Egyptian Revolution Project
Interview Transcript
Interviewer: Dina El-Tonsy
Narrator: Mohsen El-Tonsy
Date: 08/03/11
Place: Narrator’s Home, Misaha Square, Dokki.
University: The American University in Cairo
Prof.: Kim Fox
Date completed: 08 March 11
Dina El-Tonsy
Mohsen El-Tonsy Interview
1/6
08 March 2011
Persons present: Dina El-Tonsy- I
Mohsen El-Tonsy- MT
Dina: To start were you one of the millions who have been to Tahrir square?
MT: Unfortunately, not but I could say I went I wasn’t one of the activists who were
belonging to a certain movement or a certain interest group.
Dina: Why?
MT: I could say that, referring to myself, I’m one of the people who were definitely not
very pro of what is happening and the regime that was current and the way they were
treating the people and the style of life and the standards of living and everything. But I
would say that I was one of the people that was living in a certain standard and was
satisfied, sort of, and not very revolting and my life day to day was in a very good
standard. I’m very well connected to the rest of the world and I could consider myself,
my peers and my family to be as any modern family in any developed country, so our
lives were good, business was good, things were good. Not to mention, our lifestyles
were good not to the extent that makes us revolt. I could say we weren’t very happy to
see the disparities between people, the unfairness the people received and the kind of
education the people are receiving, and, and, and, the list can go on and on. But basically,
I personally, was not very much affected with situation, thank God, but now I am.
Dina: What was your impression about the revolution and how did it make you feel
to see your people revolt like that?
MT: Well, in the beginning I could say that it was very enthusiastic, I was very surprised
and I was very proud. As I recall the first day, all of the people were bbm-ing [Sending
messages using their Blackberry Messenger] and facebook-ing [Posting events and
videos on Facebook] and things like that, so I believe they were the kind of people who
were very much related to us [As educated and upscale people] and they were youth who
are very close to our way of thinking, so we were very proud. The movement on
Tuesday, that specific holiday of the police [January 25th] showed us that the people
really had some voices. So, I was definitely very excited and the following Friday
everybody was there [In Tahrir Square], I didn’t join the march but I was following and
watching and I wanted to get the updates and see what the people are doing. However, on
the latter, the days went by and things became very chaotic and it became very dangerous
and I had to go downstairs to protect the house and connect with the people who were
also underneath their houses. At this time, I started to believe that, “Oh my God, this is
really happening!” and it’s not that easy, so this is when I started to be worried and by the
day I stopped working. I’m a banker personally and things weren’t working the way all of
us expected and we all want the better, but definitely there was a hindering part that we
are currently in. The more days come by; I can see that it is definitely becoming harder to
get out of it. So, it makes me feel that any business investment plans that I had
previously, before the revolution, or other family commitments in such an area are all
gone, it’s all on pause. So I’m starting to think that this thing is getting more selfish, like
in my bank there was a huge sit-in until today it has been going on after all these days.
I’m really affected by it, but I’m excited that people are capable of talking and sending
their messages out but I’m really worried with the situations from all these reactions, they
don’t look very promising.
Dina: Were you pro or against Former President Mubarak?
MT: That’s a really tough question, well we have all grown up to the regime of President
Mubarak of course and it became part of your day to day life, you know. I wouldn’t say
I’m pro, I could say to be very frank with you that last election I wanted him to win.
Why? Because he was the best candidate and that is how I like to evaluate it. Definitely I
really want to see somebody else, of course, but maybe at some point he was the best
candidate but now even if he was the best candidate amongst a lot, he’s definitely not
capable of doing it. I definitely disagree about Gamal [Gamal Mubarak, Hosny
Mubarak’s son] to run after him or ruling after him.
Dina: What do you think was the cause for people to revolt against him?
MT: As I mentioned in the previous question, there is a lot. The disparities and the lack
of education and this left us with a really big gap and I don’t know how we could go on
with this mentalities and the way of thinking. I don’t think this will help things go
smoother or easier in the next couple of days like previously, especially when there is no
organization and that was why this revolution was hard to get beaten and no one was able
to come against it. But I hated the streets they were so dirty [Reasons for revolting] if you
compare the streets to a lot of others in the world. Bumps were there for years, I would
name you a bump that was there for the last ten years on my way home and I always tried
to avoid it. Crazy stuff like that. The system, public transportation, you name it. So,
definitely I wanted all these things to change, but I wouldn’t only put Mubarak in the
responsibility of that. It was the whole system.
Dina: Were you expecting him to step down in such a short time since he was known
to be a stubborn man?
MT: well, nobody was able to expect anything even if we knew what was going to
happen tomorrow. At a certain point I was sure that he was going to step down. Yes.
Dina: Where were you when it was announced that the president was stepping down
and how did you feel at that moment?
MT: I was home when it was announced and it wasn’t like an extravaganza moment to
me because at this moment I was prepared for in the last couple of days. I always
expected to see this day, not the day of overthrowing him but I mean the day Mubarak is
gone, his regime is gone or he is dead. That’s what I thought, but what I didn’t expect,
ever, that I see people coming back at him and to receive a note coming from the central
bank saying that Mubarak, his family, his grandsons and money are all under control of
the government, such things are quite bizarre. I never imagined that I would come across
that my whole life.
Dina: Do you feel that during Mubarak’s presidential term there was safety? Did
you feel more secure or do you have more hopes in the next president?
MT: Well, safety is a very general word and if I’m going to answer this question I have to
take into different levels. Starting from safety of my day to day within, yes I could say I
felt safe and I didn’t feel safe too, because at least I could call the police back then and
somebody could come in and see what is happening. I know now we can do that, but the
amount of crime is pretty obvious, and since these crimes are around I can tell you that
those people have been always here in Egypt, after the revolution they are doing it, not in
an organized way, but before the revolution it was done in minimal. I believe that by time
this will take its time and it [safety] will come back, it not a Mubarak thing. It will take
its time especially with the current police thing [Strikes and somewhat being scarce in the
streets]. What I’m worried about is when you talk about safety in the international level.
Look, our western neighbors, Libya, they are going to get separated into different parts
and there are probably a million and a half Egyptians coming back from there, so in this
area your security is in a red zone. The same thing in the south, where Sudan is separated
into north and south. If you are following up investigations you will find out that Burundi
signed to be the sixth country to follow the revolt of the Nile Treaty, which makes you
face that next year you are probably going to get only forty thousand square liter of water
instead of fifty-five thousand, fifty-five billion I mean. So you are facing some threats
internationally, from another level. So, who is always capable of handling this? Who is
maintaining the stability of that? Not to mention the Gaza situation from the east, so you
are surrounded by a lot of threats from there. All these countries are taking stake that
Egypt is not stable right not, so you never know what is going to happen. So, yes I
definitely fear this kind of situation.
Dina: Do you see any decent candidates that are eligible for such a heavy position in
the future, which is being the president of Egypt?
MT: Well, yes there has been some names that have been dropped here and there, Amr
Moussa, Baradei, not really though. I would really like Omar Suleiman to run for the
elections, I think he is one of the good names too. Now it will all work upon agenda,
whoever is going to nominate himself has to put some priorities up and call for them. I
think this is what is going to play a major role in this election, but I would say I would
like someone who has a strong grip on the military but still a civil servant at the same
time.
Dina: What do you hope for Egypt’s future?
MT: I definitely hope for more stability and prosperity. I hope for stability and safety
because this is going to be our bicycle for the economy, I’m really concerned with it. At a
certain time I worked in investment, when Egypt was a top recipient of foreign direct
investment, now I’m the down throw of this. It’s very much related to my business, so I
hope the economy gets back. This is what is going to help us get over this bottle-neck.
Dina: Thank you for your time.