Egypt’s people have shown that they are no longer afraid to fight against the three-decade authoritarian rule of Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak. This is not surprising, as history has shown us that eventually citizens will fight back against this type of governmental rulership. What does come, as a huge surprise to many, is the role of Egyptian women.
One young woman who has become the face of the uprising is 26-year-old Asmaa Mahfouz. Approximately 2 weeks ago, Ms. Mahfouz posted a video online that soon went viral. In the video Ms. Mahfouz states, “As long as you say there is no hope, then there will be no hope, but if you go down and take a stance, then there will be hope.”
Ms. Mahfouz’s actions are certainly not the first time an activist has utilized the Internet as a tool to organize and inspire change. Yoani Sánchez of Cuba has had a well-organized Internet posse to help her publish her blog and expose abuses that occur in Cuba. But in a society such as Egypt, where women are expected to behave in a very reserved manner; this was more then just a bold move. Ms. Mahfouz could have faced both legal action and societal shun. Unfazed by those possibilities, she encouraged others with simple but moving words “Do not be afraid.” To her surprise, dozens of other people began to post their own pictures and videos.
Asmaa Mahfouz is one of the founders of the April 6 Youth Movement. Founded in 2008 the organization consists of bloggers and citizen journalists who utilizeFacebook, Twitter, Flickr, blogs and other media tools to alert their networks about police activity, organize legal protection and draw attention to their efforts.
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