Swampscott man, a native of Egypt, speaks about crisis

SWAMPSCOTT – Tension has been building in Egypt for months, according to Tarek El Heneidy, an Egyptian living on the North Shore.El Heneidy, who is on the Board of Directors at ArtsBridge in Swampscott, was born in Cairo and visited family there in November.He said he is concerned about the volatile situation in Egypt where protesters are demanding that President Hosni Mubarak step down.”What we see on television is the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “People have had it with the oppressive regime. The autocratic rule of the president and his cabinet has stifled people’s growth and has not been advantageous in any way. There has been personal dissatisfaction brewing among the people for a long time.”El Heneidy, 67, immigrated to the United States when he was 18 years old and has become a naturalized citizen.Mubarak announced he would not run for a new term this fall but he refused to step down immediately and leave the country, vowing to die on Egyptian soil.”Personally I am still not satisfied,” El Heneidy said. “I am part of the core group that want him (Mubarak) to leave immediately ? He has not listened to the people and all he cares about is protecting his throne, so to speak. He let 40,000 prisoners escape and that demonstrates his uncaring attributes toward the people.”El Heneidy is proud of the way the young people protesting against Mubarak handled themselves, despite the tense situation in Cairo.”The youth have been forming human chains around museums, mosques and other buildings to prevent damage,” he said. “So far the protests have been very non-violent and well managed by the protesters themselves.”He added the situation deteriorated rapidly after Mubarak announced he would not run again this fall.”After the speech, people divided into two groups,” he said. “The protests were peaceful but now pro-Mubarak supporters are riding through Tahrir square on horses, on camels and in buses. They are throwing stones at protesters. This is a (Egyptian) government planned situation. The United States needs to take a firmer stand and ask Mubarak to step down now.”El Heneidy, who maintains an apartment in Cairo, is concerned about his family in Egypt and the future of his homeland.”My family and friends live on the outskirts of Egypt,” he said. “They are fairly safe but the action is affecting all of Cairo. There is a dissatisfaction among the people and when you have so many unemployed young people it becomes a desperate situation.”El Heneidy said his three sisters still live in Cairo with their families.”My sisters are all married and have children,” he said. “We have a very large family.”El Heneidy, who has a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Rhode Island, said the Egyptian government shutting down the Internet and cellular telephone networks is a big concern.”This new technology has found its way into the service of humanity,” El Heneidy said. “It has helped young people organize and sparked action. Shutting it down was a mistake. It is shut down today, but as soon as it is open again the information will get out.”El Heneidy, who currently lives in Rockport, is on the Board of Directors at ArtsBridge in Swampscott, ArtsBridge is a non-profit organization that works with youth caught up within the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Using art, the organization strives to empower youth to begin working together.