The Alliance of Egyptian Americans
The Alliance supports a transitional unified nationalist Government under ELBaradei and asks Mubarak and his assistants to pass the governing of Egypt, Read In Arabic;
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Economist, 4/14/2011, “Egypt’s Revolution; Staggering in the right direction”
“SEVERAL other would-be revolutions in the Middle East have stalled or descended into civil war. But the biggest so far, in Egypt, is still going strong and also remains mostly peaceful. On April 13th Egyptian police detained the country’s former president, Hosni Mubarak, as well as his two sons. The Mubaraks face a possible trial on charges of corruption and abuse of power, a humiliation unprecedented for a former leader not only in Egypt, but across the wider Arab world……..”
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Reuter, 4/13/2011, “Special Report: Inside the Egyptian Revolution,”
“……The protest drew people of all ages and backgrounds. By 8 p.m. a unified, single chant inspired by Tunisia rang around Tahrir (Arabic for “freedom”) Square: “The people demand the fall of the regime.” By then, many understood at least a few of the tactics of non-violent disobedience. “You don’t need to train every single protester, only a small group of activists well connected with people in their local areas. Ideas spread like a virus,” says Bahaar…….”
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Reuter, 4/13/2011, “Egypt PM says to review Israel, Jordan gas deals”
“…….Egypt has been boosting gas production but most of the increase covers increased domestic demand as electricity consumption surges in the country of 80 million people……”
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Washington Post, 4/9/2010, “Egypt prosecutor alleges schemes by Mubarak’s family, “
“……..Prosecutor General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud wrote in the document that Mubarak and his sons, Gamal and Alaa, may have violated laws prohibiting the “seizing of public funds and profiteering and abuse of power,” using complex business schemes to divert the assets to offshore companies and personal accounts.
The claims spelled out in the document are the most sweeping to date against Mubarak, a strategic ally of the United States for three decades until he was forced from power in February in the wake of national protests and international pressure. The sum of the assets alleged to be appropriated by the Mubarak family — more than $700 billion………..”
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“……..Ezz, in a recent public letter from jail, says he did nothing illegal. But as Egypt purges elements of its old order and gropes to structure a new one, he has emerged as perhaps the most hated symbol of a system that rewarded the few and oppressed the many. Fairly or not, Ezz — the oligarch who cornered the market on steel production in the Arab world — represents for millions of Egyptians a pervasive crony capitalism that, before the revolution, was simply a fact of life……..”
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Dr Hamza Zobaee, 4/8/2011, El-Youm EL-Sabee, “ElBaradei Conscience,”
Read in Arabic
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Amira Nawara, Gaurdian 3/29, “Egypt is still Mubarakstan”
“More than two months after the start of the popular uprising that overthrew President Hosni Mubarak, Egyptians are increasingly fearful that although he is gone, his regime is still alive and kicking.
Egyptians now realise that Mubarakstan, the virtual edifice created by Mubarak and his coterie to ensure the continued dominance of a closed circle of politicians and businessmen, hasn’t collapsed along with the fall of its head and protector……..”
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NY Times, 2/26, “Hosni Mubarak’s shadow still Falls over Egypt”
“…….Cataloging every public use of the Mubarak name would require an effort not unlike constructing the Pyramids. It was plastered across schools, libraries, hospitals, clinics, bridges, roads, squares, airports, stadiums, ministry buildings, industrial complexes, dormitories, scouting centers and various national prizes. You name it……”
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Roger Cohen, NY Times, 3/28 “Arabs will be free, “
“………..Here’s who the protesters are: people like Asmaa Mahfouz, 26, the Egyptian woman who on Jan. 18 made a video urging citizens to go to Tahrir Square on Jan. 25 — the demonstration that would start the revolution. She said then: “We’ll go down and demand our rights, our fundamental human rights. I won’t even talk about any political rights. We just want our human rights and nothing else.” And she said people “don’t have to come to Tahrir Square, just go down anywhere and say it, that we are free human beings.” And: “This is enough!” ………………”
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Alaa El-Aswani, Elmasry Elyoum, 3/23, “Lest the revolution turns into a wasted opportunity,”
In English: “……Second, the referendum was held hastily following the announcement of the proposed amendments, making it difficult for people to fully comprehend the issues involved. Third, citizens could only accept or reject the amendments as a package. Fourth, the Muslim Brotherhood and the NDP were united for the first time in approving the amendments. The Brotherhood demonstrated its readiness to change its position depending on its interests. After collecting signatures for months to support ElBaradei’s reform campaign, the Brotherhood turned its back on him and allied itself with the NDP…..”
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ALaa El-Aswani, Elmasry Elyoum, 3/17, ‘Five positions in the revolution”
“……Why is the military rushing to end the transitional period? The common answer is that the military wants to finish this difficult task as soon as possible in order to resume its main task of securing the country. This argument is both reasonable and acceptable. But it would have been better to adopt the proposal, presented by legal experts, to appoint a presidential council composed of both civilian and military members to govern Egypt during the interim period. This would allow political parties sufficient time to organize themselves and ensure that parliamentary elections reflect the will of the people……”
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William J.Dobson, 3/15/2011, “Another Dictatorship, just with new faces for Egypt?”
“…….Only those who are politically organized. In Egypt, that means the Muslim Brotherhood and remnants of the old regime. Youth groups and opposition figures say they need time to coalesce into parties and put forward platforms of their own. Otherwise, people may be able to vote, but the same political machine from the Egyptian autocracy of old will win out. “If they don’t give us time, we will have another dictatorship, just with new faces,” says Mickawi………”
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Bloomberg, 3/10“Egypt Opposition Leader ELbaradei plans to run in next presidential vote”
“…….if elected he would seek “social justice” through socialism and not capitalism.……………..….ElBaradei, the former chief of the United Nations atomic agency, said he backed equality, whether between men and women or Muslims and Copts………ElBaradei, who was a critic of the U.S. invasion of Iraq………..”
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Robert Kagan, Michele Dunne 3/6/2011; Why Egypt has to be the US priority in the Middle East
“……….Why is Egypt so important? Because it is the heart of the Arab world. It was the birthplace of pan-Arabism under Gamal Nasser, the linchpin of Middle East peace under Anwar Sadat. With more than 80 million people – as many as Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Syria combined – it has a large and vigorous civil society, feisty, independent media, a broad array of political forces, and a well-respected judiciary. If Egypt can make the transition to democracy, it will lead the way to a new era for the Arab world. If Cairo falls back to dictatorship of one variety or another, it is unlikely the rest of the region will move on without it. The Arab Spring will live or die in Egypt………….”
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NY Times, 3/6/2011, “Business Side of Egypt’s military blurs lines of aid from US”
“……..Yet with Washington giving Cairo $1.3 billion a year in military aid, the hospital episode shows that Egypt’s for-profit military has sometimes found ways to use that aid to further its economic interests. A review of the aid program raises questions about a variety of ventures — from the acquisition of a fleet of luxury Gulfstream jets to a company making Jeeps for commercial sale as well as for the army.
Now, as the generals steer Egypt toward a new civilian government after the fall of President Hosni Mubarak, those questions about the aid program echo a broader uneasiness, especially in the pro-democracy movement: will a military so deeply invested in a system that conferred great economic and political power be willing to let go? ………….”
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David Brooks, 3/4/2011, “Huntington’s Clash Revisited”
“……..Finally, I’d say Huntington misunderstood the nature of historical change. In his book, he describes transformations that move along linear, projectable trajectories. But that’s not how things work in times of tumult. Instead, one person moves a step. Then the next person moves a step. Pretty soon, millions are caught up in a contagion, activating passions they had but dimly perceived just weeks before. They get swept up in momentums that have no central authority and that, nonetheless, exercise a sweeping influence on those caught up in their tides. …………”
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New York Times, 2/28, 2011, “Egypt prosecutors sharpen case against Mubarak,”
“……….Mr. Bakry also asserted that Mrs. Mubarak had control over an account that contained $147 million in assets of the national library in Alexandria, a showplace on the Mediterranean Sea whose operations she helped to direct. He said that his brother, who had pressed the charges, was summoned by the public prosecutor’s office early Monday, then informed that the investigation into the allegations would proceed. ……”
Fareed Zakaria, 2/24/2011,”In the Middle East protests, a seismic shift”
“……..Throughout this almost 1,000 years of foreign domination, the Arabs always had local rulers. But these sheiks, kings and generals were appointed or supported by the outside imperial powers. Most of the Middle East’s monarchies were created out of whole cloth by the British – Saudi Arabia being the important exception. These local rulers were more skilled at negotiating up, to the imperial authorities, than they were at negotiating down, to their people. They ruled their people not through negotiations but by force and bribery (once the oil money began to flow).………….”
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Al-Ahram Weekly, 17-23/2011, “Arm in Arm”
“Egypt’s large American diaspora is galvanised to contribute to building a new homeland for their compatriots, says Anayat Durrani………. While the brave demonstrators remained steadfast in their commitment to unseat 30 years of rule by Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, thousands of miles away Egyptian-Americans lived every moment in solidarity with their brethren. There are at least 200,000 Egyptian- Americans according to US Census figures. Other estimates put the number closer to two million………”
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NY Times,2/16/2011, “Mubarak’s fund found by Swiss”
“Funds belonging to the family of Hosni Mubarak, the former Egyptian president, or his senior ministers have been discovered in Switzerland, a Swiss government official said Wednesday…………But the statement from the government did not say whether the list included Mr. Mubarak and his family members. Egyptian opposition members said they feared that the military would shield Mr. Mubarak, a former air force chief, and his relatives from an investigation. …….”
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Thomas Friedman, 2/16/2011, “Pharaoh without a Mummy,”
“……….That is why the most valuable thing America could do now is to help Egypt’s democracy movement consolidate itself. And the best way to do that would be to speak its language. It would be to announce that the U.S. intends to divert $100 million of the $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt this year to build 10 world-class science and technology high schools — from Aswan to Alexandria — in honor of all Egyptians who brought about this democratic transformation………”
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Special report: Has Mohamed ELBaradei’s time arrived?” Reuters, 2/15/2011
“……..At the same time, those who know ElBaradei say he may be just the man Egypt needs. In more than a dozen interviews over the past week, a number of senior advisers who served the Egyptian at the IAEA and diplomats who worked closely with him during his many years in Vienna, describe ElBaradei as charismatic and eloquent, a man with average management skills but an innate ability to inspire people. If his time at the IAEA is anything to go by, ElBaradei is both politically savvy and prepared to get tough……..”
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Mohamed ELBaradei, NY Times, 2/10/11, “The Next Step for Egypt Opposition”
“………..What needs to happen instead is a peaceful and orderly transition of power, to channel the revolutionary fervor into concrete steps for a new Egypt based on freedom and social justice. The new leaders will have to guarantee the rights of all Egyptians. They will need to dissolve the current Parliament, no longer remotely representative of the people. They will also need to abolish the Constitution, which has become an instrument of repression, and replace it with a provisional Constitution, a three-person presidential council and a transitional government of national unity. ……..”
Egypt: The camp that toppled president, BBC
“Cairo’s central Tahrir Square was the focal point for anti-Mubarak protesters during 18 days of demonstrations. As the protest neared its peak, the BBC’s Yolande Knell took a tour of the area. Explore the protesters’ camp by clicking on the
Reuters, 2/11/2011, “Egyptians will resist an army bid to keep power”
“…..The army has not spelled out any transition plans it might have. The best deterrent to any attempt to maintain military rule could be the street power of protesters who showed Mubarak they could render Egypt ungovernable without their consent……”
…..”The transition must begin immediately,” he says, adding that a document circulating in Cairo, the Tahrir Manifesto, has already addressed the next steps. Among them, he says, he wants to see parliament dissolved and a new constitution drawn………. “
Thomas Freidman, 2/10/2011, “Out of Touch, Out of Time”
“Watching President Hosni Mubarak addressing his nation Thursday night, explaining why he would not be drummed out of office by foreigners, I felt embarrassed for him and worried for Egypt. This man is staggeringly out of touch with what is happening inside his country. This is Rip Van Winkle meets Facebook. ……..”
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Christiane Amanpour Interview; Egypt Vice President Omar Sulliman; “The Islamic current has pushed these people”
Guardian, 2/10.2011, “Report: Egyptian army tortures protesters”
“The Guardian reports Egyptian military, which claimed to be neutral, secretly detained thousands of anti-government protestors, tortured some of them. Among detainees: Journalists, human rights activists and lawyers. Some were accused of working for Hamas, Israel……..”
David Ignatius, 2/10/2011, “In the Middle East, a catch-22 for the CIA”
“This conundrum – how to work with your hosts and also spy on them – is one of the difficulties facing the CIA as it tries to understand the youth revolution spreading across the Middle East. The agency has cultivated its relationships with people such as Gen. Omar Suleiman, Egypt’s chief of intelligence and now vice president, but it has not done as well understanding the world of the protesters……..”
NY Times Editorial, 2/9/11, “Mr Sulleiman’s empty promises,”
“……..Mr. Suleiman may talk sweetly to Washington and Brussels. But he appears far more interested in maintaining as much of the old repressive order as he can get away with. That is unacceptable to Egypt’s people, and it should be unacceptable to Egypt’s Western supporters. ………”
Essam EL-Erian, 2/9/2011, “What the Muslim Brotherhood wants”
“…….In more than eight decades of activism, the Muslim Brotherhood has consistently promoted an agenda of gradual reform. Our principles, clearly stated since the inception of the movement in 1928, affirm an unequivocal position against violence. For the past 30 years we have posed, peacefully, the greatest challenge to the ruling National Democratic Party of Hosni Mubarak, while advocating for the disenfranchised classes in resistance to an oppressive regime……..”
Watch Anderson Cooper, CNN, “Getting to the truth in Egypt…. Freed Prisoners tell their stories”
NY Times, 2/9/11, “Allies press US to go slow on Egypt”
“………..Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates have each repeatedly pressed the United States not to cut loose Egypt’s president, Hosni Mubarak, too hastily, or to throw its weight behind the democracy movement in a way that could further destabilize the region, diplomats say……..”
Thomas Freidman, 2/8,11; “Speakers corner on the Nile”
“I’m in Tahrir Square, and of all the amazing things one sees here the one that strikes me most is a bearded man who is galloping up and down, literally screaming himself hoarse, saying: “I feel free! I feel free!” Gathered around him are Egyptians of all ages, including a woman so veiled that she has only a slit for her eyes, and they’re all holding up cellphones taking pictures and video of this man, determined to capture the moment in case it never comes again……..”
Roger Cohen, 2/8/11; “Tehran 1979, or Berlin 1989”
“CAIRO — The core issue in Egypt can be boiled down to this: are we witnessing Tehran 1979 or Berlin 1989? Is this a broad uprising against dictatorship whose goal of democratic freedom will be usurped by organized Islamists, as in the Iranian revolution? Or is this the end of the Arab Jurassic Park where, from Yemen to Tunisia, aging despots have ruled, and the start of a democratic flowering as world-changing as the collapse of the Soviet empire? …….”
Listen to #Jan25 Egypt, Omer Offendum, Freeway, Ayah, Amir Sulleiman, by Sami Mattar
Fareed Zakaria, 2/7/11, “Egypt’s real parallel to Iran’s revolution”
“………Fears of this imagined future are drawing American eyes away from the actual problem in Egypt: military dictatorship. Egypt is not a personality-based regime, centered on Mubarak, despite reports of his wealth and efforts to establish his son as his successor. Since the officers’ coup in 1952, Egypt has been a dictatorship of, by and for the military…….”
An Army officer asks for regime change in Egypt, Video in Arabic, ELmasry Elyoum
Washington Post, 2/5/11, “Where Egypt military’s loyalties lie remains unclear”
“CAIRO – As they gathered in force for an 11th straight day, anti-government demonstrators spotted an unexpected face in their midst in Tahrir Square: Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, the Egyptian defense minister…..”
Christian Science Monitor, 2/4/11, “Egypt protests stir a jumble of emotions for Egyptian-Americans”
……….”When the police disappeared from the streets, we set up neighborhood watch groups to monitor the streets and buildings in the evening,” Ms. Saadawi writes in an e-mail from Cairo. “Ordinary citizens, teenagers, are directing traffic and setting up checkpoints to ensure safety and security in the neighborhoods…….”
‘Kill switch’ debate flares up following Egypt unrest
“Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn) and his co-sponsors plan to reintroduce a comprehensive cybersecurity bill during this Congress, but recent events in Egypt have reignited controversy over the potential for what has been called a presidential Internet “kill switch” in the legislation. The Mubarak government last week shut down most of Egypt’s Internet and wireless telecom infrastructure in response to massive antigovernment protests. Some critics of the Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act have pointed to this……”
“It’s hard to not be moved by the cri de coeur (cry of the heart) of the Egyptian people. A cry for freedom so loud the borders of Egypt can’t contain it. I don’t think I’m being hyperbolic in saying we are witness to the rise of a new world order. An era defined by entrenched public and private sector institutions is giving way, right before our eyes, to a new era defined by self-organization……”
Maher Hathout, LA Times, 2/4/11, ”A second chance for democracy in Egypt”
“Half a century ago, I was part of a human flood surging through the streets of Cairo. It was March 1954, and we had poured out of the university gates intending to cross the bridge of Qasr el Nil and meet up with other protesters for a massive demonstration outside the official presidential palace in Abdin Square……”
“Posted on February 3, 2011 under christians protect muslims in egypt, coptic christians protect muslims in egypt, egypt christians, Egypt photo Christians form a ring around Muslims to protect them during their prayers at demonstrations in Cairo, Egypt….”
Listen to a great speech about Islam and democracy; in French and Arabic
Nicholas Kristof, 2/4/11, “We are all Egyptians”
“Cairo, Inside Tahrir Square on Thursday, I met a carpenter named Mahmood whose left arm was in a sling, whose leg was in a cast and whose head was being bandaged in a small field hospital set up by the democracy movement. This was the seventh time in 24 hours that he had needed medical treatment for injuries suffered at the hands of government-backed mobs. But as soon as Mahmood was bandaged, he tottered off once again to the front lines.
“I’ll fight as long as I can,” he told me. I was awestruck. That seemed to be an example of determination that could never be surpassed………”
Roger Cohen, 2/3/11, “Mubarak Agonistes”
“CAIRO — Blood streams from a man’s face as he is carried from Tahrir Square. Stones are hurled between anti-government protesters and President Hosni Mubarak’s big-bellied provocateurs. The army’s Egyptian-assembled M1A1 Abrams tanks are no anti-riot tool, menacing beasts marooned. As night falls, Molotov cocktails are hurled; gunshots pierce the darkness. Stones clatter against improvised shields, the toll of dead and injured mounts. …….”
Watch and Listen in Arabic: “A Brave Girl”
Nicholas Kristof, 2/3/11, “Watching thugs with razors and clubs at Tahrir square,”
“Pro-government thugs at Tahrir Square used clubs, machetes, swords and straight razors on Wednesday to try to crush Egypt’s democracy movement, but, for me, the most memorable moment of a sickening day was one of inspiration: watching two women stand up to a mob. ……..”
Maureen Dowd, New York Times, 2/2/2011, “Bye, Bye, Mubarak”
“……….Egyptians rose up at the greatest irony of all: Cleopatra’s Egypt was modern in ancient times and Mubarak’s was ancient in modern times. The cradle of civilization yearned for some civilization. ……..”
David Ignatius, 2/2/2011, Washington Post, “The Arab Revolution Grows”
“Nobody said it better than Hosni Mubarak: “Our eventual goal is to create an equal society, not a society of privileges and class distinctions. Social justice is the first rule for peace and stability in society.” But that was in November 1981, a few weeks after he had become president of Egypt………”
Egypt : A New Spirit of National Bride, The DailyNews Egypt, must see
Must see!!!Egypt revolution 2011demonstrators vs police fighting, Elmasry Elyoum
Wall Street Journal, 1/31/2011, “Business halt operations in Egypt”
“……Egypt’s fragmented opposition groups were Monday lining up behind Nobel peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei as their best chance to oust President Hosni Mubarak, while the nation’s military closed ranks with the government leadership but allowed protests to continue mass demonstrations……….”
Daily Telegraph, UK, 1/31/2011, “Egypt Crisis; Mubarak family profile”
“But while his personal wealth – estimated in some quarters to top £20 billion – may draw comparisons to the country’s ancient rulers, his popularity among the Egyptian people is far less convincing. ………… The Mubarak’s are understood to have properties in Los Angeles, Washington and New York, as well as assets stored in bank accounts in the United States, Switzerland and Britain…………”
AlJazeera; classified document condemning security officers in Egypt’s Chaos: Read in Arabic
Watch the Rally Outside the United Nations, 1/29/2011:
Ø CNN
Ø Yahoo News
Ø Astoria, NY Rally 1/28
Stratfor Global Institute, 1/30, “Internal Security Officers creating problems for Egypt’s army,”
“STRATFOR has received multiple reports Jan. 29 indicating that plainclothes police from Egypt’s internal security apparatus are the main drivers behind the growing insecurity in the streets over the past 24 hours.
It is important to keep in mind that historically, animosity has existed between Egyptian police and army officers. The Interior Ministry, according to STRATFOR sources, wanted to prevent the military from imposing control in the streets. It appears that the absence of police on the streets Jan. 29 was (at least in part) encouraged by the outgoing interior minister, who was sacked the same day along with the rest of the Cabinet……….”
Time Magazine, “Is there an ELbaradei solution”
“For a while, Mohamed ElBaradei was known as the “change maker” among Egyptian activists and reformers. The recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership of the International Atomic Energy Agency, ElBaradei flew into Cairo International Airport almost exactly a year ago to a crowd of hundreds exuberantly chanting his name……”
The Wall Street Journal, 1/30, “How Egypt Killed the Internet?”
“How do you turn off the Internet in an entire country?
. In the case of Egypt, it was probably done with a few phone calls, says Jim Cowie, the co-founder and chief technology officer of Renesys Corp., a company that analyzes how the Internet is performing around the world…….”
New York City Rally Outside the United Nations, 1/29
“During the protest Magda Nassar, of Tinton Falls, NJ, holds up Egyptian flags with a Tunisian one while outside the United Nations. She said she hopeful but also scared about what is going on over there….”
Morad Abou-Sabe, The Times of Trenton, 1/29, “Will US Help Egyptians in their quest for democracy”
“The events unfolding in Cairo, and other Egyptian cities, offer a great promise of change in the governance in Egypt. Inspired by the success of the revolt that culminated in the exile of the president of Tunisia, the uprising in Egypt was also organized using Twitter and Facebook. Messaging among some 50,000 respondents set Jan. 25 for their demonstration against the government. The outcome in Egypt may not necessarily be the same as in Tunisia; however, these next few days could be critical for the success of the opposition.
Tarek El-Ackad Feedback to PBS and his letter to The White House on Joe Biden’s interview with Jim Lehrer on Thursday 1/27;
““Mr. Biden is clearly biased, and out of touch with what is going on in Egypt. As an Egyptian -American watching him last evening on PBS with Mr. Jim Lehrer, denying that Mr. Mubarak is a dictator made me sick to my stomach. What is more sickening is that he said that he and our President, Mr. Obama, see eye to eye and he just had lunch with him yesterday. Thus, one can assume that the President agrees with how Mr. Biden thinks of Mubarak. This administration is cherry picking where democracy would be instituted, i.e., not in Egypt. What a shame ! So much for being a member and supporter of the Democratic Party. May be the Republicans are better after all. “
Reuter, 1/28, “Analysis: Egypt shows how easily Internet can be silenced”
“(Reuters) – The move by Egyptian authorities to seal off the country almost entirely from the Internet shows how easily a state can isolate its people when telecoms providers are few and compliant.
In an attempt to stop the frenzied online spread of dissent against President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule, not only Facebook and Twitter but the entire Internet was shut down overnight, leaving some 20 million users stranded………”
NY Times Opinion Page, 1/28, “What can the protests in Egypt achieve”
Debaters: Emad Shahin, Amr Hamzawy, Mona ELtahawy, BAhy El-Din Hassan, Shadi Hamid, Steven Cook, Rime Allaf”
“CAIRO – Heavily armed riot police battled thousands of protesters across Cairo on Friday, as the Egyptian government sought to squelch a burgeoning pro-democracy movement that appears to be gaining strength. …….”
Roger Cohen, 1/28, “Revolutionary Arab Geeks,”
“Ill-timed books are an interesting subculture. “Dow 36,000” comes to mind. It was written by James Glassman and Kevin Hassett and published in 1999, just as the tech bubble peaked. Now we have Evgeny Morozov’s “The Net Delusion” — sub-title “The Dark Side of Internet Freedom” — hitting stores just as the Facebook-armed youth of Tunisia and Egypt rise to demonstrate the liberating power of social media……”
NY Times, 1/28, “Egypt’s Leader Uses Old Tricks to Defy New Demands
“CAIRO — Political protests may be rocking Egypt with a new, nonideological force, but President Hosni Mubarak and his allies have not veered from a playbook they have followed through nearly three decades of one-party rule. ………..”
NY Times, 1/28, “Cables Show Delicate U.S. Dealings With Egypt’s Leaders”
“It was Hillary Rodham Clinton’s first meeting as secretary of state with President Hosni Mubarak, in March 2009, and the Egyptians had an odd request: Mrs. Clinton should not thank Mr. Mubarak for releasing an opposition leader from prison because he was ill……..”
Mohamed ElBaradei, The Daily Beast 1/27, “A Manifesto for Change in Egypt”
“When Egypt had parliamentary elections only two months ago, they were completely rigged. The party of President Hosni Mubarak left the opposition with only 3 percent of the seats. Imagine that. And the American government said that it was “dismayed.” Well, frankly, I was dismayed that all it could say is that it was dismayed. The word was hardly adequate to express the way the Egyptian people felt……….”
Wall Street Journal, 1/27, “Egyptians extend protests, shun ban”
“CAIRO—Egyptian demonstrators extended their nationwide antigovernment rallies into a second day Wednesday in defiance of a security crackdown, deepening a conflict whose outcome has the potential to rattle regimes across the Middle East…….”
New York Times, 1/27, “Egypt’s young seize role of key opposition to Mubarak”
“For decades, Egypt’s authoritarian president, Hosni Mubarak, played a clever game with his political opponents. He tolerated a tiny and toothless opposition of liberal intellectuals whose vain electoral campaigns created the facade of a democratic process. And he demonized the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood as a group of violent extremists who posed a threat that he used to justify his police state……….”
CNN Interview with ElBaradei, 1/25; “Egypt is not stable”
“Egyptian opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei explains why he does not think Egypt’s government is stable…….”
El-Wafd, 1/26, “The Alliance of Egyptian Americans is Demanding the Departure of Mubarak”
In Arabic: “طالب تحالف المصريين الأمريكيين الرئيس حسني مبارك بالرحيل بعدما فشلت كافة سياسات الحزب الوطنى فى الإصلاح، حسب قوله. وقال طالب صبرى الباجا المتحدث الرسمي باسم التحالف فى خطاب مفتوح بعث به إلى عدد من السياسيين المصريين في الحزب الوطنى وأحزاب المعارضة: إن تنازل الرئيس مبارك عن الترشح فى الانتخابات القادمة يحفظ لمصر سلامتها ويصون دماء أبنائها ويوقف حالة الضغينة والثأر بين الشعب المصري وأبنائه من رجال الشرطة، قبل أن يصيب مصر خراب دائم.
وأضاف أن استخدام النظام الحاكم للأجهزة الأمنية لنشر الخوف والفزع في قلوب المواطنين والقوي الراغبة في التغيير يؤكد أن حكمه في مصر يفتقد لشرعية الموافقة ويقوم على التخويف والإذعان.
كان تحالف المصريين الامريكيين والذى يمثل الجالية المصرية فى الولايات المتحدة قد نظم مساء أمس الأول مظاهرات حاشدة أمام السفارة المصرية بواشنطن تضامنا مع يوم الغضب الشعبى في مصر………”
Laura Rosen, Politico, 1/26, “Obama and unrest in the Arab world”
“The Obama administration needs to “seize the moment” to grapple with the wave of anti-government protests sweeping through Egypt and other parts of the Middle East, several foreign policy scholars urged on Wednesday…….”
US Demonstrations in Support of Egypt Jan 25th Demonstrations:
Ø In Front of Egypt UN Mission in NY, 1/25
Ø In Front of Egyptian Embassy in Washington DC, 1/25
The Guardian, 1/26, “Egypt protests; we ran a gauntlet of officers beating us with sticks”
“Jack Shenker, the Guardian’s reporter in Cairo, was beaten and arrested alongside protesters in the capital last night. He made this remarkable recording while locked in the back of a security forces truck next to dozens of protesters. Listen to the audio ………”
In Arabic; “قال الدكتور محمد البرادعى، المدير العام السابق للوكالة الدولية للطاقة الذرية، مؤسس الجمعية الوطنية للتغيير، إن خروج الشباب المصرى إلى الشوارع أمس بمثابة بداية لعملية تاريخية، مضيفاُ أن الشعب المصرى أدرك أنه لابد أن يحمل مصيره على يده. وأوضح البرادعى، فى حوار له مع مجلة «دير شبيجل» الألمانية، أمس، أن المصريين لأول مرة فى تاريخهم الحديث، يصبحون على استعداد للنزول إلى الشوارع بشكل حقيقى، مؤكداً أن ثقافة الخوف التى يزرعها النظام تحطمت لديهم……….”
In English: “In a SPIEGEL interview, Egyptian Nobel Peace Prize recipient Mohamed ElBaradei, 68, discusses the urge for change in his home country, possible cooperation with Islamists in the next election and the prospects of driving autocratic Hosni Mubarak out of office….”
Read the Black Book by ElBaradie Association for Change (In Arabic)
Washington Post Editorial, 1/25, “Egypt’s Unstable Regime”
“TENS OF thousands of Egyptians took to the streets of Cairo and other cities Tuesday in an unprecedented outburst of protest against the regime of Hosni Mubarak. Inspired by Tunisia’s popular uprising, they demanded political concessions that Mr. Mubarak’s rotting government should have made long ago: an end to emergency laws, freedom for political activity and a limit on the president’s tenure in office…..”
Watch BBC-Arabic Protest Video and Read in Arabic
قالت وزيرة الخارجية الأمريكية هيلاري كلينتون الثلاثاء ان الولايات المتحدة تعتبر ان “الحكومة المصرية مستقرة” رغم الاحتجاجات التي تدعو الى تنحي الرئيس المصري حسني مبارك…….
Follow Egypt “January 25th – Anger Day” Protests step-by-step, Elshorouk
“تأتي دعوة التظاهر، اليوم الثلاثاء، 25 يناير، وحالة الزخم التي أحدثتها على المواقع الاجتماعية، وتجاوب الأجهزة الأمنية معها، من خلال الوجود الأمني الكثيف، لتفرض علينا متباعة تطورات أحداث هذا اليوم، الذي أطلق عليه النشطاء “يوم الغضب“…..
Washington Post, 1/25/2011, “Egyptians Denounce Mubarak, clash with riots police”
“CAIRO — Thousands of anti-government protesters, some hurling rocks and climbing atop an armored police truck, clashed with riot police Tuesday in the center of Cairo in a Tunisia-inspired demonstration to demand the end of Hosni Mubarak’s nearly 30 years in power……”
The Guardian, UK, 1/25, “Thousands protest against President Mubarak – Video”
Watch Elbaradie chatting with Egyptian Youth
Watch Ayman Nour’s Message to President Mubarak
In Arabic; “أصدرت حركة ٩ مارس لاستقلال الجامعات بياناً صحفياً، أمس، بمناسبة إلغاء الحرس الجامعى فى الجامعات التونسية.
وقال البيان إن سيطرة أمن الدولة على الجامعة هى بدعة لم تعد موجودة إلا فى الجامعات العربية، مشيراً إلى أن قرار الحكومة التونسية إلغاء الحرس الجامعى، أمس الأول، أمر يؤكد ضرورة تخلص الجامعات من أغلال الحرس الجامعى.
من جانبه قال الدكتور محمد أبوالغار، الأب الروحى لحركة ٩ مارس، إن الحركة تهنئ أساتذة وطلاب الجامعات التونسية بهذه الخطوة المهمة …….”
Dr Mohamed Abul-Ghar, 1/23/2011, “Tunisia Revolution, Can it be duplicated?”
In Arabic, ثورة تونس: هل هى قابلة للتكرار؟
“لقد دعيت لزيارة تونس عدة مرات فى السنوات الاخيرة لإلقاء محاضرات فى مؤتمرات طبية وقد لاحظت ارتفاع مستوى التعليم العام وشاهدت عن قرب القهر شديداً للشعب التونسى مع وجود معارضة كان واضحاً أنها ديكور أمام العالم، بينما السجون مليئة بالمعتقلين والتعذيب على أشده مع جميع فئات الشعب.
وفى الأسبوع الماضى أثناء حديثى مع الممرضات والتومرجية والمرضى من كافة الطبقات والطلبة وزملائى وعائلتى كان واضحاً أن الشعب المصرى بجميع طبقاته وفئاته تابع ما حدث فى تونس باهتمام شديد وكان واضحاً أن المصريين يتطلعون إلى حياة ديمقراطية وأنهم يشجعون الانتفاضة العظيمة للشعب التونسى…….”
Los Angeles Times, 1/23/2011,”Tunisia nudges Arab world out of its hopelessness”
Roger Cohen in New York Times, 1/21, “Tunisian Dominoes?
“TUNIS — Liberated Tunisia has done away with its Ministry of Communications, really the Ministry of Censorship, and also seems to have dispensed with all but the most cursory immigration controls, to judge by the relaxed, wave-you-on-your-way scene at the airport. These are heady days in the Arab world’s fragile democratic bridgehead. ………”
Time,1/20/2011, “After Tunisia: Why Egypt isn’t Ready to Have its Own Revolution”
“Many Arabs across the Middle East are looking to events in Tunisia for inspiration. It is the first of the region’s dictatorships to fall at the hands of its own people since 1979 — with no Islamist revolution needed; no U.S. invasion; no inspiring leader, just the mass uprising of a well-educated and disenchanted populace. “A lot of people have been talking about Tunisia,” says one 57-year-old Cairo resident who only gave his name as Mohamed. “They had a bad president and the people were sick of him, so they overthrew him. Here, the people are sick too — more so than they were in Tunisia. Eventually here, they’re going to do it too.”…………..”
Waeel Kandil, 1/20, “Egypt Abu-Azizi Playing with Fire,”
In Arabic; “شعار المرحلة الآن «أولع فى نفسى علشان أتدفى وأدفى مصر معايا» والحقوق محفوظة لزميلتنا علا الساكت مؤلفة الشعار.
ارتدى كتاب الحكومة زى الوعاظ وأطلقوا لحاهم وتحولوا إلى مفتين يحرمون الانتحار وقتل النفس التى حرم الله قتلها، وأفردوا الصفحات الأولى لرجال الدين ــ مسلمين ومسيحيين ــ للحديث عن حرمة الانتحار والنهى عنه فى كل الأديان السماوية.
وهذه طريقة قديمة وتقليدية للغاية فى توظيف الدين لمحاصرة أى ظاهرة سياسية أو اجتماعية تؤرق…….”
Washington Post, 1/20/2011, “Obama to Mubarak: Forget Tunisia”
“Tunisia’s popular revolution should have been a wake-up call to the rotting autocracy of Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak and his supporters in the Obama administration. Instead, Cairo is moving to retrench, with the tacit blessing of President Obama……..”
Roger Cohen in New York Times, 1/18, “The Arab Gdansk,”
“Is Tunis the Arab Gdansk? Big things start small. In Poland, the firing in 1980 of Anna Walentynowicz, a shipyard worker, led to strikes and the formation of the grassroots Solidarity movement that set in motion the unraveling of the Soviet empire. Walentynowicz, who was killed in a plane crash last year, once told me all they sought at the outset was “better money, improved work safety, a free trade union and my job back.”……………”
Time, 1/18, “Tunisia Domino? No, but, A US Democracy Dilemma”
“”Yes We Can!” read a placard carried by one Tunisian protester last week, hours before he and his peers scored an improbable victory by forcing the autocratic President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali to flee the country. The demonstrator’s confidence that standing up to sclerotic authority could bring political change carries a chilling message for the leaders of Egypt, Libya, Jordan, Syria and other Arab governments also ruled by decades-old autocracies. Like all of those regimes, Tunisia had long relied on its security services to terrify would-be challengers into submission, and its collapse has provided the world with an electrifying first contemporary example of a successful Arab rebellion, prompting speculation over a domino effect across the region………”
In Arabic; “هذا نداء صادق ومفتوح أوجهه للقيادة السياسية فى مصر، قاصداً سلامة مصر وصالح مواطنيها، وراجياً أن نتفادى الدرسين المريرين الناتجين عن معالجات قاصرة فى الملف القبطى وملف الإصلاح السياسى والاجتماعى والاقتصادى. إذن العلاقة واضحة بين الدرسين القبطى والتونسى، لقد فصل بينهما يومان ففى يوم الأربعاء الماضى قطع الأقباط طريق صلاح سالم وهشموا سيارات وأصابوا عدداً بجراح، احتجاجاً على حادث قطار سمالوط، وفى مساء الجمعة بلغ الدرس التونسى ذروته بالهروب المخزى للديكتاتور الفاسد المفتون بعجرفة السلطان……..”
Salama Ahmed Salama, 1/17, “The End of a Failing Ruler,”
In Arabic, “لم يكن أحد يتوقع أن يهرب الرئيس التونسى زين العابدين بن على إلى السعودية بهذه السرعة، فى خضم الأزمة السياسية الكبرى التى نشبت فى بلاده، وفى أعقاب ساعات قليلة من خطابات اعتذارية انهزامية وجهها للشعب، تراجع فيها عن كل القرارات والسياسات التى ثار التونسيون ضدها، بحجة أن مستشاريه ضللوه بمعلومات خاطئة. ووعد بإصلاح شامل لتعقب الفساد وتحرير الصحافة ورفع الرقابة عن الإنترنت والإفراج عن المعتقلين ووقف القمع البوليسى وتخفيض أسعار الطعام………….”
Waeel Kandil, 1/17, “Tsunami Tunisia has arrived to Egypt,”
In Arabic; “شكرا تونس.. بركاتك يا خضراء.. وفقا لمصادر مسئولة بغرفة القاهرة التجارية وعلى عهدة زميلنا المحرر النشط محمود العربى، فإن تعليمات مشددة تلقاها التجار من جهات رسمية بعدم زيادة الأسعار خلال الفترة الحالية……….”
Dr Mohamed Abul Ghar, 1/16/11, “Alexandria Disaster: What’s Then?,”
In Arabic, “لقد كتب وأدان وشجب الجميع، وخرجت التظاهرات والمسيرات والوقفات بالشموع، وتضامن المصريون جميعاً أقباطاً ومسلمين ضد هذا الحادث الإرهابى الفظيع، وكان واضحاً هذه المرة أن غضب الأقباط لم يكن موجهاً ضد المسلمين، ولكنه بالدرجة الأولى كان موجهاً ضد النظام المصرى من قمته إلى أصغر فرد فيه……..”
Dr Omar El-Shoubky, 1/16/11, “Egypt is n’t Tunisia,”
In Arabic, “من شاهد صور «الجزيرة مباشر»، أمس الأول، عما يجرى فى تونس من احتجاجات مدنية عظيمة، وتخللها عرض لبعض ما يجرى فى مصر، سيتأكد أن ما يجرى فى تونس من الصعب أن يتكرر فى مصر……”
Dr Osama El-Ghazaly HArb, 1/16/11, “Tunisia…The Revolution Lessons,”
In Arabic, “لا شىء يلهب المشاعر، ويوقظ الوجدان، ويحرّك الأفئدة مثل الثورة! إنها ذلك الفعل الجماهيرى الشعبى، الشامل الكاسح، الذى ينفجر ليغيّر – فى لحظة عبقرية – الواقع من حال إلى حال آخر تماما، ويصير ما بعده نقيضا كاملا لما قبله. إنها البوتقة التى تنصهر فيها إرادة تغيير الواقع، مع رومانسية الحلم بالمستقبل! إنها لحظة الصدق التى تنهى عهود الكذب والخداع.. لحظة الفعل التى تمحو عهود الخوف والاستكانة.. لحظة الأمل التى تطوى صفحة اليأس والإحباط!……”
Dr Salah El-Ghazaly Harb, 1/16/11, “Happening in the Egyptian Universities,”
In Arabic, “بداية.. أود التأكيد على أننى من المؤيدين للرأى القائل بأن ما حدث فى الإسكندرية مؤخرًا، هو حادث إرهابى فى المقام الأول، وليس حادثًا طائفيًا.. إلا أن المخططين كانوا بالذكاء والخبث بحيث ركزوا على علاقة يشوبها الكثير من التوتر وعدم الفهم منذ فترة طويلة بين أبناء الوطن الواحد، وبذلك يحققون هدفين.. الأول التذكير بأنهم لايزالون قادرين على اختراق مصر، والثانى هو إشعال نار الفتنة الطائفية.. ومع احترامى الشديد وتقديرى العميق لكل مشاعر السخط والغضب والتعاطف التى سادت البلاد عقب الحادث مباشرة………”
Yvonne Ridley, 1/15/2011, “Tonight we are all Tunisians”
“Armed with nothing more than a revolutionary heart and hopes of a better future they gathered and protested as government forces aimed their weapons and fired live rounds in to the crowds. But the ammunition and the underlying threats of arrest and torture meant absolutely nothing to the masses – for they had simply lost their fear…….”
Listen to Hisham ELGakh’s Poem; “El-Taesheera (the Visa),” in Arabic
Read the Poem here; “هشام الجخ – التأشيرة”
Read Nizar Kabbani’s Poem, “Would you Permit me” In Arabic and English; “هل تسمحون لي”
Listen to “Cairo Life – Flashing Light Remix” song
New York Times, 1/16/11; “In Peril: The Arab Status Quo”
“It started with Egypt, once the dynamic, uncontested leader of the Arab world, whose foreign policy now often amounts to an appendix tacked onto American mediation in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. A New Year’s Day bombing at a church in Alexandria has laid bare what most Egyptians already know: Years of…….”
Amr Hamzawi, 1/16/2011; “Tunisia, if people wanted one day to live,”
In Arabic; “للحكام والمواطنين فى العالم العربى الكثير من العبر فى ثورة الشعب التونسى التى أرغمت الديكتاتور زين العابدين بن على، على الهرب من البلاد ويمكن لها وبالرغم من حالة الفوضى والانفلات الأمنى التى تسود الشارع اليوم، أن تصنع مستقبلا ديمقراطيا را
Fahmy Howeidy, Jan 14, 2011; “Call to Support the Emergency Law!,”
In Arabic, “حين يصرح نائب رئيس المجلس القومى لحقوق الإنسان بأنه لولا الطوارئ لأصبحت مصر عراقا ثانيا. فإنه يصدمنا ثلاث مرات على الأقل. مرة بسبب مضمون الرسالة فى تصريحه، ومرة بسبب موقع المرسل ومرة ثالثة بسبب كونه رجل قانون بالأساس…..”
Fahmy Howeidy, Jan 13, 2011; “The Nationalist Occupier,”
In Arabic, “الوضع فى تونس قارب مرحلة الخطر. فمظاهرات الغاضبين دخلت أسبوعها الثالث والحريق يزداد اشتعالا فى أنحاء البلاد، والسلطة اضطرت لاستخدام الجيش لأول مرة بعد فشل الشرطة، فى محاولة بائسة لاحتواء الغضب وقمع المتظاهرين ــ ثم إن ميليشيات النظام وقناصته وجهوا نيران أسلحتهم صوب المتظاهرين، الذين قتلوا ٥٣ منهم يوم الأحد الماضى 9/1. وحسب رواية شهود عيان فإن قناصة الميليشيات اعتلوا المبانى السكنية لاصطياد قادة المظاهرات فى بعض المدن………”
Wael Kandeel, Jan 13; “The Opposition in an Empty Café,”
In Arabic; “لم تشبع أحزاب المعارضة ضربا وصفعا وإهانة فى الانتخابات البرلمانية السابقة، فانتفضت ثائرة غاضبة فى وجه الدكتور محمد البرادعى عندما قال إن الانتخابات الرئاسية المقبلة ستكون أقرب إلى «التعبيرية» منها إلى الانتخابات الحقيقية………….”
Ahmed El-Aswany, Jan 10, 2010; “Questions After the Alexandria Massacre,”
In Arabic “لاأعتقد ان كل كلمات العزاء والمواساه التى قيلت ومازالت تقال يمكن أن تعوض عن قطرة دم شهيد واحد ممن سقطوا أمام كنيسة القديسين ولكن عزائنا الوحيد أن تكون هذه المذبحه اغلاق لسنوات من الأعتداءات الأجراميه البغيضه وأن تكون نقطة انطلاق لبناء مصرجديده يتعانق فيها الجميع تحت…..”
Dr Mohamed Abul-Khar, Jan 9, 2011; “To Egypt Coptic; I am Apologizing, “
IN Arabic, “كتبت هذا المقال بعد يوم من أحداث كنيسة الإسكندرية وأنا مكتئب وحزين ومهموم وقلبى يقطر دماً على وطن ضيعناه جميعاً. إنها كارثة كبرى لا يجدى معها اعتذار ولا كلام ولا بيان ولا وقفة احتجاجية. إنها مصيبة يُسأل عنها النظام فى مصر، خاصة الأمن بكل مستوياته. من الواضح أن الأمن فى مصر أصبح أمناً سياسياً لحماية الكبار فى مصر والحفاظ على أمن نظامهم، أما الشعب المصرى كله فلا أحد يحميه أو يدافع عنه. هناك ما يزيد على مليون جندى وضابط فى الشرطة المصرية، كلهم لحماية أفراد يعدون على الأصابع وبعضهم وظيفته هى ضرب بضع مئات من المتظاهرين ولإرهاب الأحزاب والنقابات والطلبة والعمال وأساتذة الجامعات بل والقضاة، وبذا ضاع المجتمع المدنى الذى يبنى الدولة الحديثة ويدافع عنها ويساند النظام فى الحفاظ على مصر…..”
Egypt and the Destruction of Churches
“Over the past few days, Christian churches have been attacked in at least two countries — Nigeria and Egypt — while small packages containing improvised explosive devices were placed on the doorsteps of Christian families in Iraq…………..”
Mona El-Ghobashy on Egypt post-elections, pre-succession
“Egyptian and international observers with no known sympathies for the opposition have condemned the conduct and outcome of the polls. Moderate political analyst ‘Amr al-Shubaki of the establishment al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies called it “the worst election in Egypt’s history………….”
Dr Hassan Nafaa, 12/24/2010, “The University and the Security Police once more,”
“إذا أردت أن تعرف معدل التدهور الحادث فى الجامعات المصرية هذه الأيام، فما عليك سوى أن تقارن بين حال كلية الاقتصاد والعلوم السياسية منذ سنوات قليلة، والتى كانت تبدو آنذاك كلؤلؤة مضيئة فى سماء جامعة القاهرة وحالها اليوم. فالأنشطة التى كانت تقوم بها مراكز البحوث فيها حولتها إلى أحد أهم مواقع الإشعاع الفكرى والعلمى فى مصر. ساعدت على ذلك مجموعة من العوامل، أهمها:………”
Message from Dr Mohamed ELbardie Regarding the Election, 12/7/2010
NY Times, 12/20, “Why Egypt Power Has Dimmed?”
“At Bayoumy’s, a dingy, smoke-filled tea shop in downtown Cairo, Egyptian football fans groaned at the “biased” referee as they watched their national team lose 2-1 to the Gulf state of Qatar in a friendly last week……:
Wael Kandeel, 12/16/2010; “The Scenario for the Arrest of ElBaradie,”
“لو أخذنا ما يكتبه رؤساء تحرير صحف حكومية على محمل الجد.. ولو جرى تقييمه بعيدا عن اعتباره نوعا من الكوميديا المباشرة إلى درجة الإسفاف، فإن شيئا ما يحاك فى الخفاء للدكتور محمد البرادعى الآن.. ومن غير المستبعد إذا جرت الأمور على هذا النحو الهزلى أن يقدموا على إجراء متهور ضده……………”
Waeel Kandeel; 12/15/2010; “ElBaradie and the Media Syndicate Commissioner,”
“ما الضرر الذى كان سيقع على نقابة الصحفيين لو سمحت للدكتور محمد البرادعى بالدخول للقاء صحفيى الدستور المعتصمين؟
لا يتصور عقلا أن يكون فى زيارة شخصية بحجم ووزن البرادعى بدون تصريح من السيد النقيب مساس بهيبة النقابة أو خدشا لكرامتها، أو عبثا بشرفها الرفيع الذى لا يسلم من الأذى حتى يراق على جوانبه الدم……..”
Emad ElDeen Hussein; 12/15/2010; “Hiding behin ELBaradie,”
“محمد البرادعى، يبدو انه يعرف قدره جيدا، ولا يريد المغامرة ولا يؤمن بنظرية «خبط الدماغ فى الحيط».
كثيرون من انصار التغيير والمطالبين به والمشتاقين إليه، كانوا يريدون من الرجل ولهم بعض العذر أن ينزل الشارع فى أول يوم عاد فيه من فيينا للتظاهر، ثم استمروا يطلبون منه ذلك كل يوم، ويريدون منه ان يفعل ذلك الآن أو غدا على أقصى تقدير………”
New York Times; 12/12; “Egypt’s Opposition Protests, Challenging Legislative Vote;”
“Hundreds of opposition activists protested Sunday over what they said were bogus elections that had produced an illegitimate Parliament, even as the president hailed the vote as a “milestone” for democracy…………….”
El-Destour, 12/13;”ELbaradie meets ElWaf…”
: علمت ” الدستور الأصلى ” أن الدكتور محمد البرادعى المدير العام السابق للوكالة الدولية للطاقة الذرية سيقوم بعقد اجتماع مرتقب السبت القادم الموافق 18 ديسمبر مع أعضاء من الهيئة العليا لحزب الوفد للتشاور حول سبل و اّليات العمل خلال الفترة القادمه لتفعيل مطالب التغيير……..”
Wael Kandil; 12/12, “ELBaradie and the Election Wounds,”
“ الدكتور محمد البرادعى فى المنيا اليوم.. هكذا أعلنوا الخبر دون أن يقولوا هل هى زيارة عائلية أم جولة سياحية أم استئناف لنشاط سياسى معطل منذ شهور؟……..”
Galal Ameen, 12/10/10, “The Egyptians and the Elections,”
“كل من عرف المصريين وعاشرهم، يشهد لهم بأنهم شعب خفيف الظل، وكل من عرفت من العرب، من غير المصريين، يشهد للمصريين بذلك دون تردد. بل وكثيرا مالاحظت على أفراد من شعوب أخرى، عربية وغير عربية، الاستغراب مختلطا ببعض الإعجاب من استعداد المصرى الفطرى لرؤية الجانب المضحك فى أى موقف، واكتشاف موضع السخرية حتى فى أكثر المواقف جدية……..”
The Guardian, 12/9, “WIKILEAKS cables cast Mubarak as Egypt’s Ruler for Life”
“Hosni Mubarak, Egypt‘s long-serving president, is likely to seek re-election next year and will “inevitably” win a poll that will not be free and fair, the US ambassador to Cairo, Margaret Scobey, predicted in a secret cable to Hillary Clinton last year……..”
Emad ElDeen Hussein, 12/9, “ What can make the President Resolve the Parliament?”
“ هل يمكن أن يقوم الرئيس حسنى مبارك بحل مجلس الشعب «المنتخب» حديثا بسبب شكاوى المعارضة ومعظم وسائل الإعلام من وقوع عمليات تزوير واسعة ومنظمة؟.بالطبع يستطيع الرئيس مبارك أن يفعل ذلك بحكم الصلاحيات الدستورية واسعة النطاق التى يتمتع بها……..”
Fahmy Howedy, 12/9; “The Party Won and Egypt Lost,”
“شاء حظى أن أشارك فى مؤتمر دولى حول الحوار بين الحضارات عقد بمدينة فاس المغربية، وقت إجراء انتخابات الإعادة التى تمت يوم الأحد الماضى (4/12)، بحسن نية ذهبت، ولم أكن مشغولا بشىء فى الانتخابات. إلا أنى اكتشفت بعد وصولى ولقائى بالمشاركين من الدول العربية وأوروبا والولايات المتحدة واليابان، أن موضوع الانتخابات وفضائحها على كل لسان إذ فوجئت بكم غير عادى من الأسئلة الحائرة وسمعت سيلا من التعليقات المحزنة، التى أغرقتنى فى بحر من الانكسار والخجل، حتى تمنيت فى بعض اللحظات أن تنشق الأرض وتبتلعنى حتى لا أظل هدفا لتلك الأسئلة والتعليقات……………”
Yehia ELGamal, 12/6, “Calm Legal Discussion about the Election”
“لن أعرض هنا لما قيل إنه شاب الانتخابات من مظاهر عنف وبلطجة من هذا الفريق أو ذاك، رغم ما فاضت به الصحف عن هذه المظاهر وما رددته وكالات الأنباء العالمية، وجرى ذكره فى كل الفضائيات……..”
Salam Ahmed Salama, 12/6, “The Party System Destruction”
“الانتقاد الذى وجهه أحمد عز لانسحاب حزب الوفد من الجولة الثانية للانتخابات احتجاجا على عمليات التزوير، أنه «لو لم يعلن الوفد انسحابه لكنا قد ضمنا له عددا من المقاعد فى المجلس القادم»!…………”
NY Times 12/5; “Egyptians Vote In Run-off after Opposition Quits,”
“Egyptians voted on Sunday in a run-off parliamentary election which President Hosni Mubarak’s party will win almost unchallenged after the two biggest opposition groups quit a contest they said was rigged………”
“First Time…Security Harassment for ElBaradie at Cairo Airport,” EL-Destour, 12/5,
“تعرض الدكتور محمد البرادعي مدير الوكالة الدولية للطاقة الذرية السابق لمضايقات أمنية من ضباط أمن مطار القاهرة فور وصوله منذ ساعات، حيث استوقفه لأول مرة أحد ضباط الجوازات وقام بالكشف عن اسمه علي جهاز الحاسب المدرج عليه أسماء الممنوعين من السفر والمطلوبين أمنيا، وقام الضابط حسب شهود عيان رافقوا البرادعي في رحلته بمراجعة جواز سفره ورقة ورقة للتعرف علي البلاد التي قام بزيارتها خلال فترة غيابه عن مصر……”
Fahmy Howeidy, 12/4; “Two Reasons to Default the Election,”
“لا أعرف كم عدد الأسباب التى يمكن أن تؤدى إلى الحكم ببطلان انتخابات مجلس الشعب، التى أصبحت نزاهتها مجرحة من كل جانب، إلا أن أهل القانون استفزهم أمران اعتبروهما يمثلان إهانة للقضاء وازدراء به، إلى جانب تجريحهما لنزاهة الانتخابات بطبيعة الحال. الأمر الأول يتمثل فى انتداب ألفى قاض من وراء ظهر مجلس القضاء الأعلى، بالمخالفة للنص الصريح فى قانون السلطة القضائية الذى تنص المادة 52 منه على أنه لا يجوز نقل القضاة أو ندبهم أو إعارتهم إلا طبقا للقواعد التى قررها القانون……..”
Tarek Abbas, 12/4,” The Miracle Party”
“فتشت فى كل الدنيا وفى جميع بلدان العالم المتقدم والنامى والمتخلف وحتى فى عالم الجنون الزرق، لأجد حزبا مثل الحزب الوطنى من حيث الشكل أو الموضوع فلم أجد أبدا، فلهذا الحزب المبارك معجزات وكرامات تعز على الحصر، وتحتاج فى دراستها وفهمها وإدراك مدى عمقها، لأئمة فى تفسير أعاجيب السياسات التى قد يفشل أمثالى فى تحليلها والغوص فى بواطنها، فهو الحزب الوحيد الذى يفوز فى انتخابات دون مشاركة الجماهير تقريبا، ومع ذلك يفخر بجماهيريته وفوزه بأغلبية الأصوات، هو الحزب الوحيد الذى يرفض أن يخوض معارك حقيقية مع بقية الأحزاب ويصر على أن يعلن عن الانتخابات ثم ينظمها ثم ينفق عليها الملايين ثم يزورها ثم يفرزها ليخرج بنتائج لم تتغير منذ ثلاثة عقود……….”
Mokhtar Kamel Interview om Al-Horra TV
Carnegie’s Guide to Egypt’s Election
Amr Hamzawy; “Egypt’s Legitamcy Crisis in the aftermath of Flawed Election,”
“The first round of parliamentary elections in Egypt has left 
behind a political scene that is simultaneously frustrating and puzzling. The frustration is readily apparent—domestic observers and some local and international media correspondents have documented numerous violations that marred the elections…..”
Wael Kandeel; “Friday Praying at 10 PM”
“إعلان الوفد وجماعة الإخوان الانسحاب من جولة الإعادة بانتخابات مجلس الشعب لا تكفى لحفظ ماء وجهيهما.. فهما الكتلتان الرئيسيتان اللتان استخدمتا لتمرير المهزلة «حسب وصف القاضى الجليل الشافعى للعملية الانتخابية»، ومن ثم فإن المقاطعة بعد فوات الأوان لا تغنى ولا تسمن من جوع، وكأنها لم تكن لأنها أشبه بأداء صلاة الجمعة فى العاشرة مساء
Waheed Abdel-Meguid; 12/3, “The Ministers Representatives….Their Election Campaign”
“عندما يخوض وزراء غير سياسيين انتخابات برلمانية اسما ولكنها شديدة المحلية فعلا، لابد أن تخلو دعايتهم الانتخابية من أى نقاش أو حوار حول قضايا كبيرة تتعلق بالوطن حاضرا أو مستقبلا، وليس فقط من أى خطاب سياسى جاد……..”
Hassan Nafaa, 12/2, “Learned Lessons”
“لن أندهش إذا اعتقد السيد أحمد عز، أمين التنظيم فى الحزب الحاكم، والذى قاد معركة انتخابات مجلس الشعب، أنه حقق انتصاراً ساحقاً وفاز على خصومه بالضربة القاضية، لكنه سيكون واهماً إن انتابه هذا الشعور……….”
Fahmy Howaidy 12/2; “Please; enough Integrity”
“من يطالع الصحف الحكومية الصادرة يوم الثلاثاء الماضى (30/11) يلاحظ أنها ما برحت تلح فى عناوينها وتعليقانها وتقسم بـ«الثلاثة» على أن الانتخابات كانت نزيهة وشفافة، وأن الأمن كان فى أروع أدواره. من ثم فإن «الليلة الكبيرة» فى عرس الديمقراطية مرت على أفضل ما تكون. إلى غير ذلك من المبالغات التى افترضت فى الناس البلاهة والغباء…………”
Salama Ahmed Salama, 12/1, “Wedding or a Funeral”:
“ عندما تجد من السهل عليك كصحفى أن تكتب عن الانتخابات فى ساحل العاج، وكيف جرت معارك الشوارع فى بوركينا فاسو بين أنصار الرئيس الفائز والرئيس المهزوم، سوف تفهم على الأقل أن ما يحدث هو نتيجة لحروب وخلافات قبلية قديمة لا علاقة لها بالديمقراطية. ولن تأسف حينئذٍ على ما فاتك فى «عرس الديمقراطية» الذى شهدته مصر قبل أيام. وكان من سوء حظ العالم أن تمنع السلطات الرسمية المراقبين الدوليين من نقل مشاهده المثيرة والخطيرة!…….”
“اعتبر المستشار محمود الخضيرى، نائب رئيس محكمة النقض السابق، أن الانتخابات البرلمانية الحالية تعد أسوأ وأعنف انتخابات مرت على الشعب المصرى، بسبب إصرار الحكومة المصرية على الحصول على أكبر عدد من الأصوات دون وجه حق…..”
Foreign Policy top 100 Global Thinker 11/29/2010, #20: Mohamed ELBaradie
“When historians look back to the moment when the post-Cold War reign of American power ended, they may well settle on 2010 as a crucial year. Everywhere, it seemed, there were signs that the long-predicted “rise of the rest” had finally occurred, whether in the newfound assertiveness of fast-growing China or the impatient diplomacy of new powers like Brazil and Turkey……”
- Financial Times, 11/29“It was dubbed the “as if” election long before the polls opened. As if anyone was going to believe that Egyptians would walk over each other to cast their ballots for the ruling National Democratic party, or that they were determined to punish the opposition Muslim Brotherhood. As if Egypt was a democracy in which elections were free and fair……”
“Sobhi Salah Moussa looked pretty crushed as he stood in the hospital courtyard in this scruffy little town, as well he might. Despite the town being top-heavy with plainclothes cops and squads of riot police – the normal theatrical backcloth for all Egyptian elections – poor old Sobhi of the Muslim Brotherhood, a lawyer and still (up until yesterday’s elections, at least) a…..”
“Egyptians went to the polls on Sunday to vote in a parliamentary election that seemed to unroll according to a wearily familiar script: scattered violence, widespread accusations of fraud and intimidation, and a sense among many here that Egypt’s long-dominant governing party was bent on entrenching its hold on power in a period of looming political uncertainty……”
Fiky Andrawes 11/29; “The Coptics and Democracy”;
«بكى البطريرك وقال هؤلاء سفهاء النصارى قصدوا مقابلة سفهاء المسلمين على تخريبهم الكنائس»”
الخطط المقريزية، مكتبة الآداب الجزء الرابع ص ٤٢٥. كان ذلك زمن الناصر محمد بن قلاوون والبطريرك يوحنا التاسع الموافق سنة ٧٢٠ هجرية وسنة ١٣٢٠ ميلادية. كانت تلك الفترة إحدى أصعب الفترات التى مرت بالأقباط والمسلمين…….”
لا أحد يتوقع أن يكون يوم الانتخابات غدا يوما فارقا فى الحياة السياسية المصرية، أو أن تسفر العملية الانتخابية ــ رغم كل ما أحاط بها من ضجيج، وما شابها من غرائب وعجائب لا تعرفها الديمقراطيات البرلمانية فى العالم ــ عن بدايات جديدة أو نهايات قديمة…….”
“Without international monitors, and a continued crack down on opposition parties and independent media, experts anticipate an over whelming National Democratic Party (NDP) win in this weekend’s parliamentary election………….”
Egypt News Week of Monday 11/12/2010
- Fahmy Hewaidy, 11/22, “The Elections; its Halal and Haram;”
صباح أمس (الأحد 21/11) نشر الأهرام الخبر التالى: فى تحديها الصارخ لقرارات اللجنة العليا للانتخابات زارت (السيدة) جميلة إسماعيل المرشحة المستقلة بدائرة قصر النيل كنيسة المرعشلى بالزمالك (كما زارت) أحد المساجد بنفس المنطقة، فى إطار جولاتها الانتخابية، وحرر لها محضر لمخالفتها القرارات، واستغلال دور العبادة فى الدعاية الانتخابية.
- Watch Hamdy Kandeel Presentation in honor of Dr Alaa El-Aswani and his recent University of Illinois Award;
- Moataz Abdel-Fattah article in Shorouk 11/20/2010; “For Alaa to Die, Amr must be Back,”
http://www.shorouknews.com/Columns/Column.aspx?id=337250 - Ibrahim Issa: http://www.dostor.org/editorial/10/november/8/31763
- Gala Ameen on Alaa El-Aswani: http://www.shorouknews.com/Columns/Column.aspx?id=333514
- Salama Ahmed Salama article on ElBaradie; http://www.shorouknews.com/Columns/Column.aspx?id=331828
- Alaa ElAswany, “Why they Advance while we regress”: http://www.shorouknews.com/Columns/Column.aspx?id=316904
- Alaa AlAswany, “Did all university professors become hypocrites?”: http://www.shorouknews.com/Columns/Column.aspx?id=299186