Mumkin is probably the word I hear and say the most. My friends and I use it when we’re discussing homework, dinner plans, travel plans, and politics. It even slips out when I’m Skyping my family. It means “maybe.” People have been saying mumkin even more than usual in the past few weeks, in the wake of Morsi’s new declaration of power. Nobody knows what’s going to happen, and predictions are running rampant. Many people are confident that people will check the president before he takes any more control, or at least that the Muslim Brotherhood will find a solution to the dissent. Others are more pessimistic and see this as a blow to the prospect of Egypt being a “real democracy.”
Following Morsi’s decree, students and professors alike have been a little on edge. For better or worse, our neighborhood is isolated from most of the action. We’ve been following updates on our computers, when the internet connection is working. People’s personal politics differ, of course, but everyone is comparing this situation to the last revolution. Even people who voted for Morsi are outraged by his actions and see it as a power grab that is too reminiscent of Mubarak. I’ve spoken to women who are worried that Egypt’s constitution will not protect them from discrimination. At the same time, Morsi has huge support from the Muslim Brotherhood. Violent clashes have happened between them and the more liberal protesters.
Some students did venture down to Tahrir during the initial wave of protests. Many of them got sick the next day; apparently tear gas torpedoes one’s immune system. (I came very close to going, but decided against it.) Even as the semester winds down, the effects of this unrest are impacting the university. Finals have been re-scheduled, then re-scheduled again, around projected demonstrations. The university doesn't want to have anything on the 15th, the date of the referendum to decide whether the new constitution will be implemented. Due dates and test dates are still up in the air, but insha’allah everything will be okay.