuesday 25 January and is still going on for the ninth consecutive day is not an uprising caused by hunger, as many think, but an uprising of angry people. The anger is very clear on the faces of the protesters. Ahmad Abd-al-Malik in the UAE's Al-Ittihad Have the Egyptian people conveyed their message to other Arab governments and people, similar to what happened in Tunisia? And will the message be received positively? As events in Egypt continue to dominate media coverage across the Middle East and beyond, Arab commentators ponder the impact of Egyptian developments on the wider region. BBC Monitoring selects and translates news from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. It is based in Caversham, UK, and has several bureaux abroad ------------------------------------ Post message: [email protected] Subscribe : [email protected] Unsubscribe : [email protected] List owner : [email protected] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
