Egypt

Fatigued into Complacency

by Hani Riad on Friday, July 29, 2011 at 3:43pm

Some delusions we should disabuse ourselves of:

1. "The Muslim Brotherhood does not command more than 25% or so of the vote so we should not be concerned about a parliamentary takeover by the MB". This is the ubiquitous message we have been receiving from all the experts, even including some Zionist CNN and other "expert" news commentators. But the past is not always a good predictor of the future. Before using past voting outcomes to make future voting outcome predictions we should first reexamine relevant circumstances dramatically altered by a revolution that may have an impact on voting. One relevant altered circumstance is that Egyptian votes now actually COUNT! The logical follow up question is, "is this likely to impact voter turnout?" The answer to that would be "very probably" (that is what actually happened in the referendum). The next question is "what percentage of the voters would you realistically estimate sympathizes with the MB over all those "other" parties?". If you are being realistic, and remembering all the illiterate, uneducated masses, whose sole basis for their very identity is their religion, that will be about the right time to start packing. ;-) Just kidding. Obviously Mr Sawiris does not think so. But I think we can agree that it would be reckless to accept the "experts'" opinion and regard the MB with anything but the greatest concern. We do not want to wake up the morning after the voting to discover newspaper banners that read "MUSLIM BROTHERS WIN EIGHTY PERCENT OF SEATS!" If possible, scientific polling should be conducted, not only to take measure of the true situation, but also to guide liberal outreach and campaigning efforts. If polls reveal a dire situation which cannot be altered in time, other measures should be considered - perhaps setting a limit to the number of seats any one party can occupy (unlikely). It is better to know of an impending adversity (so you can perhaps take some mitigating measures) than to (literally) wake up to it after the fact. I am far removed from the "facts on the ground" and may have this all wrong. I just worry about being fatigued into complacency.

via www.facebook.com

Robert Fisk: The Arab world's dictators cling on, but for how long? - Robert Fisk, Commentators - The Independent

And then, down in Egypt, the ancient ex-president is to go on trial with his sons Gamal and Alaa Mubarak on Wednesday, along with others of Hosni Mubarak's favourites. The ministers for justice and intelligence, old Mubarak aides, however, remain in the government. What does this mean? Are the old Mubarakites still clinging on? The Saudis have offered millions to the Egyptian army not to put Mubarak on trial – many want him to receive the death penalty, the army would like him to die today – just as the Saudis are giving their all for Bahrain and all the other potentates of the Middle East.

via www.independent.co.uk

Salafis in Tahrir - Blog - The Arabist

A few notes on yesterday's demonstration in Tahrir, generally viewed as an Islamist show of force. First, the numbers. Based on visual cues (beards, galabiyas), signs and slogans I'm guessing at least 90 percent of those in Tahrir were affiliated with the Islamists, and at least of those were Salafi. I'm guessing also that this was one of the half dozen largest Tahrir "million" rallies since January. The square wasn't elbow-to-elbow all the way through, but it was elbow-to-elbow in some spots, and a lot of people stayed camped out on downtown streets where they had gone to pray. I understand why the numbers have alarmed revolutionaries who had come to think of the square as their own space.

There have been some reports that Salafis tried to forcefully take control of a speakers' stage, but the parts of the demonstration which I witnessed were peaceful. I saw no instances of bullying. Islamists and non-Islamists mingled and argued. I saw one angry anti-Islamist marching up Qasr al-Aini between ranks of weary demonstrators shouting "Egypt, my kind mother/I'm not leaving you to the Brothers!", yet she did not get much of a reaction.

via www.arabist.net

Judiciary on the verge of greater independence, as judges mull reforms | Al-Masry Al-Youm

The head of the committee responsible for amending the law regulating Egypt’s judiciary has revealed in an exclusive interview with Al-Masry Al-Youm that the proposed amendments, if passed, will lend the judiciary greater independence from the executive.

The changes to Judicial Authority Law 142/2006 will limit the role of the executive in intervening in judicial affairs and give the judiciary the right to oversee prisons, thereby meeting key demands of reformist judges in calling for a more independent judiciary.

via www.almasryalyoum.com

Tahrir updates: 28 secular parties and coalitions pulling out from square | Al-Masry Al-Youm:

15:10: Twenty-eight secular parties and coalitions have decided to pull out from Tahrir Square in opposition to what they are calling the Islamists' hijacking of the protests with their own demands.

14:20: Protesters from the Salafi movement chant, "Obama, Obama, we are all Osama." They also chant, "Shut up, shut up, you seculars. Egypt will continue to be an Islamic state."

via www.almasryalyoum.com

Can water end the Arab-Israeli conflict? - Al Jazeera English

Palestinians insist that the Israeli occupation means that they are consistently denied their water rights which is why they have to live on 50 litres of water a day while Israeli settlers enjoy the luxury of 280 litres. Clearly, water is at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, but commentators are now insisting that shared water problems could help motivate joint action and better co-operation between both sides, which could in turn help end the conflict.

"It's a shame that water is being used as a form of collective punishment when it could be used to build trust and to help each side recognise that the other is a human being with water rights," says Nader Al-Khateeb, the Palestinian director of the environmental NGO Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME).

via english.aljazeera.net

رسالة إلى (مليونية الإرادة الشعبية ووحدة الصف) - محمد البلتاجي

 1ــ نعتز جميعا بانتمائنا لثورة واحدة بدأت فى 25 يناير ونجحت حتى الآن فى (تنحية الرئيس ونائبه وحكومته وجهاز أمنه وبرلمانه وحزبه ومجالسه المحلية).

2 ــ لاتزال ثورتنا (المصرية ــ الشعبية ــ السلمية ــ المدنية) مستمرة ولديها مطالب كثيرة لم تتحقق بعد، على رأسها استكمال مسيرة التطهير والمحاكمات، فضلا عن بناء نظام جديد يحقق لنا جميعا الحرية والعدالة والحياة الكريمة.

3 ــ لدينا مخاوف حقيقية على الثورة، وأمامنا تحديات كثيرة وقوى مضادة للثورة داخلية وخارجية، كما أن علينا أن نحذر من محاولات الدفع فى اتجاه الفوضى أو الصدام أو الانقسام أو (إعطاء أية مبررات لاستمرار الحكم العسكرى أو اعتبار ما حدث انقلابا عسكريا وليست ثورة مدنية يجب أن تنتهى بانتقال السيادة كاملة للشعب من خلال نظام مدنى ديمقراطى).

via www.shorouknews.com

Egyptian Chronicles: The Good news of The Day : Do not Lose hope Ever

Here are bunch news , good news you should carefully read and understand that we have achieved something so far.

• The supreme council of antiquities “SCA” has sacked off more than 100 advisor according to its new chairman Dr. Mohamed Abdel Maksoud to save expenses , yes the former ministry of antiquities used to have more than 100 advisor !! Why did Zahi Hawass need all those advisors !?
• A civilian man was appointed as the CEO of Cairo international airport for the first time since 50 years. The employees of Cairo international airport as well as Egypt Air were demanding to have civilian management instead the retired air forces generals.

via egyptianchronicles.blogspot.com

Pope Shenouda III considers divorce and second marriage proposals following protests - Politics - Egypt - Ahram Online

Pope Shenouda III, head of the Orthodox Church, is looking into the demands of the protests calling for the approval of divorce and second marriages that took place in front of the Clerical Council at Saint Mark’s Cathedral in Abbassiya last week, according to the Middle East News Agency, Egypt's offical news agency.

Pope Shenouda III has met with council chief Bishop Paul, who saw Coptic groups demonstrating against him last week, demanding his removal.

The Pope has asked Bishop Paul and other council officials to calm demonstrators down, study their cases and explain why their requests had been denied.

Several Copts protested in the early weeks of July, demanding a civil marriage law that would allow them to divorce and remarry. Several protests followed, demanding that the church accept their requests regardless of civil marriage law considerations.

via english.ahram.org.eg

If the revolution manages to get such a change, then there is nothing that the revolution can't do. I don't think it is likely though.

Mubarakistas | Inanities

There is a tiny part of post-revolution Cairo that will remain forever Mubarak, and that is Mostafa Mahmoud Square.

It was here that Hosny Mubarak supporters gathered on 2 February 2011, one of the bloodiest days of the revolution, when pro-Mubarak mobs on camel and horse back attacked protestors in Tahrir Square.

The square has been their spiritual home ever since, a small but pointed riposte at the masses of anti-regime demonstrators who filled Tahrir Square demanding Mubarak’s removal – and who have continued to gather there sporadically since 11 February to lobby for unfulfilled revolution demands.

via inanities.org