'Mubarak spectacle captivates Arab world"

This article is taken from the Straits Times. It is about former Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak's trial. He pleaded not guilty to charges of corruption and complicity in the killing or protesters in the start of his historic trial last Wednesday.

There have been mixed reactions from the public. Some expressed satisfaction at seeing the tyrant get his just desserts while others expressed sympathy at seeing him in such a state in the hospital, confined to a bed.

True, Hosni Mubarak has been extremely evil. He has killed 850 protesters during the uprising. Most importantly, he was a tyrant. He has made the lives of Egyptians extremely difficult during all the years of his long reign. His government is corrupt, accepting bribes and whatnot. All tyrants should be treated with contempt. They have no right to make the lives of others miserable, especially the lives of their own citizens. What have they done wrong which warrants life like that of a prisoner? Therefore, one should feel satisfaction at seeing him get his just desserts and rejoice that he has been thrown out of power.

However, one has to look at both sides of the matter. For one, whatever accusations brought against Hosni Mubarak may or may not be true. There is no cold, hard evidence that he committed all these crimes, although he is guilty of being a tyrant. Moreover, one has to sympathize with the state he is in now. The picture of him in the newspaper depicts him as pale and haggard, confined to a bed. While many will accuse him of playing with the minds of others so that he will not be convicted, the judge ordered him to be held at a military hospital and overseen by an oncologist. This is a very strong sign that Mubarak has cancer. Therefore, one should not be over biased but should be fair and equal and consider both sides of the matter.