I do not know to say or write but it feels so heavy. At I knew that Egypt before August 14 was different than after August 14 and it is not a change for better but rather worse,the living proof was yesterday.
First I could not complete the live updates because I was sick , I had a fever and I could not complete. It was from the mercy of God to sleep while this on going tragedy taking place. It is hard for anyone to see his country falling in to piece and to see his own people killing each other.
Second I have a testimony which I have to share as a citizen journalist before being a professional journalist. I was on the verge of spending the day at my work down Al Galaa Street as the clashes between the Muslim brotherhood protesters but me and my real great colleagues found a way out taking back streets. Our plan was to take the Sabatiya popular area and then cross the old Imbaba bridge to Imbaba as 15 May bridge and October bridge were all blocked.
It was 5 PM. We passed by a vigilante checkpoints where locals were holding machetes and swords as well empty bottle glasses were brought. I saw an army helicopter standing still in the air in the direction of Ramsis street.
We went to Sabatiya , a popular area full of workshops. Despite they are mostly closed on Friday yet the locals in the poor formed vigilante checkpoints against swords and machetes were there. Despite they did not let other cars to pass without inspection , we passed smoothly. I think they saw bunch of ladies unveiled in the car and thought they can not be Muslim brotherhood supporters. In one of the checkpoints they forced two women wearing black Niqab to leave their tuktuk and step aside.
I do not know what happened to those ladies.
In one of the areas of Sabatiya , I saw a mob , an armed mob from locals around a police van used to transfer detainees as well CSF conscripts. I did not understand what was happening there. In our trip we saw some locals careless for the battles taking place couple of blocks away. I saw those locals playing dominos in the cafes giving their back to the TV sets.
Moving to the great republic of Imbaba , we met even more popular checkpoints. There were clashes there especially in the Nile Corniche. Moving to Sphinx square we found groups of MB supporters handing to somewhere. As soon as we left , we heard that clashes erupted there.
In Agouza , I found near where I live huge noise coming from Agouza Charity Hospital “Following the Ministry of health”. When I went there I found locals from popular area nearby the hospital rushing with an injured man to another hospital in Imbaba while another man was announced dead. The people said that the Muslim brotherhood protesters killed him in the clashes in Nile street. The family of the deceased soon brought up the swords as well empty bottles crate to the street and head to Nile street to complete the battle.
I forgot to take my camera and it was the wisest thing to happen with all these suspicious armed vigilantes in the checkpoints.
I did not feel that worried on January 28 , it was completely different. It is much worse by all degrees.
It was a sad day.
We are used to blood and death that most people are indifferent to the huge death toll we have in the past 3 days , over 1000 Egyptians are killed !! Of course many people believe that the majority of those dead Egyptians are Muslim brotherhood terrorists who should not only get killed but to rot in hell. Yes it got to this degree in fact many people believe that security forces have been merciful with the Muslim brotherhood.
I am afraid its implications were not taken in consideration in whoever planned for it whether the Muslim brotherhood or the security forces or the regime. Violence brings violence. Starting with the dispersal of the sits in and there has been true political and social assessments for the political or security decisions taken !! We are heading towards diplomatic crises with half of the world in time of economic crisis while adopting Nasser 1960s rhetoric !!
The Nasserite Nationalist wave Egypt by all strength sponsored by the current regime is facing Islamism Nationalist wave that getting angrier and angrier by time. It is double radicalization from all sides.
You can not speak now when Egypt is fighting its greatest wars , the war of terrorism !! You are either traitor or MB agent , actually they are same thing now. You do not dare to speak about human rights or civil rights in this time otherwise you are traitor as well.
Unfortunately people do not realize that the latest country to declare this war has not won it yet and that country is the so-called leader of the free world.
People of Egypt now believe the TV channels and TV figures that they once disbelieve. The Mubarak era’s figures are back with their ugliness with their anti-25 January revolution narratives.
The same disease the MB was suffering from has spread like in the Egyptian society.
I am afraid that there will be more blood spelled till all the people realize there is no other way than political solution. Of course that is a very optimistic scenario another scenario is we can have a light version from Algerian scenario where we enter a war against Islamists. That scenario will end with the army generals’ rule from behind scenes with puppet presidents and parties in the front along with highly nationalist spirit and iron curtain and control on media.
There was once a Lebanese thinker that said that Lebanese people did not admit that they were having a civil war except after two years , well I believe we are heading towards something ugly and nobody wants to admit it.
It has started and most Egyptians do not know that it started.
First, it is hard to read all of the above. I had to stop repeatedly and read again to find out what you really mean. Are you going to be among those who just awoke up to find that the police should just have sat there, and let these people torture and bury, and go to the streets every day destroying whatever in their way. Do you find it fair that you can go everyday safely from your home to your work, while others are being held prisoners in their homes for 45 days, and counting.
ReplyDeleteLike many others, I also say that the police should have had a better plan to clear these gatherings, and to handle its follow up. They knew well that these people are not peaceful in any way, and are not going to leave the streets without hitting, killing, and burning. There is history there of attacking police stations and decpitating its officers. But then I had to stop and think that any plan, by any one, would not have mattered. These people decided that they are going to be marterd for an idiotic cause, and for a man and an organization that would let them die to just gain a point. Elh.
I keep reading what you write until I reach that point, in many of your posts, when you leave your topic, and you start referring negatively to Nasser, his policies, and specifically to the 60's. I then have difficulty reading any more. My stomach turn, not or any reason other than that I was there in the 60's, from its first day in 1960, to its last day in 1969, and I never saw, felt, or found anything of value to what you write about it.
ReplyDeleteWhere were you in the 60's? Why don't you ask some fair minded people if we ever saw any of the mess that was the 70's, 80's, and beyond, or the almost total collapse that we have seen in these last 12 months. I went to college, then I worked in a college, and I lived between lower Egypt, Cairo, and upper Egypt, and I participated in everything that took place in between. Even when those Brothers were conspiring against Egypt, and trying repeatedly to kill Nasser, most people were living and working peacefully, and were not in anyway part of that power play. Muslim Brothers, the children of Muslim Brothers, even those who conspired against Egypt and Nasser in the early 50's were in colleges, had one degree after another, and were hired everywhere including in the university. They were my colleagues, and they were also sent aboard on paid missions to get higher degrees, and return to university positions. Look at all those older Brothers in power now, and at all those degrees they had, mostly in the 60's, and you will wonder why do they want now to destroy whatever left in this country!
I know, from many years reading your posts, that you hate Nasser, and always hated his July revolution, and that you would have preferred that King Farouk and his queens and princesses would be still here. But they are gone, good riddance, and they are not ever coming back. Please move on, and live with the present. Everyone is having a bad year, and hopefully many Egyptians will work on making it better. They just need to look inside, then wake up and start working. They have not done that for years. Elh.
Media thugs , worst than street thugs. Preaching hate, as Belal Fadl said, that will burn us all.
ReplyDeleteVery nice article, Zeinobia. May God give you the strength to be brave and hold on to your principles, should the authorities find them to be 'traitorous.' Keep in your heart all the people of history who have found the strength to stand up to oppression. And if all else fails, run away as fast as you can! :)
ReplyDeleteEventually, mass hysteria movements burn themselves out. This has happened multiple times in the U.S., most recently with the unveiling and crumbling of the NSA.
ReplyDeleteIn the more extreme cases, as in the French Revolution and the Chinese Cultural Revolution, power mongers and political fanatics/demagogues turn on and devour each other. The lunacy escalates to such an obvious level and causes so much damage that the majority becomes repelled by it. The struggle ends up consuming and devouring its chief protagonists. The problem is that it can go on for a few years and cause heavy damage, as when Mao was allowed to introduce the insanity of the Cultural Revolution.
Eithet the original target will prpve insufficient and a new one has to be added/found, or the game will be exposed.
This is inevitable, thanks to Islamic puritanism that continuously inspire its adherents to push religion into governance and that no one has a right to legislate except Allah. On the other hand there are those who believe that people should be responsible for their own destiny and that religion should be a private affair.
ReplyDeleteThere is no possibility of reconciliation between these two stances, as one tries to do exactly opposite to what other aspires to.
Western nations and many other nations like even Muslim nations like Bangladesh, Indonesia etc across the world realized how divisive religion can be if it gets into governance and politics. The Arabs on the other hand still fresh from dictatorship and stepping into the new shoes of democracy have not fully realized the harm that religion in political space can cause.
Yes! In my opinion, the biggest political problem for the whole planet is the growth of fundamentalism in all three major religions.
DeleteIt has started!
ReplyDeleteWhat did you EXPECT pal? You and your Jul 3 supporters were played so bad, it's honestly laughable. I challenge you to retract your support for these idiots in the army/police -- it might be the only honourable thing you will accomplish.
ReplyDeleteRule #1 : When you're ill, don't type.
ReplyDeleteSpring is past. Morsi Martyrs are present.
From the Angry Arab blog:
ReplyDelete"The Tamarrod movement has done two important things in the last two days: it has called for the formation of SS-like Shabibbah 'populae committees' to help the Egyptian Army in the massacres, 2) it has sent it's salutations to the Saudi King and expressed its gratitude for his 'support'."
And you poor innocents thought the MB was bad? Wait until the Wahhabis arrive.
How do you negotiate secular democracy & religious freedom with religious fascists and fanatics?
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, there is a strong divisional tone between the 'haves' or rich vs. the 'have-not' or poor in this conflict....it is not all about politics but socioeconomic class divisions!
The Canadian.
A citizen with a gun in his hand becomes an outlaw or a terrorist as they call them now, therefore, must be killed to protect the society... To kill a police officer is a type of murder society cannot admit and for the state to retaliate is not murder, it's self-defense. If the gun carriers are in great number as they are now in Egypt, they should all be killed. Choose your side.
ReplyDeleteThe aim of the Yinon Plan is to break up Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood, like its friend al Qaeda, is run by the CIA and is carrying out the Yinon Plan. The Arab Spring was devised by the CIA.
ReplyDelete- Aangirfan
Nope, the Arab Spring emerged in response to decades of exploitation, repression and despotism. Mubarak and vile his police state truly brought it on themselves. History will never exonerate the legacy of the NDP.
DeleteIf it is a CIA plan to destabilize Egypt and threaten the Suez canal, thus interfering with international commerce ... if it is a CIA plan to raise the price of oil because of Egyptian instability and further strain the American economy ... then the CIA is a bunch of overpaid, illogical, idiots.
DeleteNope, this war in Egypt is a civil war in support of free speech and freedom of religious choice. Neither the Muslim Brotherhood nor Wahhabis want that.
Z you are a real humanitarian in an inhuman situation. I value your blogs and tweets so highly, especially in the darkest days.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning it was the Army. In the end as well. In between the MB tried to get a piece of the cake and it failed. But the Army remained and now is following the classic 'schock doctrine' to reimpose ruthless military rule. Freedom, social justice and fraternity cannot be built through genocide.
ReplyDeleteZeinobia you do a great job and this is indeed very sad. And yes I realize that I'm second guessing but I do believe that the way out was to contain the area where there were gatherings of members of the Mb and their supporters but let them stay as long as they want. And I'm sure that Adam Smith the father of economics would say let them stay because at the end of the day they have to make a living and they will disband. And this is indeed what happened to the "Occupy Wall Street" and all these young people had to leave.
ReplyDeleteThe hypocrisy of the MB has no limits and of all people they are the ones who are asking "foreign kuffar" to help them. And as has been pointed out by Ibrahim Eissa the Copts must be the ultimate Egyptians after all with all the atrocities inflicted on them no Copt is sane mind is asking Europe or America for help
And like I say the MB are liars and criminals and terrorists but at the end of the day Egyptians should sit and talk and sort out their problems but under no condition should those among the MB that committed crimes and atrocities be allowed to get away with such crimes
Again Zeinobia you do a good job
this same vibe was clear even during the #jan25 days, though the cheerleaders could not see it ...
ReplyDeletethe collective consciousness of a culture is never changed just by changing the guy in the chair ..
(r)evolution is a much deeper process
These are heavy and sad events that will reverberate for years to come. That's for sure.
ReplyDeleteViolence breeds violence. That must mean that the whole think would escalate to a civil war of some sort. However I don't think it will go that far. MB supporters may lash out in anger but they cannot wage a war against the whole military establishment.
And even those of us who were horrified at the brutality of the army in breaking the sit-ins, are also horrified at killing innocent army conscripts who had nothing to do with these events, or the attacks on Copts who also were not a party in this.
Anger and revenge will not solve anything only make a bad situation worst. All these killings do not advance anyone's cause. There is only sorrow on that road.
If we want a way out of this, we must choose a different way, not pursue those paths which have only yielded suffering and shame.
It is not about what they do and how I react to it, it is about what I do and my responsibility to stop the insanity. It starts with me.