Friday January 28, 2011

I've Been Thinking:

Friday is the day of rest in the Muslim World. And on Fridays the Imams (Muslim clerics) preach to the masses who visit their mosques. Often, these sermons are broadcast nationally. The words of the Imams can set the tone for the nation.

Egyptian leaders and people across the Arab world are now holding their collective breath, waiting to hear what the Imams will say. Their words can cause a massive uprising - or they can quell it.

The Imams of Egypt are paid by the state. If the preachers embrace the protesters and the protests they will be removed from their positions and possibly even arrested. The government has already spoken to the Imams to make certain that they hit all the correct notes. But when a speaker speaks, there is no way to edit the text.

Yesterday also saw protests in the West African country of Gabon and in Yemen. Interesting - and not coincidental.

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