This paper will be concerned with the revolution that occurred in Egypt in January-February, 2011. At that time, millions of Egyptian citizens protested the dictatorial regime of the nation's President, Hosni Mubarak. The protests resulted in Mubarak stepping down from office, thereby opening the way for democratic reform in Egypt. The following paper will briefly describe the events of the Egyptian revolution and the reasons why it happened. Then, the paper will consider what two figures in American history, James Madison and John F. Kennedy, might have thought about the issue. James Madison, the fourth President of the U.S., was directly involved in the American Revolution as well as in writing the nation's Constitution and the Bill of Rights. John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was known for supporting freedom movements among people from around the world.
The revolution in Egypt involved demonstrations and strikes among the people in Cairo and other cities. The people came together to demand the resignation of President Mubarak, who had spent many years limiting the rights of Egyptian citizens. During the protests, there were some instances of security police engaging in violent actions. However, for the most part, the protests were peaceful. The revolution has been described as "a largely secular, nonviolent, youth-led democracy movement that brought Egypt's liberal and Islamist opposition groups together for the first time under its banner" (Kirkpatrick, 2011, p. A1). The revolution came about, in part, because of political factors. As stated in a New York Times article, "entrenched corruption, the depredations of police forces and demands for free elections have all helped drive the protest movement" (Kulish, 2011, p. A1). The Egyptian people were also opposed to the emergency laws that had been in existence since 1967. These laws imposed censorship on the Egyptian people and also restrict...