Today is the #NoSCAF where Egyptian bloggers and tweeps speak and criticize the supreme council of armed forces in Egypt aka our military junta. Some are doing this in solidarity with Maikel Nabil while others are doing in solidarity with the victims of the military trials.
I talked and criticized the SCAF before and I will not stop doing it till ends its emergency meeting , I will not stop doing it till we have transparent answers about the allegations surrounding the practices of the military police against our own civilian citizens whether in the military prison and in the Egyptian museum. Up till now we have not got any answer about the investigation done in issues concerning the allegations of abuse whether against women protesters or what happened in Cairo university or lately at the Israeli embassy. I will not stop till we got an explanation why the SCAF claimed that it was not detaining any “so called revolutionary” youth in its prisons but later we found that the SCAF is starting to release these young men after denying in the first time !? How can we have a real trust then !?
I understand the SCAF or according the army rules the investigations done there are not announced to the public but we are speaking about investigations involving civilians , involving human rights violations at very critical time. The SCAF must understand that the human rights violations committed by the police were the fuel of January 25th and January 28th. We do not want this to happen again because we are not talking about the police but we are rather talking about the army here. Enough what happened in the past months , seriously enough.
Believe or not I am not concerned by the SCAF now as much as I am concerned by the entourage surrounding it currently. This entourage is actually the one that brought the Mubarak regime down from law makers and media hypocrites. The military mindset already does not like take order except from higher rank and they will listen only to those who speak to them in admiration. Of course you must bear in your mind the generals are playing politics for the first time.
On the other hand you have got some of our young activists do not know the real nature of army or the military institution and are overwhelmed with the revolutionary and rebellion spirit. These activists do not take orders from anyone , they do not know when or how to stop. It is also worth to mention that those young activists do not know how to play politics just like the generals.
By the way I am not from those who believe that Egypt now is just as bad as prior January 24th or that we do need another revolution , this is ridiculous because the first revolution has not finished yet. I will not jump to the wagon that does not matter if we clash with the army or even attacking the army as a whole package because of wrong policies made by the SCAF or the violations of military police or because of Ismail Etman in the morale department or the nervous temper of Mamdouh Shahin
To be clear :
I talked and criticized the SCAF before and I will not stop doing it till ends its emergency meeting , I will not stop doing it till we have transparent answers about the allegations surrounding the practices of the military police against our own civilian citizens whether in the military prison and in the Egyptian museum. Up till now we have not got any answer about the investigation done in issues concerning the allegations of abuse whether against women protesters or what happened in Cairo university or lately at the Israeli embassy. I will not stop till we got an explanation why the SCAF claimed that it was not detaining any “so called revolutionary” youth in its prisons but later we found that the SCAF is starting to release these young men after denying in the first time !? How can we have a real trust then !?
I understand the SCAF or according the army rules the investigations done there are not announced to the public but we are speaking about investigations involving civilians , involving human rights violations at very critical time. The SCAF must understand that the human rights violations committed by the police were the fuel of January 25th and January 28th. We do not want this to happen again because we are not talking about the police but we are rather talking about the army here. Enough what happened in the past months , seriously enough.
Believe or not I am not concerned by the SCAF now as much as I am concerned by the entourage surrounding it currently. This entourage is actually the one that brought the Mubarak regime down from law makers and media hypocrites. The military mindset already does not like take order except from higher rank and they will listen only to those who speak to them in admiration. Of course you must bear in your mind the generals are playing politics for the first time.
On the other hand you have got some of our young activists do not know the real nature of army or the military institution and are overwhelmed with the revolutionary and rebellion spirit. These activists do not take orders from anyone , they do not know when or how to stop. It is also worth to mention that those young activists do not know how to play politics just like the generals.
By the way I am not from those who believe that Egypt now is just as bad as prior January 24th or that we do need another revolution , this is ridiculous because the first revolution has not finished yet. I will not jump to the wagon that does not matter if we clash with the army or even attacking the army as a whole package because of wrong policies made by the SCAF or the violations of military police or because of Ismail Etman in the morale department or the nervous temper of Mamdouh Shahin
To be clear :
- I do not want anymore human rights violations nor lame excuses that this is the army way and the army is blind , I am sorry the only blind thing I know is justice.
- I want to restore the rights of every civilian toughed by a military with no right in this period including Ali Maher whom we do not know who killed him for real till now.
- I do not want a presidential council.
- I do not want a coup inside the army because I do not want another Nassers or Salah Salems.
- I do not want the practices of the police revived by the military police.
- I do not want anymore lies or to see any more hypocrites from the old regime kissing the ass of the army and the SCAF.
- I do not want paternal guidance from the generals but I want to hear and to speak with them as areal adults.
- I believe in second chances and redemption , again the members of the SCAF got a golden opportunity to correct what happened in 1954
- I know the kind of pressure from inside and outside we are facing , it is like a war and unfortunately the SCAF does not understand that we are in the same boat and they are not fighting alone.
ElBaradei: Egypt is 'disintegrating'
ReplyDeletePpl hold too much credit in the SCAF while they are actually the people that have brought down egypt for the last few decades.
ReplyDeleteThey are part of the fallen regime. Bleh
@Jason: you and the kooks at Jerusalem Post should wipe the drool off your chins. It's disgusting.
ReplyDeleteDr. AlBaradei is wrong. It is not Egypt that is disintegrating, but the massive edifice of a rotten decades-old police state. It's only realistic to expect that when such an enormous building collapses, there will be dense clouds of dust, flare-ups, toxic substances will be released and the ground will shake.
But no matter how much Israel and its minions mourn and cry and gnash their teeth, the old dictatorial regime is finished. Egypt is OURS, not yours, ever again.
As Egyptians, our job now is to remove the rubble, clear the land and lay a solid foundation for a beautiful, healthy, sound new structure that will shelter us and provide us with the kind of home we want to live in together. It's a hard, dirty job, but the Egyptian people are working at it and are more than up to it.
Our revolution, despite being a genuine grassroots uprising against a brutal, violent regime, was not bloody like the French or Russian or Chinese or American or Romanian or other revolutions. It is precisely because the people did not massacre their oppressors and take violent revenge, that we now have such a hard job to do to get rid of them, using legal and peaceful means. They think that because the people did not engage in the kind of savagery normally associated with popular revolutions against brutal tyrannies, that they have a chance of staying and reestablishing their regime.
They don't.
Unfortunately, his critics are right about Dr. AlBaradei: he is out of touch with the Egyptian people. He sees them from a distance, and obtains his information second-hand, often from sources who have an interest in making things seem much worse than they are.
True, most tourists are staying away for now. It's painful, but it's not the end of the world. I for one wouldn't exchange Egypt's freedom for all the tourists in the world.
But it won't come to that. Back in 1997, after the Luxor attack, tourists totally disappeared for months. The Asian financial crisis also hurt the Egyptian tourism industry that same year.
Once we get our house in order, the tourists will come back, in greater numbers than ever, just as they have always done. Egypt will always be Egypt, with over 1/3 of the world's antiquities, with breath-taking, incomparable beaches, filled with rich Islamic and Coptic heritage sites. Egyptians abroad will still come to visit their families, as will Arabs and all the others who appreciate the warm, hospitable Egyptian people, the incredible culture, the lovely food, the music, and the vibrant creativity of our youth.
Now look what you've done: I'm gushing, filled with love for the Egyptian people, my heart overflowing with faith for the future that they are building for their country and themselves. Freedom doesn't come cheap, and only a fool thinks it comes easily; but Egyptians have demonstrated to the whole world how much they want it and are willing to sacrifice for it.
You may find it strange that I feel so passionate about Egypt and my people, but then, I live here and know what the hell I'm talking about, and you don't.
Dear Alice, Wonderful heartfelt comments and I hope your optimism is rewarded. There is a lot to do but I still believe that the MB might take over and that would be destroy all your dreams.
ReplyDeletePEACE!
@Alice, your sentiments are touching and I really hope the revolution works out for you and all Egyptians. I didn't mean to be a wet blanket by posting the link to JPost's ElBaradei piece. Zeinobia likes him and so do I. (But I like Ahmed Zewail better.) When ElBaradei says something like that it's worth mentioning, that's all. I also don't want to be a wet blanket if I mention this: Egypt's credit rating recently went down two notches because of your church burnings etc. That's credit needed to buy wheat. In addition, the price of wheat has doubled from May 2010 to May 2011. As you know, Egyptians eat a lot of government-subsidized bread. These are terrifying trends, and I wish Z would blog about them.
ReplyDeleteThats the only time I've actually read a piece in the JP. What with all the flashing advertisements, it wasn't easy. I think El Baradei meant it as a wake up call to the outsiders and Egyptians. Economic problem is soluble, other countries have done so. If people
ReplyDeleteare buying guns, well the answer is to restrict sales and get the police forces back in shape with the rotten apples weeded out. There is a lot to do in a short period of time and it probably all won't get done but "disintegrating"?! That sounds too alarmist.
Maybe El-Baradei is too much the bureacrat not enough of a doer. Doers don't whine, they get going forward despite the obstacles.
Remove the rose-colored glasses
ReplyDeleteHold on! the country IS disintegrating you talk to any Egyptian he'll tell you the same thing. Food and gas prices are just ridiculous. When you go to Al Hussein and look at the bleak state of the bazaars you don't exactly hear birds chirping.
ReplyDeleteYes, this will all go back to normal eventually, expect maybe the Coptic heritage, who knows what the loonies will do when they take over. However right now the country is breaking down, people are in fact scared shitless and buying guns. I wonder what kind of reaction that article would have been if the Jason posted the CNN original one. No! you keeping blaming the Zionists and Jews for all of Egypt's problems, that'll solve 'em.
@pirooz You know what "alarming"? a recent aggregate by a government official that 28000 people dies since Jan 25.
Ahmed,
ReplyDeleteThe loonies will only take over if you let them.
If people become apathetic. As to JP its just not a credible news source and never has been. I prefer Haaretz. Egypts problems have almost nothing to do with Israel or jews. You tell me people are scared shitless. That is why a period of calm, open protest is needed. Get the fears out in the open. The Copts have legitimate fears. So do the families of the martyred and those seeking democracy.
I don't wear glasses. There is nothing wrong with my eyesight.
Food prices were already going up at an alarming rate way before the revolution. In fact, I remember around this time last year, I saw higher prices literally each time I went shopping (around once a week). I've seen no evidence that the revolution made a difference, one way or the other.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what Egyptians you're talking to, maybe the ones who are still watching state tv and reading state newspapers. Ask them if their own lives have actually changed and if they're honest (and they don't work in the tourist industry), they'll almost certainly say that in fact it hasn't.
As for Copts, I happen to be one, and I've never felt more at home among my fellow Egyptians than now. From my own daily interactions with people, the "loonies" are making more enemies for themselves every day, and the one question everybody's asking is why they're being allowed to get away with their looniness. In fact, that question is behind much of the current suspicion and bad feeling directed at the government and especially the Armed Forces Council.
As for gas prices, they haven't changed at all. If you want to be an effective alarmist, you should check your facts better, Achmed.
Hi Zenobia, this is off-topic but you haven't blogged this story so there isn't really a suitable place for it I don't think. Afrique Avenir reports that "The Administrative Court of the State Council in Egypt decided on Sunday to withdraw the Egyptian citizenship of the Coptic lawyer Maurice Sadek who resides in the United States, removing his name from the Bar Association membership, because of what the authorities called treasonable offenses against the state" This came about because Sadek has called "for sanctions to be imposed on the Egyptian Government, because it is racist and persecutes Copts." I covered this story on my blog because Mohamed El Naschie's brother Said had some inflammatory things to say about it.
ReplyDeleteWho is buying guns?? is Baradei in Austria again?
ReplyDelete@Alice
ReplyDeleteListen your optimism is great really, but there is a fine line I think between optimism and naivete.If you believe that life for the regular Egyptian hasn't gotten harder since the revolution, then you're purposefully turning the blind eye. There's is fuel shortage which raises transportation costs, which raises food prices.
I know a kilo of lemons I used to buy in January for 2 pounds now costs me 8. I'll ask my friend who was robbed and raped on her way home if her live has changed since the revolution, she doesn't work in the tourism industry.
As for the loonies well all I can do is go and vote.
I'm not against revolution at all really, I went almost everyday to Tahrir during those 18 days. I know we are better off without whathisface even if it doesn't seems like now. I guess I kinda expected Egyptians to more responsible and less self-interested.
You are buying lemons from the wrong place. And who buys lemons by the kilo? do you have a lemonade stand?
ReplyDeleteYou're also buying lemons out of season -- they're much cheaper during the winter. I squeeze out their juice and freeze them so they can be used in summer, when their price ALWAYS goes up.
ReplyDeleteAlso, maybe you don't remember the diesel shortage that occurred last year around this same time. My husband's car runs on diesel, so I do remember it, all too well.
As for your friend who was raped, I'm horrified. But are you suggesting that women were neither raped nor robbed before January 25th, or that police gave a flying *&^% about defending a woman's safety or protecting citizens' safety? In fact, let me jog your highly selective memory: the police themselves were rather infamous for raping or threatening to rape women (and men, for that matter), not to mention dealing in drugs, torturing, etc.
As for your strange comment about the Egyptian people: the current situation cannot be blamed on us citizens, but on the fact that we have no functioning government, and haven't had one for decades.
Every single ministry and public sector enterprise was hijacked and made to serve the exclusive interests of a small mafia of gangsters, at the expense of the entire nation.
Dignity, safety, access to clean air and water and non-toxic food, adequate medical services, education, proper roads, garbage collection and proper shelter with sewage and other basic utilities were and continue to be luxuries available only to those rich enough to pay for them. Egypt's national resources and wealth were stolen and used to support the lavish comforts of the Mubarak gang and their accomplices. Egypt's agricultural and industrial base was gutted by them, and we became dependent on imports for almost everything.
Believe me, the Egyptian people have shown great, great courage and responsibility in rising up to save their country from these parasites. Now we need to continue the push for a real government that defends our civil and human rights, that administers and invests the nation's wealth to serve Egyptians and build a proper future for our children, not a minority of gangsters who are accountable only to their foreign Masters, who happen to be Egypt's enemies.
Unfortunately, despite the incredible heroism, solidarity and capacity for sacrifice that millions of Egyptian people have demonstrated before the whole world, the job is huge and is far from finished. Too many of the Mubarak-regime parasites remain in power and are frantically doing everything they can to keep Egyptians enslaved. "Half-way revolutions are mass graves for the people," as the saying goes.
By suggesting that we should stop now, you're aligning yourself with them, even though you know that will mean the death of Egyptians' dream of a strong, independent and prosperous Egypt, a nation that allows us to hold up our heads and take our place among the free peoples of the world.
It is not the heroes who are trying to save Egypt who are self-interested and irresponsible, but those, like yourself, who burden the revolution with petty and unfair complaints and advocate abandoning Egypt and our future generations to our country's most vicious enemies because... lemons cost LE 8.
I LOVE LEMONS!!!
ReplyDeleteHey, today in Egypt a new movie opened. Al Fagoumi. Starring Egypt's eleventh most popular actress, the lovely and talented Jihan Fadel! If anyone sees it, please report whether it's any good. I would also like a good picture of the movie poster. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWashington Post: After Egypt’s revolution, malaise spreads. crime, anemic economy, religious violence,... "The old days were better"... barely enough money to eat...
ReplyDeleteAhmed said...
ReplyDeleteI LOVE LEMONS!!!
:D so do I!
thanks Alice for your input, valuable as always. Here's another take about the "economic catastrophe"
http://www.almasryalyoum.com/node/450021
in brief, during the Mubarak era we have faced much more severe economic crisis but no one dared then to say we will go bankrupt and doomsday will follow.it was always rosy. It's no worse now, as the economy was always fucked up(excuse me French) at least now we have hope and we can turn things around.
BTW Jason, no one cares about the rags you read and always seem too excited to share with us. Remember we live in the country?
how to fix the economy
ReplyDeletehttp://j.mp/kZcsl2
Links enabled:
ReplyDeleteFrom Almasry Alyoum: Original Arabic طقوس تجهيز كفن الثورة or Google's English translation Ritual art processing revolution.
Ihab, your link looks broken to me, sorry. (Nonexistent Facebook page.)
@Anonymous "BTW Jason, no one cares about the rags you read and always seem too excited to share with us. Remember we live in the country?" How... DARE... you...
ReplyDeleteMay I also take this opportunity to express my enthusiasm for lemons.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only person who believes that Jason is a Zionist troll?
ReplyDeleteI was highly cynical about the revolution at first. I thought that removing Mubarrak was just a ploy to remain in power, but at the moment the SCAF seems to be doing pretty much what the people want.
As for the economy, the important thing is that the people are fed, the rest can wait 'til the revolutionary dust settles. Scaremongering about the collapse of the economy simply serves the interests of the plutocrats. They cry doom in the hope that the people will give them back control, don't fall for it!
@Ceredig. I'm not Jewish if that's what you mean. I'm for a Palestinian state plus security for Israel. You can decide if that makes me a Zionist. Unlike you I wasn't cynical about the revolution. For two or three weeks I kept an Egyptian flag on my blog's masthead in support.
ReplyDeleteThey do, because I do not want another revolution, crazy revolutionaries each month to choose what prevents them to live, Mubarak was the first and now the army?. And the most important achievement of the revolution is not going to bed hungry? Primitive you people, except to devour you do not need anything. .... When the dust settles the revolution you'll cry .....
ReplyDeleteMeet the new boss, same as the old boss:
ReplyDeleteThree (more) artists arrested for promoting May 27 protests
http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/12982.aspx
Alice's link: Three artists arrested. Haha that poster is like WTF?
ReplyDeleteThat poster looks more like an ad for an S&M nightclub.
ReplyDelete