Friday, May 13, 2011

The big Friday in Tahrir : National and Regional Unity

Blogger service is down currently so most probably , you will see this post late.
Tahrir square is back in action today and unlike any other Friday , we got two events on the same day at in Tahrir
The first event is : The national unity Friday where Muslims and Christians of Egypt will remind the world that we are one nation regardless of the Imbaba sorrowful events. According to what I have known the Muslim brotherhood and some Salafist groups will be there. Already the MB has installed their stage in the square.
The second event which is actually more anticipated and louder: The million man Fajr prayer in Tahrir square. There is a call for one million man dune prayer in Tahrir square dedicated to Palestine and after the prayer the Egyptians will head in buses and cars to Rafah crossing in order to get in to Gaza. Yup thousands “not millions” of Egypt
The Fajr prayer is 3 :20 AM and there is huge crowd in Tahrir square waiting for the prayer. It is currently 1:55 AM Cairo Local time. The prayer dedicated to Palestine is not only exclusive to Tahrir square but it will also held in a number of mosques and churches as well across the country.
Now what the story of this Fajr prayer and the march as well ?
Well according to popular story some important Israeli general or leader once said that the Israelis would start worrying on the existence of Israel when the Muslims start to pray Fajr prayer on time in mosques. Now after the revolution Egyptian people decided to celebrate the Nakba Day with this prayer. Of course the prayer is not enough that there is a planned march already to Rafah crossing and from there to Gaza.
People have reportedly started to arrive in Rafah and Al Arish from two days ago including foreigners like Turkish delegations. It is serious thing , really serious to the level that the ministry of interior has issued a request or rather a very polite plea asking the people not to head to Sinai or Rafah as the country is not that well. The new PR MOI should take over the PR of the SCAF seriously. I could not believe that this is the MOI.
Khaled Meshal made it clear that Egyptians are not required to march to Gaza now as we are embarrassing the army in this way. Egyptian actor Mohamed Sobhi considers this was a conspiracy against Egypt using the youth !!!!!!!!!!!!!! You know Meshal was more realistic when he spoke about the army and the current political situation.
To be honest I did not except it would be serious like that , I thought about a symbolic prayer in Tahrir square but it seems wrong. I believe we can march to Gaza in the future freely but not now , especially now. Already our activists must know that any provocation with Israel or if Israel enters any confrontation in Gaza or in South Lebanon ,the SCAF will stay in control from here to eternity and the people of Egypt will support them regardless of what you tell them.
I forgot to say that there will be a protest in front of the Israel embassy as well. Of course this is nothing , it became a norm actually.
Now it is @2:47 AM Cairo Local time , I saw couple of photos heading to the borders from Alexandria , oh yes in Alexandria to be correct.
Buses in Alexandria "Twitter"
Preparing buses in Alex to Gaza "Twitter"
This is another photo from Alexandria now.
At Alexandria outside Ka'ad Ibrahim Mosque "WSSL News"
Yesterday the Ahly Ultras kept cheering for Palestine while its rival White knights Ultras of Zamalak called its fans to join the million man prayer in mosques and churches.
It is worth to mention that we are currently during the curfew hours , so I am really worried.
It is 3:25 AM Fajr prayer time. Safwat Hegazy is heading prayer in Tahrir square. Here are the latest photos
Before the prayer in Tahrir "Twitter"
Praying in Tahrir "twitter"
Al Jazeera Mubshar Misr is transferring on air the prayer.

The prayer has finished in 3:59 AM , it is overwhelming scene with both national and Islamic chants promising to restore back Al Quds and Palestine with Palestinian flags.
Here is a video from Tahrir square in Cairo after the prayer
Million man prayer in Tahrir
Here are videos from Amr Ibn El-As mosque in Cairo.
Amr Ibn El-A’as Mosque inside
Chants after the prayer at Amr Ibn El-A’as
Here are videos from Alexandria
Million man prayer in Alexandria
Now almost all Egyptian TV channels are sleeping , only Al Jazeera Mubshar transferred the Fajr prayer and part of the protests.25TV announced that it will transfer from Tahrir square and also Al Arish live.
There are protesters in Mansoura as well.
Sheikh Safwat Hegazy said on Al Jazeera @4:23 AM said that there protest would not march to Rafah instead there would  be a huge protest in front of the Israeli embassy in Giza next Sunday , the Nakba day.
Ok back to this post @ 1PM Cairo local time. Thousands of Egyptians have prayed the Friday prayer and also the martyr prayer in Tahrir square
Syria , Egypt and Palestine "Reuters"
It was originally planned to be the unity Friday and for sure people spoke about unity but it was overshadowed by Palestine Day or to be accurate the Arab unity Day in Tahrir. For the first time we see the flags of Palestine along other flags especially Syria in a gathering like that since very long time in Cairo considering the fact there are no intifadas or wars. There were flags of Palestine, Syria , Yemen , Libya and Bahrain as well.
Tahrir today earlier "Reuters"
There was a even a combined flag of Arab countries flags including Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Celebrating Arab unity and freedom
Still the national issue was there as Safwat Hegazy and Tahrir square made it clear that Yahia El Gamal was no longer accepted as the vice prime minister. ‘I remember when El Gamal was used to speak in Tahrir square , I wish that he did not accept that position the first time in Shafik’s cabinet’
The million man national unity protest
Despite Safwat Hegazy made it clear that no one would march to the crossings and also 6th April youth made it clear that they would not cross the borders , some activists tried to cross the borders but they were not let to. You must know that the activists are not from Cairo and Alexandria only but from other governorates as well like Port Said and Suez.
The security forces let only the aid convoys to cross the borders and get in to Gaza. It is worth to mention that Israel has already issued a warning and asked its citizens to leave South Sinai.
Anyhow hundreds of protesters tonight protested in front of the Israeli embassy in Giza and in front of the Israeli consulate in Alexandria. There was a little tension at the Israeli embassy in Giza as the army had to fire couple of gun shots to disperse the protesters. 
At the Israeli embassy today in Giza "Reuters"
It was busy Friday , of course the national unity talk is not over nor is the anniversary of Nakba is over.  I expect more action next Sunday in Tahrir square.

3 comments:

  1. Reuters wrote about Friday in Tahrir: Egyptians urge rulers to step up Palestinian support.

    My opinion: Egyptians have more pressing problems and should postpone the Israel bashing. For example Egypt's credit rating has dropped two notches in the last two months due to what Moody's and Fitch call "political instability" which means burning churches and killing Copts. This will make it more expensive for them to borrow internationally to buy wheat, half of which they must import. The situation could spiral out of control.

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  2. The emergance of democracy in Egypt, Tunisia and eventually other Arab countries has put the fire to Israel's feet to negotiate a deal with the Palestinian authorities. Israel knows that the final phase of these revolutions will end up in Jerusalem.
    The unification of the Hamas and Abbas is no coincidence as there are serious talks of a settlement with Israel behind closed doors as we speak.
    Evidence to this is Obama's forthcoming and long awaited speech on the Palestinian/Israeli peace settlement and the recent arrival of his chief negotiators to the Middle East.
    I expect and hope a final and fair peace agreement is reached for the sake of all the blood that has been shed since 1948 and for the good of the present and future generations.
    The Canadian.

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  3. stupidpeopearestupid5/14/2011 03:33:00 PM

    What a colossal waste of time, you revolutionaries don't really have any vision for the future, do you?
    You are being used as pawns by the Ikwan and the Salafists and you don't even realize.
    I think yesterday I lost the last once of hope that Egypt won't turn into Egyptistan. Was it all worth it?

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