KUWAIT, Feb 6 (Kuwait Times): Leaning on a wall in an internet caf� in Farwaniya, Mohammed waited anxiously for an available computer in order to communicate with his family in his strife-torn homeland. Egyptian expatriates in Kuwait are anxiously watching developments, fearing that their nation is sliding into an interminable cycle of anarchy and political turmoil. "We don't really know where this is heading to. Things are getting out of hand. Only Allah can save us now," said Mohamed Tarek, a teacher. Many of the Egyptian expatriates interviewed in this report are of the same opinion.
Meanwhile, Kuwaiti authorities have threatened 'strict measures' against any form of protest amid the chaos in Egypt. Squeezed both in their homeland and in Kuwait, Egyptians have resorted to the internet to make their voices heard. "This [the internet] is the only way we can make our voices heard. I can't protest here [Kuwait] and those protesting in Egypt are not safe either," said Ahmed Farouk, a 34-year-old Medical Lab scientist. "Although I don't like Mubarak, forcing him out at this time will leave Egypt with a vacuum and this will be very bad for Egypt, with Iran and Hezbollah warming up to turn Egypt into another Lebanon.
Protesters have swamped the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities since Jan 25 calling for an end to Mubarak's 30-year reign. "When you push a man to the wall, he will have no other option than to start pushing you back. This is exactly what is happening in Egypt. Mubarak has pushed us [the Egyptian people] to the wall and this is the only way we can get out from his draconian rule," Mohammed insisted.
Not all feel this way, however. Nasser Ali, an ardent Mubarak's supporter blasted the anti-Mubarak protesters, accusing them of being Iranian agents. "Can't you see the Iranian trail in these protests?" he asked. "For Iran to openly support the protesters shows that there is another angle to this whole cycle of violence. I wish the good people of Egypt would realize this now before it is too late. Let us not forget so soon that this same Iranian regime that is now supporting the anti-Mubarak protesters crushed the anti-Ahmadinejad protesters last year. Who are they trying to deceive?
Iran's supreme leader on Friday praised what he called an "Islamic liberation movement" in the Arab world, advising the Egyptian and Tunisian people to unite around their religion against the West. In his first public comments on the popular uprisings in the region, Ayatollah Khamenei said that the 1979 Iranian revolution, which deposed the US-backed shah and established an Islamic Republic, could serve as a pattern for the Arab uprisings.
The Ayatollah's comments have sparked numerous reactions in the region with moderates questioning his motives. Commenting on Iran, Shameh Abdul accused the Iranian regime of trying to hijack the Egyptian protests and use them for its own gains. "Iran needs revolution more than Egypt!" he asserted. "Iran's regime is oppressing the Iranian people more than Mubarak's government, so I don't understand what the Ayatollah is talking about. He is living in a glass house, so let him not throw stones.
Buttressing Ali's views, Edward, a Coptic Christian slammed the anti-government protesters and accused them of being anti-Egyptian. "For 30 years now, Egypt, against all odds, has witnessed no war [referring to the peace with Israel). Mubarak has been cleverly maintaining the peace treaty with Israel]. I don't like his repressive regime either but it would be a big mistake to kick him out without getting a strong person to man Egypt. Egypt is not Tunisia. It is of strategic importance and its influence and
unity are a big threat to Iran.
Mohammed Habib, a 46-year-old engineer, also expressed support for the embattled Egyptian leader. "Mubarak may not be a saint, but Egypt is safer under him. With him as president, invasion [from foes] is unlikely," Habib insisted. Meanwhile President Hosni Mubarak on Friday defied a huge "Departure Day" protest to force him to step down, as world leaders called for transition in Egypt. In Tahrir (Liberation) Square, the epicenter of protests to topple Mubarak, thousands of people stayed behind after the massive protest ended, continuing to call for the 82-year old leader to go.