Sunday, February 27, 2011

The Real Hero – Wael Ghonim


Wael Ghonim is a 30 years old man who was behind the successful Egyptian revolution. He is working as a marketing executive for Google, the search engine. Outside of office hours, he started a Facebook page that provided a platform for the revolution. The Facebook page ‘We all are Khaled Said’, named after a businessman who was beaten to death by the Egyptian police, was a pivotal cog of the recent revolution.
With a membership of around three lakhs, the page drove the revolution. The FB page apprised the Egyptians about the state atrocities. His page played an unprecedented role in organizing protests and rallies in different parts of Egypt. As a consequence of his actions, he was arrested and taken into police custody for 12 days.

After his release from the custody, Wael appeared on TV. His emotional appeals to the people in a TV interview inspired thousands of people to participate in the protest against government. Even though the revolution has been a leaderless movement, Wael could well be regarded as a silent leader.

On February 8, Wael spoke at Tahrir square, the heartland of Egyptian revolution. He appealed to the people to not give up their resistance against the government. After his public appearance, the protest gained momentum. More people started gathering at the square. Police and army failed to curb the increasing participation. Few were killed in clashes with police. Despite the threat from the state, people remained firm.

As a result, Egyptians successfully ousted years of aristocratic rule. They overthrew the tyrant government out of their land. President Hosini Mubarak resigned and handed over the power to the military. The military has assured the people, that it will bring democratic form of governance by conducting elections as soon as possible.

Wael said, “People who sacrificed their life for freedom are the heroes. I am not.”
“Egypt above all” says Wael, the 30 years old man who defeated 30 years old dictatorship.                

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