by Sangeeta Deogawanka

Created on: February 05, 2011

5th February 2011

Rising insurgency in Egypt aimed at ousting of President Hosni Mubarak, has once again brought international focus to the Middle East.. The Friday turnout of a massive 100,000 strong demonstration in a follow-up to successive days of violent clashes, is seen to be the voice of the nation.

With twelve days of protests, rioting and demonstrations, the pro-democracy and Mubarak step-down rallying takes the form of a powerful movement likely to shape the Middle East geopolitics for a while.

A suspected sabotage attempt that erupted in a massive explosion setting off fires, caused tension all over the world, till a report refuted it as a deliberate act, explaining it as a gas pipeline leakage. An escape from an assassination attempt on the Vice-President, speaks of the instability of the country as violent protests and clashing factions threaten to takeover from the authoritarian military.

As Cairo becomes a throbbing nerve-centre of  revolt, with strong potential of spiralling laterally, the international community has been urged to take note. In a situation of historic American xenophobia, the anti-Mubarak protests in New York on Saturday is an indicator of a latent jittery psyche emerging. Protests in various parts of the world,  empathising with the Egyptians are an indicator of the mercural disposition of Middle-East politics.  The corollary increase in price of oil and food across the region and Gaza strip, is an indicator of times to come, as an instable Government in the region could spell disaster for the entire Africa-Arab region.
 
Orchestrated attacks at journalists and attempts to control the Al Jazeera are just the tip of an iceberg. Apprehension of contextual ramifications - steep rise in oil prices and far-reaching implications in the Gulf region cannot be ignored. Whereas Egypt had maintained a balance on the tightrope of political Islam, it remains to be seen how the evolving scenario places Egypt on the Islamic Brotherhood map.

The African context of these uprisings cannot be ignored either. With poverty and repression ruling many African nations, where Islam is increasingly becoming a powerful political and social force in countries like Chad, Kenya and Nigeria, the effect of the Tunisia and Egypt uprisings cannot be treated in isolation. Analysts believe the Suez Canal trading corridor will remain unaffected. However, as the pulse of insurgency touches Jordan and Yemen with more instances of revolt expected to spread across the continent, fear of Egypt's story being replicated elsewhere is uppermost. Broad-based civil movements against authoritarianism such as in Egypt may just be the precursor to an era of wide-spread uprising in the Islamic African-Arab world.

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