Mubarak Must Exit Now

Hosni Mubarak is living proof that absolute power corrupts absolutely. Like Saddam Hussein, this pharaoh has vowed not to go gently into the night. His fate is similarly sealed.

Professional provocateurs deployed by Mubarak attacked peaceful protesters in Cairo and Alexandria with knives, razors and guns, and the first casualties of this revolution are beginning to mount. Reports coming out of Egypt tell the same story: The goons materialized seemingly out of nowhere in an orchestrated show of strength on behalf of their patron-in-chief, bent on derailing the democratic demands of the masses.

Meanwhile, pundits in America and Europe are already issuing dire warnings about the imminent collapse of the Egyptian economy. They don't seem to realize that Egyptians fighting for their rights don't care where the economy is heading at this critical juncture in their nation's history. They want to live like normal human beings. No sacrifice is too big to attain that goal. For over thirty years, Mubarak led them down the path of stasis. They have had enough. The status quo has to change. And, by God, it will, not when Mubarak chooses to step down, but now.

Ahmed, an American-Egyptian businessman from Fremont, California, is convinced that for Egypt to move forward, it must wean itself from American aid. The common people never see any benefit from the billions Egypt receives from the U.S.. "America dictates how Egypt uses the aid, which results in great business for America's weapons manufacturers," says Ahmed. "We have to put an end to that."

All the speculations about who will take over once Mubarak goes, and whether or not Egypt will be better or worse off then, is moot. Yes, there will be chaos, and yes, things may get worse before they get better. But that's the price Egyptians are willing to pay to overcome thirty years of wandering in the wilderness of despair. Reconstructing a nation after decades of misrule will take time. But the first order of business is to give the pharaoh the boot. Once the evil presence has left the scene, people will figure out a way to lift themselves from the darkness of despair into the sunshine of hope.

The world must unite behind Egyptians fighting for their rights, tactical and strategic considerations be damned. But it is Egyptians who must liberate themselves. Freedom will reign only if it comes from within. Long live the common people of Egypt yearning to breathe free.

Muslims Must Protect Their Minorities

What is happening to Muslims? In Egypt's Alexandria, Muslim terrorists killed 21 Coptic Christians on New year's Eve and wounded hundreds. This community has lived in Egypt for almost two thousand years and at 8 million, comprise 10 percent of Egypt's population. In Nigeria, a Muslim terrorist cult attacked several churches last year that left scores dead. In Iraq, a church was taken over by Muslim fanatics on October 31, 2010, that resulted in the killing of about fifty Christians. In Pakistan, Asia Bibi, a Christian and a mother of five, faces a death sentence under the country's notorious blasphemy law. For daring to speak out against this law, Salmaan Taseer, the governor of Punjab, was gunned down by one of his bodyguards.

"My name is Ahmad and I'm a Muslim, but that's not important now," said a young Egyptian high-school student who had gathered spontaneously with a thousand other Egyptians in the Center of Cairo on the first of the year. He was holding the Quran in one hand, a crucifix in the other. "I've come to protest against what happened to our Christian brothers and to show that the religious communities in Egypt won't let themselves be divided."

Such sentiments are indeed being expressed by outraged Muslims at the deaths of minorities who have lived among them for centuries. Unfortunately, they are relatively few in number. Too many Muslims are either afraid or reluctant to speak out against atrocities committed by other Muslims. But let a non-Muslim mock Islam or attack mosques and suddenly these lambs turn into lions as they take to the streets condemning Western aggression and attacking Western interests.

We Muslims cannot continue with this hypocrisy and double-standards for long. We are the ones committing the ultimate blasphemy, through our silence and appeasement of Muslim fanatics. We see Western conspiracy at every corner but are blind to the elephant in the room, the terrorism by Muslims against Muslims and non-Muslims alike. We deny constantly that our cruelest enemies are from within our folds.

We cannot be good Muslims unless we are also good Christians and good Jews. That is what I understand by the reference to "People of the Book" in the Quran. Unless we commit to protecting the minorities living among us, we will be betraying the fundamental tenets of our faith. It is as simple as that. If Muslim minorities living in the West come under attack, can we really blame anyone but ourselves?