Actually #Jan25 Presented the alternatives

Lately the mainstream media and the Pro-Military supporters and Pro-Mubarak supporters as well the seasonal supporters {Who change their political support and affiliation to latest political fashion whether it is right or wrong} are claiming that the 25 January revolution did not represent any political alternative and so the people have to choose the only option they have got “other than the Islamist alternative they tried and failed”.

“The revolution people did not give any solutions and they have been arrogant” This idea has been spreading like fire in the media and some people with short memory are buying this. Well contrary to this myth the 25 January revolution has presented several alternatives that were not chosen by the people and were rejected “and fought most of the time” by the regime whether in time of SCAF or Morsi or now.

Let’s go back in history :

• Starting from March 2011 Constitutional amendments referendum , most of the revolutionary forces and powers rejected the amendments demanding a Constitution first option. SCAF and the Islamists were supporting the Constitutional amendments. I remember all the anti-Revolutionary Pro-SCAF Pro-Mubarak Facebook pages calling the people to vote yes just like the Islamists TV channels. The majority chose yes.

• In parliamentary elections 2011/2012 the Revolutionary Forces presented “The Revolutionary continues Bloc” as an alternative which did not win but it was there despite it did not have the money or the media exposure or campaigns compared to the masters of the elections whether the MB or Mubarak’s regime remnants. Several young revolutionary faces run in the parliamentary elections in new parties. Very few made it because the Islamist parties above them Freedom and Justice party and its electoral bloc won massively. Why did FJP win !? Of course the same people who are chanting now about how great the simple Egyptians danced at the Constitution referendum used to say that Islamists won by buying votes using food supplies. Well it is not only about food supplies and promises of heaven , I remember doing the coverage of the parliamentary elections and I used to hear that “We are going to elect the MB and its bloc because they are the only people we know” as well “let’s try the MB". It is worth to mention that in that parliamentary elections we found Nasserite Party “El Karma” of Hamdeen Sabbahi joining the Freedom and Justice Bloc and we found the current minister of manpower Abu Eita in the parliament for the first time. When I look to what happened to the parliamentary elections I can not ignore again that there were alternatives but people feared to try them.
• In the Presidential elections 2012 the presidential candidates allegedly representing the revolution were there and yes they made a horrible mistake that they divided the votes but they were there. They were there but the people , the majority of the voters chose the most radical opposite candidates in the first stage of the elections.
• The police reform and restructure initiatives : There are at least 4 initiatives presented by human rights organizations in the past 3 years. One of them was represented to Mohamed Morsi and his administration but he completely ignored it. One of these initiatives is Police For Egypt.Police for Egypt initiative was made by a group of human right organizations and activists as well police officers. 

By the way I wanted to speak about the social and economic grassroots movements but I feel that they need a standalone post.

Unfortunately the people though that the Jan25 youth were an end where actually those youth are the means. The problem is that the people need to understand that they are the ones who make the change not some savior leader or savior regime.

The people must understand that they have to participate more in the political life and stop siting on their couch. I know it is hard after 60 years and I know the current regime wants the Pre-25 January status.

One of the deadly mistakes or rather the traps we fall in to is that the revolutionary powers allowed the media and regimes to limit the 25 January revolution in the Tarhrir square and not to spread it all over Egypt. Also one of the biggest challenges in order to ensure a true democratic transition in Egypt is to make sure that citizens themselves participate in the transition and in political process starting with the municipal councils and local councils.

The NDPians are waiting madly and have been organizing themselves for the upcoming local councils “30,000 seats at least” all over the country. The Pro-Revolution people have not forgotten the importance of the local councils and for two years “The Municipals” Campaign of the revolutionaries has been speaking online “unfortunately” on the necessity of reforming the local councils systems.

Similar website “Tadamun” speaks about the same thing but in more sophisticated way bringing examples from other countries.

Speaking about locals councils , I can not forget similar campaign which is focusing on improving poor neighborhoods “Neighborhoods by Names only”. BY the way this campaign lost one of its members in Mohamed Mahmoud clashes 2013 late Student Mahmoud Abdel Hakim and several of its members including Ahmed Mandour were detained for protesting in the past few months. 

Of course now some smart pants are saying that the Pro-Revolution people should get up their asses to spread awareness about democracy and so on. Well those people forget that campaigning against the current constitution led people to jail. Those people actually have not read the New protest law as it organizes public political meetings as well. OH yes we are back to Mubarak days. In other words campaigners like Askar Kazeboon that used to roam the country showing the violations of both SCAF and MB using projectors and building walls will be arrested if they dare to go to the streets once again.

The youth are still using social media to spread political awareness but it is not enough in a country like Egypt facing a legacy of 60 years and a mainstream media I am sure will kiss the ass of anyone leads this country if he is a Martian invader !!

Nevertheless we should not lose hope. The revolution has presented an alternative and will continue to present alternatives as long as people are learning from their mistakes and not losing hope.

After all the future is ours insh Allah.