A Salute to Egypt, by Mahnaz Badihian

These days, I feel as though I am holding onto the destiny of my country alongside the people of Egypt on the streets of Cairo. The sight of these scenes both worries me and fills me with happiness, evoking a range of emotions within me.

I worry that the revolution and uprising of these people might be co-opted, and I fear that if Mubarak leaves, someone else may step into his shoes and lead Egypt down a bitter path, as seen in Iran.

Yet, I am also elated that the people have gained the power to rise together, hand in hand, transcending class and ideology, all in pursuit of their rights.

The unknown feeling within me is a wondering about Egypt’s future. The lesson learned from the Iranian revolution in 1979 is that people must maintain their unity, regardless of ideology or other divisions, to prevent any single ideology from seizing control of the revolution.

Ultimately, governance should be determined by the people themselves, not by religion, the military, or any other entity. If the people do not stand together with one voice and support each other, the discordant sounds of division may be easily silenced. Despite the sacrifices and efforts of the people, they could find themselves in a situation that Iran has known all too well over the past 30 years—a place where the people’s voices are suppressed, and any form of protest leads to execution.

I have expressed these sentiments to the people of Egypt through my poem, and I dedicate this poem to the courageous people of Egypt.

To the dignified people of the pyramids,

In these turbulent days,

where the scent of blood and gunpowder lingers in the shadows,

In these times when destiny revolves around the pyramids,

above the Nile River and the sacred sky,

encompassing Cairo and Alexandria,

seeking refuge. Where protest songs take flight,

Destiny hovers nearby,

In the hope of discovering a secure haven for the street children,

for empty stomachs,

and all those voices of freedom silenced in throats for decades.

Salute to Egypt! Which steadily and unhurriedly moves ahead,

where the doves of joy pay no heed to left or right,

up or down, and only fix their gaze on the radiant horizon,

a place where all birds soar together,

for that sip of water and a handful of seeds.