As a good citizen I listened to the orders of the AFC and I did not talk about amendments on Friday except few minutes last night on twitter . It is a big moment without doubt in the history of modern Egyptians because it is from the rare moments Egyptians will cast their vote without knowing the result in advance. I am so proud of my people especially those who will cast their vote.
No one will lose from this referendum , in fact everybody will win especially Egypt when first time voters participate.
I explained in my post last Thursday on why I will vote insh Allah “Yes” and I will not be sad or angry if the Yes team loses. Of course I hope that the No team will really mean it when it says that it will not be angry if the Yes team wins.
After the amendments I think we should all sit and discuss the referendum campaign’s fiasco and how we jeopardize one of the biggest achievements of the revolution which is unity. During the revolution we have made a wonderful unity , all Egyptians from all classes , all background and all political viewers gather for one goal that is a free Egypt.
Unfortunately we have all discovered that the Muslim brotherhood phobia is still there and it is being used in the worst way ever to the level that makes me wonder it was intended to be in this way to force people to vote No !!? Anyhow one thing I have learned in this revolution that the story has always a twist in the end to our favor thank God so I hope if there is a sinister plan behind our backs by anyone , it will not succeed.
Anyhow it is good to see our flaws now in order to amend it just like the constitution articles.
Again either ways we will not lose and there will be no disaster.
19 مارس وسبب قانونى معيب وعيب لغوى فى الصياغة القانونية للمادة
ReplyDelete139
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=734570280&sk=notes
Being a good citizen has nothing to do with following the orders of the AFC, which has been acting not too differently from the old regime lately, given that it has no right to tell us what to say or write, and what with the arrests & torture & military trials of peaceful demonstrators and the attempts to control the media.
ReplyDeleteBeing a good citizen does have to do with being as well informed as possible about something as important as the constitutional amendments, even if the AFC tries to tell us to shut up (and not to think too much).
Being a good citizen also means asking questions like: why did the AFC publish the amendments so recently and then push through the referendum so hastily, and then a full 48 hours before the vote, declare a media blackout about the amendments, making it even more difficult for people to have time to form a responsible, informed decision?
Yes, one of the biggest achievements of the revolution was that Egyptians united behind one goal, a free Egypt. That is what you want and that is what I want. But I can't agree that Egypt will be free if we obey the AFC when it limits what we're allowed to know, or when we close our eyes to secret military trials and torture of political activists, or when judges complain that nearly 40% of them have not yet been informed which voting station they will be monitoring a few hours from now.
Even if all the judges were informed, there are not enough of them to monitor all the stations for the entire day and, as one judge pointed out today, it only takes a few minutes to cheat.
In effect, the only ones who will be officially monitoring the polls will be the military and the police. Do you trust them with our democracy? Have they acted in a way to justify such trust?
As for the Muslim Brotherhood "phobia", it's not a phobia at all when the streets are filled with people handing out pamphlets telling people that voting "NO" is against shari'a, and that it will nullify Clause 2 of the "dead" constitution. Or when imams in their Friday sermons say the same thing. (How come the AFC didn't forbid imams from telling people to vote "YES" during Friday prayers, since all the media are forbidden to discuss the amendments)?
I'm writing this at 4:45 am because I couldn't sleep all night, thinking about all these questions.
All the dictators we've had were able to claim that their rule was legitimate: Nasser because of the revolution, Sadat "the hero of war and peace", and Mubarak because of the air-strike.
I'm terrified that our next dictator will claim legitimacy from having been the first president in Egypt's history to have been freely and democratically elected. There will always be plenty of excuses why our freedom needs to be limited, and unfortunately too many "good citizens" willing to obey.
I suspect that this referendum is a trap, leading to a long, dark tunnel, and that we have everything to lose if we don't open our eyes wide and trust no one who does not respect, in word and deed, the precious freedom and rights of every single Egyptian.
God helped the revolution to succeed because the people proved that they were willing to fight and sacrifice for their freedom. He will not save us from our own stupidity if we now decide to give up and "trust" our new masters.
Will this lead to a free Egypt?
ReplyDeleteReligious propaganda, vote-buying flourish in Egypt ahead of vote
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/362640
"We thought the army would protect us, but it was the army who shot us and let the thugs attack us."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM_TA2K6PYg&feature=player_embedded
Be careful who you trust and obey, especially when there are many warnings that something is very wrong.
Freedom is NOT given, it is taken. Never on trust.
Good luck. I hope the yes team gets it. The limit on presidential terms and reduction of prerequisites for candidacy alone are worth it.
ReplyDeleteThe age limit made me laugh though, what's wrong with a young president if the people want it.
6 months seems too long for emergency law without approval from an elected body, but I suppose it's better than eternity.
Also it seems they didn't remove the restriction on parties based on religion.
This Al Jazeera story about the Million Woman March - can you say something about this? You have sounded hopeful about women's rights and roles in the new government even but this Al Jazeera story doesn't. I would like to hear your comments and insight into this event please. Thank you, as always, for your wonderful blog. I often post links on my Facebook and refer people to your blog to hear the real story from Egypt and all the matters you discuss in your blog. Your work is very important and worthwhile. You are changing the world. شكرا لكم وبارك الله فيك.
ReplyDeletehttp://blogs.aljazeera.net/middle-east/2011/03/09/long-battle-ahead-egyptian-women
ReplyDeleteSorry - I was refering to this Al Jazeera story link.
V\شكرا لك مرة أخرى. تبارك.
(I used google translater so I hope this is right!)
I guess as a good citizen you listened to what the army has been brainwashing you about how amazing those amendments are and as a good obeying citizen/slave you voted yes.. good for you girl, that's the way to obey your master
ReplyDeleteisn't it suspiciously strange you didn't have a single blog about the torture, beatings, arrests and kangaroo military courts for protesters in Tahrir by the military police?..I guess you have a soft spot for the army, I guess our Sudanese friends are right. Vote yes so the army can goback to its primary job protecting our most vulnerable border in the east by being stationed 300 km away and ofcourse occupying a territory belonging to a neighbouring country
This revolution belongs to those who risked their lives and hit the streets on the 25th to the 4th when thugs and police were shooting us with live bullets, tear gas,pelting us with stones and firebombs and running us over with their lorries and vans..it belongs to those who spent the freezing nights under the rain so they wouldn't give up their demands from the very begining from toppling mubarak to removing Sahfik and wouldn't give up when everyone was telling us 'this is enough' and after Shafik'this is enough'. This revolution doesn't belong to the likes of you who came to the square when it became a weekend picnic to take pics beside tanks..those who jumped on the wagon of freedom like the MB and the army and then claimed they are part of it.
yeah..the amendments 'they are enough'!
Hope you will still be a good citizen when the army screws us all over again like it did in 1952
http://postimage.org/image/33swukvhg
can you please explain why your voting "yes". i would really be interested in your take on this maybe am wrong, as i have yet to meet any voter with a university degree who is not a salafi, ekhwan or a former ndp member who voted yes.
ReplyDeleteToday while standing inline to vote, an old lady came and asked me "How will the January 25th Youth will vote so she can vote like them because she feels that she owe us her voice because many of us have died fighting for her right to talk." I could not help but cry like a little kid. The women was over 70. It was her first time to vote. I know this is not about your topic but I cant help but share that moment with everyone I talked to today. I dont care if "my team" loose or win as long as that women and many like her will have that right even if I have to give up my life for it
ReplyDelete"Again either ways we will not lose and there will be no disaster"
ReplyDeleteI had no idea you were able to forsee the future
"Unfortunately we have all discovered that the Muslim brotherhood phobia...."
You're a sucker for conspricy theories, aren't you? The Brotherhood virtually excluded women and Christians from particpating in prez elections. People have reasonable concerns and you shouldn't discount them as unfounded "phobias".
I've only started reading this blog since the protests ( It was linked in the guardain) and every entry I read, the phrase "blind optimism" comes to mind.
Anyway I hope you take this as constructive criticism and not as "insult to your blog".