Few people in our region would describe themselves as big supporters of today's revolutions in the Middle East. The high price of oil affects us all and most complain, lumping all the far-off rebellions together. But citizens in these simmering countries wonder why Americans aren't more supportive of their efforts to shake off dictators and end corruption. Pennsylvanians, in particular, should remember that thinkers from our state spawned some of the notions that stoke today's unrest. When our nation's founding leaders embraced the right to freedom of expression, they created an ideal that has inspired scores of political uprisings across two centuries and around the globe.

It's been especially odd for the U.S. to speak so softly about political change in Egypt. Last February, after giant waves of Cairo demonstrations, when U.S. leaders finally issued a public declaration, it was not a call for Hosni Mubarak's resignation. Instead, Mubarak was asked to refrain from running for another "term." "Term" is a strange word to describe Mubarak's three-decade hold on power. He served as appointed vice president of Egypt for six years before the murder of Anwar El-Sadat. After that event, he held the position of president for nearly 30 years!

By March 11th, our Congress announced that the U.S. had officially frozen $31 billion of Mubarak's assets. His money was allegedly acquired through corruption, kickbacks, and military contracts he oversaw when serving as an officer in the Egyptian air force. Still, compared to the many stories we've heard about Khadafy's corruption in Libya, stories in the U.S. press about Mubarak's misdeeds have been very few. Egypt has been a key U.S. ally in the Middle East and was a partner in the coalition that fought the first Iraq war. U.S. silence was a token paid to Mubarak in return for his country's loyalty to us.

Although our freedom to publish governmental critiques was guaranteed by the U.S. constitution two hundred years ago, in Egypt the press is still persecuted for exposing its government's corruption. In ratings of freedom of the press, Egypt ranked 133 out of 168 countries [Reporters Without Borders 2010]. In fact, just this week Mikael Nabil Sanad, a blogger who wrote accounts of the Egyptian army's human rights crimes, was sentenced to three years in jail for publishing those stories.

The lack of freedom to express opinions has also become a focus of Egyptian cinema. Last fall I had a chance to interview Ahmad Abdallah, one of Egypt's leading film directors. His film, Microphone, had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival where he talked with me about his work. Microphone chronicles a group of street rappers who must perform underground to avoid police harassment. The turning point in the film occurs when a native of Alexandria returns to his city and stumbles on the vibrant community of rappers. In the course of the film, he helps them put on a public performance.

Abdallah confessed to me that he is not a big fan of rap music. Instead, what he loved about the musicians, skateboarders, and rappers in Alexandria was their ceaseless desire to have a voice in a repressive culture. The lead actor, Khaled Abol Naga, described the key moment in the film as one where the main character gets irritated by a soda can rolling around a bus floor. When he is finally moved to stop the noisy can, he brings relief to the other passengers and commits himself to take bigger action.

The film's message about giving voice to silenced artists actually foreshadowed the events of the Egyptian uprising. Microphone was given a wide release in Cairo and Alexandria just a week before the protests against the government began. In addition to winning awards in Egypt, Microphone was also selected for the Best Editing Award from the 2010 Dubai International Film Festival. The film has recently made it to the U.S. for a showing in Miami and will probably arrive in Pennsylvania sometime this year.

Although many of us have been slow to embrace the valiant efforts of people seeking political reform in distant places, we should remember that many of them draw inspiration from American notions of freedom. They are roused by political ideals that found their greatest expression here in Pennsylvania in 1776 and still echo through the cultural products we export around the world. We should try to appreciate the sacrifices they are making as they strive to create a more just world for themselves and their families.

Colleen Davis