Empowering the Egyptian youth is a necessity, not a favor

Sadly, on the matter of dealing with its youth, the Egyptian government is obsessed with the 1960s-era iron-fist model of ruling. Unfortunately, the current government believes that adopting a harsh stance toward youth is the best option, and the only one that will stabilize Egypt.
Meanwhile, young people who oppose the government consider violence to be the only course of action left open to them. Sadly, each party believes it is entitled to exact revenge on the other.
Young people, who account for roughly two-thirds of Egypt’s population, are known to be impulsive, motivated by moral values and idealistic. Yet Egypt is neither ruled nor even slightly influenced by its youth; it is manipulated by greedy politicians and opportunistic media people.
Additionally, the older generation believes it must continue to play a “parental” role vis-à-vis Egyptian youth, imposing its obsolete beliefs and old-fashioned mentalities.
“We are a strong and powerful state,” is the message that the government is trying to impress upon Egyptian youth and the entire society. The government believes that by imprisoning a few thousand young people, it will succeed in frightening the remaining millions from engaging in politics. “Stability” is the magic word that the government repeatedly invokes, and a large portion of society endorses it.
However, I doubt that imprisoning our youth will bring about any kind of stability. On the contrary, at a certain point our youth — who are suffering from a lack of freedom, justice, employment and a chance to live in a modernized nation — are sure to snap.
I learned from the Jan. 25 revolution that a few thousand citizens can easily trigger millions. Young people who share the same moral values, who are strongly motivated to change their country, are certainly stronger than the security apparatus — this is true worldwide, not only in Egypt.
Everyone in Egypt agrees that the legal system does not culminate in the realization of truly equitable justice. This fragile system is forcing more youth, who are punished by a harsh and restrictive protest law, to oppose the government.
In the absence of political parties and other genuine political organizations that could absorb their ideas and energies, young people are left with a single option: To be angry at the government.
Most members of the Detained Youth Committee, which was formed by the president, favor keeping these young people in prison for longer periods! The committee members were carefully handpicked by the government, and are known for their affiliation to the state apparatus, which has already placed them in various public entities such as Parliament and human rights councils. Meanwhile, most Egyptian youths, who in principle differ with the government, are completely excluded.
The government is focusing on blocking the revolutionary path, and has succeeded in doing so by making protest illegal. Nevertheless, I am afraid that our youth may invent a new path that will emerge from their frustration.
The government must revisit its philosophy in dealing with its youth. It may be misinterpreted as a success, but in reality it is only serving to accumulate repressed anger. Cairo needs to pardon and release the vast majority of the youths in prison, thus turning a new page with this powerful segment of society.