Toward, Around, and Away from Tahrir

How do we understand current events in Egypt? Prior to January 25, 2011, when asked about unusual images, sights, or sounds, Cairene responses ranged from a litany of complaints to well-rehearsed, guidebook descriptions of picturesque neighborhoods and magnificent ruins. Occasionally, however, a thoughtful resident would remain silent, leaving visitors and guests to accept the surrounding smiles, shrugs, honking horns, blaring loudspeakers, and strings of expletives as background ambience. During the revolution, when the call for freedom and democracy became more coherent, the demand for change further complicated questions about Egyptian identity. This volume focuses on written and oral expression as viewed through the lenses of rhetoric, language and communication in order to further understand some of the changes that appear to have altered and strengthened Egyptians’ perceptions of themselves.