Egyptian COD Students Prepare For Trip Back Home

Egyptians on scholarship at the College of the Desert watched their country’s revolution play out on television, and this week, they are wrapping up their studies in the U.S. and will soon return to their homeland.

All nine students said this was the experience of a lifetime.

Finals are almost over, and many of their bags are already packed.

Home is different from how they left it, but they are looking forward to being apart of the change.

Much like any other bunch of college students, this group likes to joke around.

They come from all over Egypt, and in Palm Desert, all nine have roomed with each other since August.

There have been ups and downs, but ultimately, all of them say they came out ahead.

“I have a lot of friends from America and from a lot of different countries,” said Moamen Sadek, 29, from Giza, Egypt. “People here from America (are) wonderful people — very friendly.”

Abdelhalim Salama, 31, is from an area north of Cairo called Sharkia, and he said a spring break trip to San Francisco was eye-opening.

“I saw a long street for gay people, and flags everywhere,” he said.

Salama said he is amazed by how accepting and how tolerant Americans can be.

“They respect any kind of people, religion, any nationality,” he said.

But there are serious challenges ahead for the students as they embark on their journey back to the Middle-East.

Egypt is without a leader — the country is governed now by the military.

The decades-long emergency rule still has not been lifted, despite 18 days of protests and the February resignation of longtime President Hosni Mubarak.

The country’s prosecutor general announced on Tuesday that Mubarak and his sons will stand trial on charges related to the deadly shootings of protesters during the revolution.

But still, more demonstrations are planned later this week because some Egyptiansbelieve more changes should come sooner.

There are also reports of sectarian clashes being on the rise.

But the students said change does not come easy.

“Government, not in the United States only, cannot stay for a longtime — it will (fall) down,” said Usama Hassan, 31, from Alexandria, Egypt. “But what can stay forever is the behave of the people.”

“A lot of people died because one word — it’s freedom,” said Sadek. “I’m proud (and excited to go home), because (I’ll) build a new Egypt.”

All nine students are flying home on Monday.