BookChums Reviews Revolution Continues by Salama Moussa What was written some 60 years back did come true in 2012! Egyptian thinker and writer Salama Moussa was clairvoyant to see the dangers of counter-revolutionary forces in Egypt. The ousting of Hosni
BigNews.Biz - May 22,2012 - Pune, 21st May 2012
What was written some 60 years back did come true in 2012! Egyptian thinker and writer Salama Moussa was clairvoyant to see the dangers of counter-revolutionary forces in Egypt. The ousting of Hosni Mubarak this year saw Egyptians repeating a slogan—‘the Revolution continues’. Moussa had written a book called ‘Revolution continues’ stressing the value of protecting revolutions after their success; warning against despotism and power misuse repeated in world history. He warned that as soon as a revolution gets rid of one tyranny, the possibility of others appears.
Salama Moussa’s book Ketab Al-Thawarat was first published in 1954. It expresses his views that dictators are a result of corrupt societies. He gave the example of King Farouk, stating that had the king found a healthy society, he would not have become corrupt. Moussa believed that revolutions strive on continuous resistance and constant protection and regeneration till they reach a point where humans are educated to be humans.
For Moussa, revolutions have a set pattern that gets repeated. He pointed that revolutions often follow persecution that does not allow negotiation, led by an outburst leading to change and elimination of tyranny. He observed that the oppressed class starts to revolt and is joined by the rest of society when they see the equality of their cause and their demand for justice.
In the book, he states that revolutions move ahead despite of lapses by leaders. For example, Napoleon Bonaparte did not remain true to the cause of French Revolution and gave up the values but it was the French masses that restored the values and ideals after her fell. He felt that illiterate masses do not think of oppression in everyday lives and it was the intellectuals of the society who held the responsibility to be the ‘voice of conscience’.
Moussa felt that the role of writers was significant for expressing and promoting the value of freedom and democracy. He lamented that the writers in Egypt had not risen above the level of the corrupt society. Moussa mentioned a number of Egyptians who “didn’t bend their heads” and suffered in defense of the peoples' rights without their names being recorded in the history books.
Hailing from the league of European thinkers such as Jean Jack Rousseau and Voltaire, Moussa reasoned why history is steeped with these names than people leading the revolution, stating that perhaps the writers are closest to prophets carrying the message of good for all. In his words, “No prophet thought to speak to people in a difficult language.”
In the context, it appears like Moussa was quite right. The Revolution Continues has been the logo of politics and movements in Egypt's parliamentary elections. A book that repeats and has an important message for today’s troubled times.
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