(Last week we posted an article by Brother Milad Yacoub, a young Egyptian Assumptionist entitled "Christian and Arab -- Is It Possible to be Both?" In the present interview Brother Milad shares several observations on his country, the current political situation, and his own dreams.)

Question 1: Br. Milad, you are an Egyptian Christian who is now living in France. Do you still have family members in Egypt and how often are you able to visit? 

My two parents live in Cairo, Egypt, 15 minutes away from the pyramids. My brother and his wife, expecting their second baby, are back in Egypt after several years spent in Qatar. I am always in contact with my family via phone and Internet and I go back there every two years.

Question 2: Have you heard from them since the current uprising has occurred and, if so, what are they saying about the situation?

During the crisis period, we were in contact daily. Every night we discussed the evolution of the situation. Some days were full of hope, others with fright. In the beginning, security was lacking and they feared that robbers would break into their flat. But the day when Mubarak announced his resignation, all fears turned to joy.

Question 3: From your experience, could you help our readers understand the background of this uprising?

Mubarak came to power in 1981. All young generations, which represent more than 50% of the population, don’t know any president other than him. Mubarak’s regime was founded on big lies, saying that it is democratic and transparent but in reality it was corrupt, claiming  that no one other but Mubarak was fit to lead the country despite being 82 years old. With Internet and some press freedom, many people started to understand those lies and got connected. People massively boycotted all elections. Mubarak kept saying that Egypt was in the best possible situation thanks to his regime, but people started to have real aspirations for freedom and democracy. Blogs, Facebook and Twitter allowed many young people to think together. After the most recent events in Tunisia, suddenly more young people started to believe that change could be brought soon via organized and massive protests.

Question 4: What do you think about the current resolution of the conflict?

I am full of joy and hope. Protestors wouldn’t accept half measures and Mubarak had to accept this, but till the end he seemed not to understand. It is not only him as a person but the entire corrupted regime that ended with him. Now the country can start a new page in its history with a new constitution and a better system. No one can give people democracy, neither their own governors nor a foreign state. Only people themselves can achieve real democracy. What happened in Egypt is a real peaceful and civilized revolution from the grassroots.

Question 5: Some people are afraid that the Muslim Brotherhood will use this situation to eventually establish an Islamist regime as in Iran? Is that possible?  How would that affect your country since their stated objective is to "establish shariah law and to fight for universal jihad"?

Protestors kept saying “we don’t want it to be religious, we don’t want it to be military, we want it to be civil”. The revolution was not led by MB. They participated without trying to have the leading role and respected all other protestors from all political and religious tendencies. They also said clearly that they don’t want to be in power and they won’t have a candidate in the future presidential elections. I must say that Mubarak’s regime always exaggerated  the risk of MB. Up till now their attitude has been appropriate and there is no reason to fear. We have to remain optimistic about the future. I think that Mubarak’s regime is in part responsible for the violent attitude of some Islamic movements, not the MB but others, because of an oppression that didn’t allow them to express themselves other than violently. In a real democracy, all religious tendencies are welcomed and should be respected as far as they respect others.

Question 6: As an Egyptian Christian, have you heard whether Christians in general are participating in these demonstrations?

Yes, Christians were among protestors. Even though Egyptian Christians generally are not known to participate sufficiently in political life, this time they were there. We saw photos showing cooperation between Christians and Muslims protecting each others during prayer times. Thank God that this happened because it guarantees that Christians will not be put aside in future political life. The Coptic Church, the largest in Egypt, tried to advise young people not to participate, but fortunately many of them kept demonstrating.

Br. Milad, many thanks for taking the time to share your reflections with us. May God be with you and your country.