North Texas Egyptians Celebrate Mubarak Stepping Down

ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) - Egyptian Mona Elsamra came home for lunch Friday just so she could watch television and celebrate with her family in Arlington.

"Let me tell you. Before Egypt was like this," she said, holding an Egyptian flag upside down. Then she turned it right side up: "Now, Egypt is like this!"

Mona, her husband, Said, and their daughter, Sarah, have watched the protests and political turmoil unfold in Egypt on television and followed news events through social media and elsewhere online.

"I was so happy my heart was about to come out of my body. I was so happy," said Said Elsamra, who lived in Egypt until 1977.

He said he came to America to see democracy in action and to get an education in Art. But the Elsamra family has many relatives and friends in Egypt.

Said's brother is a judge and participated in the pro-democracy demonstrations that led to Hosni Mubarak's resignation Friday.

"I have great confidence in the Egyptian people. They are smart. They are intelligent," said Said Elsamra. "It will have a real democracy. It will have authentic democracy and that's all the Egyptian people need."

Sarah Elsamra said she has worried about her family members in Egypt. An estimated 300 people died during the last 18 days of protests.

"Especially when we heard about the prisoners being released all over the country and going crazy. I got even more scared," she said.

But now that Mubarak is out, the Elsamra family believes the people of Egypt will eventually elect a new government.

"I'm ready to see the new Egypt now," Sarah said.