Book review: The Last Pharaoh: Mubarak and the Uncertain Future of Egyp t in the Obama Age
Book review: The Last Pharaoh: Mubarak and the Uncertain Future of Egyp t in the Obama Age
By Professor Tate Miller,
Monterey Institute of International Studies
For or many, Egypt stands alone in its historical and cultural mystic. Yet, we sometimes ignore the harsh reality of an Egypt whose iron-fisted government may well be the antithesis of our most fundamental values and beliefs. Like millions of others, my thoughts and opinions of Egypt were largely shaped from the armchair of Western civilization. Although immensely alluring as a place of cultural and historical interest, the Egyptian political landscape left me with a sense of unease I never fully understood.
Perhaps this lack of understanding resulted from the over simplified and passing views of Western media, too often pressured to simply report on the immediacy of human drama rather than the potentially cataclysmic events of Egypt’s long term power struggles. Or, perhaps it is the daunting complexity of Egyptian politics, which themselves serve as a deterrent to understanding and dialogue.
Combining an uncanny sense of clarity and understatement, Aladdin Elaasar weaves Egypt’s historical grandeur with an unnerving cascade of political intrigue that reveal a side of Mubarak the world cannot long ignore. In one fell swoop, my admiration for Egypt is both strengthened, and the source of my unease revealed, as the author sheds light on the darkness of Egyptian politics that could one day turn catastrophic.
History has shown us that man is only as free as his culture permits. When the freedom of the Egyptian people is measured by this same standard, a dismal and dangerous picture begins to emerge. Ruling with the pervasive clout of a modern Pharaoh, Mubarak’s hold on the Egyptian people smothers every aspect of personal freedom.
Perhaps no nation has greater potential to influence the destiny of the Middle East, and hence the world, than Egypt. Yet, like a lingering and unrecognized apparition, Egypt’s influence in regional and global affairs seems always just out of sight, and never fully understood. That is, until now. In this remarkably frank and revealing portrayal of Mubarak’s Egypt, no reader of this book could ever again think of Egypt as anything less than the potential tipping point of Middle Eastern society.
Even in societies with a free press, where people are able to gather and glean information from virtually limitless sources, they are still susceptible to harboring uninformed opinions, and inadvertently supporting causes contrary to their own self interests. Such is the case with how Americans generally misunderstand the importance of Egypt. That is, we have taken the avenue of least resistance; and hence we make ourselves vulnerable to those with designs on our thinking and support. Our views, perceptions, and prejudices of the Middle East and Egypt have been shaped almost entirely by well-placed sound bites and staged media events.
With so much at stake, the West is slowly coming to grips with a new reality; a reality which no single book or author could possibly address. But the views expressed by Aladdin Elasar should be indispensable to anyone hoping to understand Egypt’s role, not only the Middle East, but the potential for Mubarak’s Egypt to impact the destiny of global events.
Related Articles:
-
Pharmacology: Principles and Applications ( Paperback ) By Eugenia M. Fulcher Buy new : $54.10... Read Full Story » -
A Call to Obama: Egypt is at dangerous crossroads The Last Pharaoh: Mubarak and the Uncertain... Read Full Story » -
Systems Biology in Drug Discovery and Development: Methods and Protocols (Methods in Molecular... Read Full Story » -
Lexi-Comp Drug Information Handbook for Advanced Practice Nursing, 2009-2010: A Comprehensive... Read Full Story » -
Pharmacotherapeutics: Clinical Reasoning in Primary Care ( Hardcover ) By Kathleen Jo Gutierrez... Read Full Story »
Comments
