Disclaimer: Please note that the views expressed in this and all my blog entries are my own personal views and not representative of Ashoka, ADEW or any organisation with which I am affiliated.
I was recently in Europe and I was very surprised to find that no one knew what is going on in Egypt. I heard “classic” rhetoric that the poor people who constitute the majority of the Egyptian population are pro-Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood and that it is only a few middle-class people revolting against the current regime.
I will not go into how wrong this analysis of the situation is. I will only share with you, my dear friends, some realities and facts:
- You should hear the underground and also the public songs now playing in Egypt – songs by popular singers with a large following of lower-middle class listeners. All are calling on Egyptians to revolt on 30th June.
- The “Rebel” movement, which may have been started by lower-middle class young men, has obtained over 15 million signatures to date (by the poor and others).[1]
- In five main provinces (governorates) the public has refused to let the Muslim Brotherhood appointed Governors enter the City Hall. One such Governor (appointed, not elected) had to wear a veil to enter official buildings and others were not able to perform their functions even when they entered[2].
- Tens of thousands in rural provinces and in lower-middle class and poor areas have been demonstrating every day for the last week (see YouTube if you don’t believe me).
- The Court System of Ismailia has produced an accusation that Morsi and 34 of the Muslim Brotherhood main leaders are traitors. They have been accused of treason for collaborating with Hamas and Hezbollah to break into three main prisons on 28th January 2011 and causing the deaths of 13 Egyptians.[3]
- The official record of the accusation against Morsi of being a spy for the USA was shown on a private TV channel.[4]
- Thousands of women who are veiled and poor in the rural governorate of Menofia demonstrated requesting that Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood resign and leave.[5]
- At least 1500 police officers – for the first time in our history – held a meeting and announced publicly in a press conference that:
- They will not protect the Muslim Brotherhood
- They refuse the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood and they chanted against Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood[6]
- At the funeral of a young police officer who was killed by thugs, in the middle of the funeral, the soldiers and police officers chanted aggressively against Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood teams.[7]
I am asking you, my friends, to use the help of Arabic speakers and search YouTube for the tens if not hundreds of videos of regular, lower-middle class and poor Egyptians in rural areas, shanty towns and crowded neighborhoods, who are “cursing” Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, calling for his departure.
So my dear friends, this time it is not the “Facebook kids” (or old people like me) who are the only rebels. No, this time it is the Egyptians of all walks of life – Egyptians who are proud of our Pharaonic, Coptic and Muslim heritage; Egyptians who are proud to hold the Egyptian flag high; and it is these Egyptians who reject and refuse violence and hate crimes.
Since 2011 we have gained our voice and I wish you could understand Arabic to listen to the different songs in the streets, which you could hear on YouTube and on very popular TV shows, where we are all rejecting the fascist, exclusive rule of the Muslim Brotherhood and their man in the palace.
Thousands of Egyptians have started to take to the streets since yesterday. The majority will go down on Friday the 28th. Most of us will insist on non-violence but please note, as I have said tens of times, all violence since the 2nd February 2011 has always been instigated by the Muslim Brotherhood and their thugs.
Please note also that many more Egyptians than is commonly believed by the West and especially America are not resentful of the army.
You have only heard a few voices, but not the majority. The army is not SCAF and we believe (and I hope) that the army will protect its people – the people of Egypt – this time, as they did in 2011.
We are not Libya, Iraq or Syria. Even with the Muslim Brotherhood-instigated attacks on Shiites and Christians, we are one ethnic group.
All attempts by the enemies of Egypt and those who want us to live in chaos, whether creative or not, are wrong. We will not allow our revolution to be hijacked again.
If we do – and I believe we will – get rid of the current dictator and his fascist, terrorist regime, then we will never have another dictator again.
My American friends, I was educated in the US and the UK. I learned about democracy and respect for human rights from my teachers in these countries. Please use your voices and your democratic system and ensure that your Ambassador to Egypt stops ruining the USA’s reputation. Anne Patterson publicly stated that she supports the Muslim Brotherhood. Please ask your government not to interfere. Please tell them that their interests will be protected much more if people love and respect them, not by them continuing to support hated dictators. Love and respect is much stronger than fear and hatred.
And finally, pray for us. We are going down to the streets in millions and we have promised not to come back until we are free. This time, really free.
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