Google Exec Interview

Below is the interview with Google Executive Wael Ghonim after his release from prison. The clip is supplied by MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute).



Wael says in part:

We are not serving anyone's agenda... Some of us are very rich, living in the best homes, driving the best cars. I don't need anything from anyone. I didn't ask for anything. The things we did put our lives in danger, and we didn't know anything about it. We said we would do it, and that's it. We said that we would fight for our rights, because this is our country. We put our lives in harm's way, and none of us did it for personal gain.... The real heroes are the people on the street, each and every one of us. There was no knight on a horse urging people to take action. Be careful that no one tries to con you this way. This is a revolution of the Internet youth, which later became the revolution of the youth of Egypt.

He also states that the Muslim Brotherhood was not responsible for organizing the demonstrations.  Nonetheless they might still hijack the revolution.

Regardless his interview serves as powerful testimony.  It is moving to watch him tearfully claim that he is not a hero.  It is wrenching to see the concluding pictures of those youth who lost their lives.  Most of all the interview reminds us of the power of ordinary people to change their own lives and hopefully, transform their own countries.

For more information about the protests in Egypt, read these articles from the Times:
Wired and Shrewd: Young Egyptians Guide Revolt by David Kirkpatrick
Roger Cohen's Wael Ghonim's Egypt
and Nicholas Kristof's Obama and Egypt's Future
Perhaps it is not about food and jobs, but instead about democracy.