Larry Henderson made a short visit to Egypt sometime in the ’90s. Thinking back to what he saw in the country then, the news of the Egyptians’ political revolt did not surprise him.

“I saw the people living under pressure,” said Henderson, mission coordinator for Asia within the Halbert Institute for Missions and adjunct professor of Bible, missions and ministry.

The Egyptian people began protesting against the oppressive and corrupt regime of President Hosni Mubarak in late January. Their biggest demand, that the president step down from power, was met on Feb. 11. In the meantime, the military has stepped in to provide a temporary government, while the Egyptian people organize free elections.

Since Egypt’s political revolution, nations in and around the Middle East have seen their people begin to speak out for individual rights, democracy and justice. Tunisia, Libya, Yemeni, Bahrain, Iraq and Iran all have seen protests by their citizens to bring about new governments, with varying degrees of success.

Neal Coates, chair of the Department of Political Science, said technology is allowing protesters to see the freedoms enjoyed in other countries, and now they are standing up to their governments to demand the same. While some countries may see their old governments survive, others will be able to choose new governments for themselves, Coates said.

The biggest danger for these nations in political transition comes from outside their boarders, Coates said.

“Iran is asserting itself, which is a real danger to the region,” Coates said. “This is a real opportunity for Iran, seeing that Egypt has been weakened.”

Egypt and other countries have resisted Iran’s push to define Islam and how it is practiced, Coates said. Now that Iran has continued to move its warships and develop nuclear weapons, these countries will need to keep up their guards, he said.

Despite the potential dangers surrounding these revolutions, Coates said this was a watershed moment for the world.

“This is the last region of the world to move toward embracing democracy,” Coates said.

The people of the world who have lived under the most monarchs, who have seen several decades of repression, corruption, discrimination and economic stalemates now are standing together to take their destinies into their own hands, Coates said.

However, the greatest global impact of these revolutions at this point has been the price of oil, Coates said. Despite all the recent advances in alternative energy, oil still is the most important form of fuel.

The political revolutions also will impact Christians and missionaries, said Bradley Schultz, junior political science major from Nashville, Tenn. He is working on a research project with Coates about Christians in the Middle East. Schultz and Coates will present their project, “Do Christians Count?,” at Summit next semester.

Christians living in the Middle East have only recently begun voicing complaints about restrictions on worship and political access, Schultz said.

“Imagine America in the 1960s with the African Americans,” Schultz said. “That’s how it is for the Christians there.”

Christians in and around Egypt have experienced discrimination in the workplace and political hurdles in building Christian schools and churches, Schultz said. The new governments may change this, he said.

“The ongoing reason for the revolution is the desire for freedom,” Schultz said. “My hope is that the people who come in and take over the government will be more tolerant.”

Schultz believes ministry still will be difficult in the Middle East, but a change in government may make countries more accessible to missionaries.

Henderson said the people’s desire for change and individual choice makes the region fertile soil for the Gospel. Though it is too soon to know whether it will be safer for missionaries to enter these countries, Henderson said the risk for missionaries probably is decreasing, while the reward is increasing.

All Christians, missionaries or not, should spiritually stand with the Christian protesters, Henderson said.

“I’ve witnessed the persecuted church in my years, and the two things they ask for are Bibles and prayers,” Henderson said. “Here, in the safety of Abilene and the comfort of our campus, our responsibility is to pray on their behalf.”