Islamophobia at its best: Newsweek's "Muslim Rage."

Apparently Newsweek wants to join the hot debate on the offensive anti-Muslim film and the angry reactions it sparked across the Muslim world. Newsweek's latest issue opens with a rather catchy cover that glares "MUSLIM RAGE" in all caps. I'm glad to say though, that what was meant to be a serious (yet ignorant & biased) account on the anti-Islamic film turned into a joke on Twitter.

The Newsweek issue features an opinion piece by ex-Muslim Ayan Hirsi Ali titled: "Muslim rage & the last gasp of Islamic hate." This headline pretty much sums it up!

This piece reeks of Islamophobia from beginning to end. Her very first sentence reads: "Islam’s rage reared its ugly head again last week." Thus, right from the lede, Ali confirms the  most recycled stereotype of Islam as the ugly and violent religion. A close-up of angry bearded Muslim men is included in the article, thus adding to the drama!

Ali criticizes Libyan civilians and holds them responsible for the tragic deaths of US embassy officials. She claims the US contributed to the Libyan revolution and was unfairly repaid with these tragic deaths!

Ali, who describes herself as an ex-Muslim, is all of a sudden the Arab Spring expert, and predicts that Libyans, might follow the steps of their Egyptian counterparts and choose a government that "stands for ideals diametrically opposed to those upheld by the United States." 

This here is the first evidence of Ali's total ignorance of Arab countries. Ali fails to mention that this so-called Egyptian government that is everything that the US is not, is a strong US ally.

Ali makes unfair accusations at the Libyan people, the people who have expressed deep sorrow for the unfair and tragic deaths of US officials. Last Thursday, a stream of images went viral, showing Libyan men and women holding posters that said they were sorry, and that this violence is against Islam. Today, a new video was released, showing Libyans trying to rescue ambassador Chris Stevens. Yet, Ali ignores all of this and makes hateful accusations.

From there, Ali shifts to her own personal story, with Ali of course playing the innocent victim, who was mistreated by her religion and found freedom after fleeing to the liberal Netherlands. She tells the story of how she suddenly discovered that Islam was a hateful religion that fuels evil attacks, the likes of 9/11.

It's quite a shame that Newsweek, a magazine I had a lot of respect for, joins the Islamophobes of this world and selects a hateful former Muslim to speak about Islam. To ignore the large pool of informed, educated and level-headed prominent Muslim speakers and go for a pro-Western, anti-Muslim feminist, is distasteful and stereotypical. For sure there are many who will embrace Ali's account, as it confirms old, recycled stereotypes that depict Islam as the evil and Muslim women as the oppressed victims.

Just to confirm my point on Ali's excessive hatred of Islam, I will rely on the analysis of columnist, Nicholas Kristof (2010), who says that Ali's ferocious criticism of Islam even makes him uncomfortable as it feeds "religious bigotry."

Here's how Kristof sum's up his opinion on Ali's unfair and biased claims on Islam:

"To those of us who have lived and traveled widely in Africa and Asia, descriptions of Islam often seem true but incomplete. The repression of women, the persecution complexes, the lack of democracy, the volatility, the anti-Semitism, the difficulties modernizing, the disproportionate role in terrorism — those are all real. But if those were the only faces of Islam, it wouldn’t be one of the fastest-growing religions in the world today. There is also the warm hospitality toward guests, including Christians and Jews; charity for the poor; the aesthetic beauty of Koranic Arabic; the sense of democratic unity as rich and poor pray shoulder to shoulder in the mosque. Glib summaries don’t work any better for Islam than they do for Christianity or ­Judaism."

I therefore, feel sorry for Newsweek audiences, who won't get the chance to receive a fair and informed account/analysis of the recent riots that sparked much of the Muslim world. These audiences will learn nothing accurate about Islam, but will get a colorful imaginative description of a faith; a description that cannot be true, given Islam's 1.6 billion followers and given that it's the fastest growing religion on earth!

Help us #stopSCAF

On May 4 2012 SCAF launched one of its most brutal attacks on protesters in Abbasiya, claiming it was securing the Ministry of Defense. It all seemed staged, like the military instigated the violence. Witnesses confirmed that many army men were dressed as civilians and were shooting live ammunition at protesters.

Others claimed that the army had pushed violent thugs among the crowds to create or spread the violence. One piece of evidence that confirms such claims is Field Marshall Tantawi's picture in a hospital room, visiting military personnel injured during the clashes. What is so striking about this picture is that the injured men all have heavy beards!!! How many army soldiers are allowed to grow a beard? There are also various videos that reveal alleged SCAF deals with thugs that created the May 4 violence.

These clashes were followed with brutal attacks on protesters who took refuge in el Noor Mosque. Victims and witnesses confirm that army men stormed inside the mosque with their boots on (it is wrong to enter a mosque with shoes on out of respect & cleanliness). They verbally and physically attacked and abused the men and women inside the mosque, many of whom were not even involved in the Abbasiya protests.

    One female doctor, who confirmed that she was not protesting, was called names, pushed, beaten on the eye and hit on the head with a baton-like stick until she lost consciousness.

    Egyptian activists and human rights lawyers confirmed that close to 500  or even 600 men and women were detained on May 4. These included over 15 journalists, some of whom were beaten and brutalized. The detainees also included 15 females, who were released the next day. These women came out with horrific stories of humiliation, name-calling, beatings, more virginity tests and even threatened of gang-rape!

Crying, one female was saying that what was happening to the male detainees was much worse. She is right. Of the hundreds of young men detained on May 4th, only 12 or so have been released. Those who are out are giving horrific accounts of abuse. Halim Heneish, a law student was viscously beaten, with obvious injuries all over his thighs. Another detainee said all males were forced to take off their pants and boxers, sit on back of their heels and use water placed in buckets in front of them to clean their behind. He said they were told this humiliating procedure was a precaution to make sure they were not hiding anything!

    After watching multiple painful videos and listening to horrific accounts of torture, I am truly ashamed and disgusted of what remains of the Egyptian military. Egypt's army, historically one of the most respected in the region, has managed to turn into a barbaric torture machine, completely controlled by SCAF generals, who were hired by and continue to follow Mubarak's dirty path.

Where are the military ethics and values and code of honor? Even if the people detained were the worst of enemies and were prisoners of war, the military is still expected to treat them with decency. So how can our army men explain the inhumane and brutal treatment of our Egyptian brothers and sisters, who are not our enemies but are our family?

Shame on SCAF and shame on every single army member who takes part in such dirty tactics.

What is disgusting is how Egyptian media are almost completely ignoring the incident and the 100s of detainees who are in desperate need of media attention.

    In the absence of sufficient local media attention, it is our task as Egyptians to expose SCAF atrocities and reach out to world media and human rights organizations everywhere.

    There's a Twitter initiative by several activists to do the same thing. @LeilZahra, @evronia and others are encouraging people to expose SCAF brutalities using the hashtag #stopSCAF.

   I will update this post regularly with more links and accounts by released detainees on their torture experience.
 
We have to stop SCAF now! Jan25 instilled in us the strength and courage to stand up to our oppressors and fight for our basic rights. SCAF generals need to get the message that we are human beings and we have dignity and that they cannot abuse our courageous men and women in such a horrific way!


Here's a list of links to videos, witness and victim accounts on the Abbasiya attacks.

Comprehensive list of links on Abbasiya May 4 attack

Dr. Tarek's account on Abbasiya attack of Tuesday May 1

The truth about soldier Samir Anwar el-Kayal, who was shot in Abbasiya

Engineer Ahmed Sabry detained for supporting protesters

Muslim cleric's account of attacks on Masjid el Noor

Documenting Abbasiya events of May 4

Compiled list of Eltahawy reaction pieces

     When I examine comments in favor of Mona Eltahawy's Foreign Policy article, Why do they hate us? I notice that many of Eltahawy's fans think that Arab women who object and criticize her are the extreme few; maybe a handful of privileged women who know nothing about the Arab women's plight! While others assume that we Arab women are in denial and we just don't want to admit that we are immersed in oppression and hate.

     What is ironic here is that many of the comments attack the women who criticize Eltahawy's article in a way that (in my view) oppresses Arab women and muffles their voices as if they have no right to speak up and should be thankful that Eltahawy has spoken for them! So, just that we get this straight: Eltahawy's proponents are all for Arab women's freedom from so-called Arab men hatred, but these same proponents object when Arab women voice their own opinions on the matter?  I'd say that's ironic, undemocratic & outright oppressive!

     So, in an attempt to clarify to these enthusiasts that they might be wrong, I did my best to demonstrate that Arab women who took offense to Eltahawy's article deserve to be heard too. These are diverse women from various countries in the region, with diverse backgrounds, personalities, education and problems.

So, here's a comprehensive list of reaction articles and blog posts to Mona Eltahawy's Foreign Policy article Why do they hate us? Most of the pieces were written by Arab women, but I also include articles/posts by Arab men and foreign reporters following this story.


Articles

Foreign Policy: Debating the War on Women This includes six reaction pieces:

• Sondos Asem: Misogyny exists, but blaming it for women's suffering is simplistic

• Shadi Hamid: Arab women have more agency than you might think

• Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf: The Prophet Mohammad was a revolutionary feminist

• Hanin Ghaddar: We need more badass ladies

• Naheed Mustafa: "Nekkid Burqa Woman" is lazy and insulting

• Leila Ahmed: Eltahawy misreads Alifa Rifaat

The Guardian: Do Arab men hate women? It's not that simple | Nesrine Malik

Jadaliyya: Let's talk about sex, Sherene Sikaly & Maya Mikdashi 


Phil Brennan: On Muslim-Arab Issues & the Danger of Aiding the Neo-Liberal Colonialist Agenda, Phil Brennan

Open Democracy: Hatred & Misogyny in the Middle East: A Response to Mona El Tahawy, Tom Dale

AlJazeera Stream: Article on women in the Middle East triggers debate

Global Voices: Do Arab Men Hate Women? Mona Eltahawy Faces Storm, Solana Larson


The Atlantic: The real roots of sexism in the Middle East (It's not Islam, Race or 'Hate'), Max Fisher

History News Network: The Real War on Muslim Women, Daniel Martin Varisco

Blog Posts


Samia Errazzouki: Dear Mona Eltahawy: You Do Not Represent "Us"

Dima Khatib: Love Not Hatred, Dear Mona!

Nahed Eltantawy: I don't really think they hate us!

Gigi Ibrahim: Mona, why do you hate us?

Roqayah Chamseddine: Us and Them: On Helpless Women and Orientalist Imagery 

Ayesha Kazmi: Oh Mona!

Mona Kareem: Why do they hate us? A blogger's response

Karim Malak: Case in point: Mona el Tahawy's FP article

Zeinboia: Us, them and breaking the stereotype!!

Jillian C. York: On Listening (A response to the Mona Eltahawy Criticism)

Dalia And El-Hameed: Get an Arab Woman to say it for You

Menna Adli El Keiy: "And a very special F... you darling," said the un-oppressed woman

Colonial Feminism: Dear Mona ElTahawy

Samar D. Jarrah:  عزيزتي مني, الحمل ثقيل, والهجوم كثيف, فلماذا زدتيه؟

Mohamed AbdelFattah: What 6 Egyptian women say about Mona Eltahawy

Omid Safi: The hypocrisy of the "Why they hate us" rhetoric of Muslim native informants

Hatem Rushdy: Mona Eltahawy, your facts are wrong and we don't hate women 

I don't really think they hate us!

I felt deeply offended and insulted by Mona Eltahawy's latest article in Foreign Policy, titled Why Do They Hate Us?   I follow Eltahawy's columns quite regularly and I accept many of her arguments, even if I do not agree with her views on Islam and veiling. But for her to claim that "they" hate Arab women is in my view complete nonsense. 

And before I go any further, I realize of course that I will be accused by some (which already happened on the FP comments sections) that I am in denial and that I refuse to air my dirty linen in public. Well, I'm NOT in denial; I am well aware that Arab women have their fair share of problems. But I refuse to be lumped into this monolithic group of oppressed, abused and hated victims. Arab women's problems are not the same across the board. Even within one country like Egypt, what I see as a problem, might not be the most pressing issue for the woman next door. So, I refuse to have Eltahawy talk on my behalf as if she is the expert who can accurately identify my plight.

In her column, Eltahawy cleverly weaves a web of torture and oppression against Arab women, with pictures of black-painted covered-up women planted throughout the article, to accentuate this image of oppression. Everything, from virginity tests, to sexual deprivation, female genital mutilation, sexual harassment and child marriage, is included in this article to produce a column that will surely be welcomed by many Western feminists and anti-Islamists, who for years have been telling us that Muslim women are weak, oppressed victims of misogyny and rigid Islamic rules that force them to hide behind their veils.

But for many Arab women (I say many based on the negative reaction Eltahawy's column has already stirred), this column is offensive and is nothing but a combination of old cultural practices and undemocratic government actions that are described in a way to represent women as the Oriental Other, weak, helpless and submissive, oppressed by Islam and the Muslim male, this ugly, barbaric monster. Yes, women everywhere face diverse challenges. Arab women have their own fair share of issues, but to claim that these are problems of hate is deceiving.  

 As a Muslim Arab woman, I therefore by no means see myself being represented fairly in Eltahawy's column, and here's why:

• From the very start of the article, Eltahawy introduces a disturbing account by author Alifa Rifaat in her fiction book Distant View of a Minaret to tell us what goes on in a bedroom between man and wife. Yet how can Eltahawy jump to this conclusion about misogyny in the Middle East merely by reciting quotes from Rifaat's fiction book?  How would you know or how can you claim to know that many Arab women are sexually deprived? Have you interviewed Arab wives who confirm this? Are you relying on a credible study? For someone like Eltahawy, whom I truly considered to be a veteran reporter, to make such generalized sensationalist claims is very disappointing!

• Additionally, some of the evidence Eltahawy relies on, such as virginity tests, criminal codes, etc are problems of undemocratic governing and have nothing to do with hate of women. These are problems that also impact men. There are numerous accounts of police brutality in Egypt, where men have been beaten, sexually abused or beaten to death. Have we forgotten about Khaled Said, the young Alexandrian, whose brutal death sparked the Jan25 Revolution? Or how about Essam Atta, the young man who was tortured to death in prison? Why do we always have to focus on violence against women?  And if you are going to mention unfair criminal codes, then out of fairness, let's examine Egypt's child custody laws, laws that empower mothers but are ridiculously unfair towards fathers. 

• I find Eltahawy's discussion of sexual harassment also problematic. Eltahawy, very candidly and on more than one occasion, has described in detail her ordeal with Egyptian riot police back in November 2011. She explained how she was groped everywhere by a number of police officers while in Cairo. Yet in this Foreign Policy column, she adds a new detail; she informs her audience that she was groped earlier that day by a fellow protester in Tahrir Square! But while Eltahawy details her groping ordeal, she fails to mention the heroic Egyptian women and men who are fighting this epidemic. There is no denial that sexual harassment is a disgusting and sick problem in Egypt that needs to be eradicated. Yet, there's also no denial that there are gutsy women who are already engaged in a battle against this epidemic. Tthese include the women who created HarassMap, and women who are blogging about harassment and others who are standing up to this problem and fighting for its eradication. Eltahawy also fails to give credit to men, who have on multiple occasions created a protective circle around protesting females to protect then and NOT to harass them. Is this the hate that Eltahawy refers to? 

• Then there is the female genital mutilation issue, which Eltahawy presents in such vagueness, mixing culture with quotes from distinguished Muslim cleric Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, thus, confirming ignorant claims that FGM is an Islamic practice. FGM is a cultural practice that predates Islam and if it is still commonly practiced in Egypt today, this is mainly in rural areas and traditional parts of the country, where it is in fact practiced by both Muslims and Christians alike. It is a problem of ignorance and reflects the prevalence of old cultural habits and beliefs that are hard to eliminate. While the Egyptian government banned FGM, it has done little to raise public awareness and educate people via health awareness campaigns. What is also problematic here is how Eltahawy quotes from Qaradawi's book to prove that he was all for FGM. Yet in that same paragraph, she mentions that he has since issued a fatwa to ban FGM! So why mention it in the first place? Wouldn't you at least give Al-Qaradawi credit for revising his opinion? Doesn't this action by a prominent Sheikh disprove your "hate" claim?

• As for Eltahawy's argument on child marriage in Yemen, and how Muslim clerics support the practice, I ask you to kindly refer to the Pulitzer article Too Young to Wed: The Secret World of Child Brides. It did not take the reporter too long to accurately clarify to her readers that child marriage is a cultural practice that relates to no religion. A practice that is widespread in India, Yemen, Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Nepal and is deeply rooted in cultural traditions and not Islam! I have to ask then, why does Eltahawy fail to offer this simple fact to her audience, rather than leading them to believe that child marriage is welcomed by Muslim clerics?

   It's pretty annoying for some of us Arab women when we read Western feminist declarations about our so-called plight. But it's worse when we read the same claims from a woman of Muslim and/or Arab descent. Eltahawy's column, similar to the works of Ayan Hirsi Ali and Irshad Manji, does more harm than good to Arab women. It does not, in my opinion, support these women, but it helps confirm the long held stereotypes of their oppression and victimization. 

Not surprisingly, these columns are embraced by many Western readers and feminists, because this is in line with their beliefs about Islam and Muslim women. In fact, it is taken as a credible confirmation of Arab women's plight, given that the author herself is a Muslim Egyptian American. Take one look at the comments below Eltahawy's Foreign Policy article, and you'll see what I mean.

It's really sad that Eltahawy's column hardly mentions the empowered Arab women of the Arab Spring. These are women who have forced the world to take them seriously and not look down upon them as the oppressed Other. These heroines include Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkul Karman, Syria's Razan Ghazzawi, and Egypt's female protesters, from Asmaa Mahfouz, Gigi Ibrahim, Nawara Negm, Samira Ibrahim, to Set el Banat, or Blue Bra girl (although I hate this term) and many others, who have once and for all proved to the world that Arab woman are not weak and cannot be silenced.

When I look at these Arab heroines, who have made their people proud, I don't see hate. I see love, compassion and understanding between young men and women who are wiling to work together to create better lives, more freedoms and more just governments for everyone.             

So, to Eltahawy, I say that your column does not represent me as I don't feel hated. I do have concerns, which might be similar or different to my sisters in Egypt. But I'm confident that whatever social, cultural, political and economic problems I personally face, these are challenges that can be fought instead of simply blaming them on misogyny. 

And so, I ask you to kindly stop talking on the behalf of all Arab women, because I’m not sure we all share your views on being hated.

Egyptians mourn massacred soccer fans

      Feb 1st 2012 turned into another bloodbath for many Egyptians. Instead of mourning those killed in the Battle of the Camels one year earlier, Egyptians witnessed yet another massacre! At least 73 Egyptian soccer fans were killed in a horrific bloodbath in the city of Port Said.

      There is enough evidence to suggest that this crime was not a soccer brawl as SCAF, the Muslim Brotherhood and the Minister of Interior would like the world to believe! Many witnesses say there was a clear absence of security forces since the start of the match. Others recall how the stadium lights were turned off, immediately following the end of the match. Thugs carrying knives, sticks and other weapons were allowed to make their way into the stadium, undisturbed. When the soccer fans tried to make their way down the stadium stairs towards the exit doors, they found all exit doors were locked and they were faced with thugs that beat them to death!

    This is a clear outrageous crime and someone must be held accountable! Presidential candidate Abdoul Moneim Aboul Fetouh points to SCAF as the murderers, and so do millions of angry Egyptians, who have put up with SCAF atrocities for one full year since Mubarak was ousted.

    What SCAF and the Ministry of Interior fail to realize is that, the more they inflict violence on the Egyptian people, the more united and committed the people are. Egyptians are so angry and so hurt by the injustice, by the lack of secuirty, the absence of fair trials and now they are even more furious.

   The streets of Cairo, Alexandria and Port Said, among other cities, have witnessed angry riots all morning. And it is probably just going to get uglier. In fact, less than an hour ago, protesters where clashing with security forces close to the Ministry of Interior. Tear gas was used in the clashes that are still ongoing.
   The question is, how many hundreds of innocent lives will SCAF sacrifice before they get the message that they are unwanted? How many more deaths and injuries will we have to put up with?

   This has got to stop!
   
   

I'm back and I'm not voting tomorrow!

   It's been a while since I posted anything new. Part of the reason was too much work but the other part as simply depression and lack of hope. I had reached a point of pessimism that was so low because I was beginning to thing we cannot get rid of SCAF no matter what we did.

  But then something amazing happened; protesters united in Tahrir Square once more on Nov. 19th to give SCAF a clear message that their rule is no longer welcome. The protests are still ongoing and with every day brave Egyptian men and women line up in the streets of Cairo and other cities, new victims are murdered by a brutal regime that has been quite generous in its use of dangerous tear gas, live bullets and other creative weapons to destroy their own people!

  Yet, SCAF's brutality is only strengthening the Tahrir spirit. Professor Firas al-Atraqchi describes what is happening in Egypt as "amazing" and I fully agree! But amid this miraculous revival of of the Tahrir spirit, Egyptians are facing a new challenge; a challenge that is creating divisions, disagreements and animosities. Monday, Nov. 28th, Egyptians will launch their first democratic parliamentary elections since former president Hosni Mubarak was ousted in February 2011. While many are looking forward to their first real taste of democracy, others have decided to abandon the ballots as long as SCAF still rules.

    I have to say I have been debating this dilemma for days now. I was one of the many Egyptians abroad who were fighting to be heard and pressuring the government to authorize Egyptians abroad to vote. When I finally won my right, I had to face this new challenge. Given that I am a strong opposer of SCAF rule, I have come to my decision; I have decided that I will NOT be participating in the current elections and here's why:

• I find it very contradicting to tell SCAF that I don't accept their military rule, yet I accept & participate in the elections they initiated and insist on carrying out, despite the protests that have spread across the country.

• I have seen nothing positive or democratic under the SCAF rule. In fact, I can clearly say that SCAF generals have outdone Mubarak with their brutality. They have beaten, abused, shot & unfairly put innocent Egyptians on military trial; they have humiliated women by forcing them to take virginity tests; they have failed to punish officials of the old regime starting with Mubarak, among many many other failures and examples of dictatorship. So Why would I possibly believe that their elections will be fair and democratic if there are no other signs to confirm this democratic change?

• The Alliance of the Revolutionaries of Egypt unified the people's demands and succeeded in creating a temporary civil government that can definitely set the country on the right democratic path. Even though they announced these demands in a memorandum, which SCAF has surely seen, the military council went against the people's wishes and instead, has chosen a former Mubarak minister to take over the government following Essam Sharaf's brief unproductive term. Kamal el-Ganzouri has regained his mid-1990s post as Prime Minister. I don't see SCAF or Ganzouri as Egypt's current leaders and agree with the temporary council created by the ARE, led by the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohamed El Baradei. So how can I give my vote under a government I don't view as legal? 

• There are multiple other reasons, like the fact that this parliament will practically have no power under SCAF, so why bother? Military leaders are good for military decisions but, as we've seen and experienced in Egypt, they are failures when it comes to politics. Their failure lies in their dictatorship style and inability to encompass other voices. I see no change with my vote, because we are merely voting for a puppet parliament that will do as SCAF pleases and not what the people demand or need.

• I'm also convinced that SCAF is here to stay, despite multiple confirmations from Field Marshall Tantawi that he has no desire to rule Egypt and intends to leave with the presidential elections scheduled for June 2012. Tantawi might indeed leave, but that does not mean SCAF will too. There are many in Egypt who believe that Tantawi will likely be replaced by America's favorite Egyptian General, Sami Anan. So again, with my vote, I confirm that I respect & agree with SCAF as an entity. I would be agreeing to Anan's rule, which I clearly don't.

    I have many friends and relatives who have voted (Egyptians abroad) or who intend to vote and I respect their decision. My intention is not to impose my will on others, but to clarify to fellow Egyptian brothers and sisters, who might be as confused as I have been over the past few days, why NOT VOTING does not mean we are abandoning our country. 

   If anything, I believe by refusing to vote, I am confirming my love and respect for Egypt and my genuine desire to be able to live in a military-free Egypt with true democracy & not merely a claim of democratic rule given by brutal military leaders who have shown no compassion for the people of their country and who have been against January 25 all along.

It's time to take a stand

Let me start by making a generalization; one that I am most certain is accurate: I think it's fair to claim that if you are an Egyptian girl or woman, then at least once in your life you were a victim of sexual harassment.


If you haven't, then you are one lucky girl & I envy you!!! But even so, you surely have witnessed it in the street? Or maybe heard from a friend or female relative of her experience with sexual harassment?


The bottom line is, for Egyptian women, sexual harassment is a part of normal life in Egypt. Just like we put up with dirty habits such as men spitting or urinating in public or people littering the streets, we grow accustomed to and actually expect to be harassed every now and then.


I have lived in Egypt until 2000, and, like most women, I have experienced sexual harassment firsthand. Everything from annoying comments, to dirty stares and the occasional "accidental" brushing from a guy. Actions that would leave me feeling humiliated and dirty and in desperate need of a shower to eradicate any traces or memory of these incidents.


But what really frustrates me now, as a grown woman, is my passive reaction every time I was a victim of harassment! The most I would do is glare at the perpetrator. When I think of these incidents, I get really angry, mostly at myself for being so weak and passive.


So, today I want to change my passiveness into action. I want to join hands with the millions of Egyptian girls and women across Egypt to end this humiliation once and for all. To do so, I want to direct messages to four distinct groups: Egyptian women; Egyptian men; the government, and houses of worship. It's time we all unite to fight this epidemic that has become a part of life in Egypt. 

• To all the Egyptian women out there

I feel we have accomplished a lot on Jan 25. The most significant gain in my humble view, is that as Egyptians, we are no longer afraid to speak the truth and demand our rights. So as Egyptian women, we need to keep the Tahrir spirit going and we need to raise our voice against these vulgar actions.


This means, next time a young man whistles or shouts a dirty comment your way, you don't walk faster and ignore it. NO NO NO! Promise me you will stop and yell as loud as you can and tell that idiot off!


It also means when you're at the bank or airport, or any other crowded space and the fatherly-like figure with the poor eyesight brushes against your body, not once but twice or more, you will do something. You will not convince yourself it was a coincidence and you will not stay silent, in respect of the guy's age!! Remember, he has no respect for you and feels no shame in touching you, so you will yell as loud as you can and shame him in public!!!


We Egyptian women can no longer stay silent and accept harassment as part of life, because that is wrong. We are not the problem and the men who commit these dirty actions need to realize that they will not get away with it anymore!!

• To all the Egyptian men out there

If you're a guy who witnesses sexual harassment, you cannot walk away. Help us eradicate this bad symptom. Always remember that this victim being harassed could be your wife, mother, sister or daughter. Would you walk away then? Of course not! So, work with us to end this now!

If, on the other hand, you are one of the perpetrators who harass women and think nothing of it, then you need to wake up and realize that we live in a new era! The Jan 25 Revolution has changed the Egyptian people forever! We are no longer afraid to yell, to shame you and embarrass you for your dirty behavior or remarks. So, you either adopt the Tahrir spirit and rid yourself of your urge to harass, or be prepared for public embarrassment and humiliation!

• To the Egyptian Government

I feel there's a lot that the government can do to help us eradicate sexual harassment:

1. Let's start with some laws that hold harassers responsible for their actions. Egyptian women need to feel that they have your support and that you are willing to punish harassers and take sexual harassment cases seriously.
2. Create Public Service Announcements (PSAs) that educate men and women on sexual harassment. Egypt was successful in its PSA campaigns on birth control and bilharzia, & we can also spread awareness on how sexual harassment is hurtful, humiliating & embarrassing to women. We can also learn from other countries who have adopted PSAs on sexual harassment, such as the USA .
3. Let's work on solving some of the social and economic problems that lead some men to resort to harassment. I hate to give men excuses for such behavior, but there's no doubt that marriage in Egypt is expensive and few men can afford to offer a bride the apartment, appliances and dowry that her family expects. Add that to the increase in sexual scenes in Egyptian movies and music videos, and that's all these sexually-deprived young men need to go out and attack!! I feel the government can help create more jobs; offer newly graduates cheap housing options, and help alleviate the cost of living. This will surely allow more people to get married. 

• To leaders of Egypt's Churches & Mosques

Given that we live in a conservative society, I feel you guys have a vital role in our fight against sexual harassment. If priests use Sunday services to preach to men, young and old, on the wrongfulness of such acts, surely this will impact some men, right? The same could be said for imams and Friday prayers. Why not use Friday speeches to educate men on these sinful actions and on the pain and humiliation they inflict on women? Also, why not encourage all men to stand up to a harasser if they witness such incidents?

Sexual harassment is an epidemic and we need to unite forces to drive it out of the New Egypt. 

The world watched Egyptians protest peacefully for 18 days, days that instilled pride in all of us! Then came the embarrassing news of Lara Logan's abuse in Tahrir Square, the same place that was witness to peaceful & civilized protests for 18 days. 

Is this how we want the world to view the New Egypt? An Egypt where sexual harassment is part of daily life? Where women have no rights or laws to protect them? Where men can get away with any dirty action? 

I don't think so! So let's take a stand today and do something about this epidemic!

Why I stopped believing SCAF

This is a translation of the Arabic version of this blog entry in support of May 23, NO-SCAF day:

   This is the first time for me to write a blog entry in Arabic and the only reason is that I truly want my words to reach as many of my Egyptian brothers and sisters as possible.Today I am writing to tell you the truth about SCAF, which rules us now.

Let me start by admitting that I was one of the millions of Egyptians who, for a while, believed in this idea of "El Geysh wel Sha3b Ed Wa7da," or the Army & the people are one. Why, you might ask?

Because I was raised in a household that had the utmost respect for the Egyptian armed forces. My father is a former army general and he would always tell us great stories about the army's victories during wartime.And so, I had absolutely no doubt that the army's first and foremost role was to serve and protect the people.

But, bit by bit, I slowly started to come out of this coma. I believe it all started on the night of February 26 when the army attacked protesters, beating them up, electrifying them with Tasers and insulting them.

That night I was so shocked; I couldn't for a minute believe that our dear army would do this. And then SCAF came out with a statement denying their involvement and I felt so relieved. I convinced myself that the attackers were pro-Mubarak thugs who dressed up as army officials so as to break the trust between the people and the army.

But the same tragedy repeated itself on March 9. Only this time, the humiliation of protesters was far worse. In fact, many of us have watched the YouTube video of singer & activist Ramy Essam, where he explains and shows us evidence of the brutality of the members of our beloved armed forces.

Things went downhill fast after that and army brutality and humiliation became a normal part of life in Egypt. Everything from virginity tests on females to offensive insults & name-calling, to military trials of civilians and even the shooting of civilians with live ammunition, as we all witnessed during last week's protests outside the Israeli embassy.

And this is nothing compared to what is happening in the political arena. First, we find our respectable SCAF leaders appearing on various Egyptian television networks, promising the people that all corrupt officials, including Mubarak and his family, will face fair trials. The next thing we know is these same corrupt officials are being released one after the other!

Isn't it enough that several of Mubarak's corrupt officials still hold government posts today? And then of course, there's the governors appointed by SCAF all across Egypt; indeed something we should all be so proud of!

What else? Oh, I almost forgot to mention our dear Salafi brothers, who miraculously appeared out of no where to instill religious strife across the country. One time they cut off a Christian man's ear, and then another time they want to invade a church to save princess Camilia, followed by the burning of yet another church to rescue madame Abeer! All of these attacks take place as the police and army stand idle, watching! Why dear SCAF do you exercise brutality & military trials with some people and not with others who really deserve it?

I'm sure I could sit here till tomorrow morning listing other accounts and examples of SCAF's wrongdoings. But I'm sure that those who were in Tahrir on Jan25 and others who truly love Egypt know what I am talking about here.

I'm truly heartbroken SCAF, because you are slowly stealing away our pride and dignity that Jan25 finally restored after years of humiliation, oppression and terror.

And I would love to ask SCAF members and all of those who blindly defend SCAF, who is benefiting from all of these events? Who is benefiting from the chaos and lack of security all over Egypt? Who is benefiting from the lack of seriousness in the trials of Mubarak and his corrupt officials? And, who is benefiting from the humiliation and degrading of the Jan25 youth who restored our pride and allowed us, for the first time, to feel that an Egyptian person's blood is worth something?

Unfortunately I have no more confidence in SCAF. I no longer believe their empty promises and I have completely erased from my mind this joke that the army & the people are one! The people's path has been clear all throughout Jan25; they chose to bring down the corrupt regime. But the army's path has been mysterious and dark. Seriously, I fear that if I walk the army's path, I will find myself under the rule of a new Mubarak, or worse, Mubarak himself!

ليه بطلت اصدق المجلس العسكري

انا اول مرة اكتب مدونة بالعربي والسبب الوحيد اني قررت اكتب انهاردة بالعربي هو اني حقيقي نفسي كلامي يوصل اكبر عدد من اخواني واخواتى في مصر. انا انهاردة بكتب علشان احكيلكوا حقيقة المجلس العسكري اللي بيحكمنا الان.

في البداية لازم اعترف اني واحدة من الملايين اللي اتخدعوا في المجلس وفضلت فترة طويلة مصدقة فيلم الجيش والشعب ايد واحدة! ليه؟

 علشان انا اتربيت في بيت بيحترم ويقدر القوات المسلحة اشد احترام. ابويا لوإ جيش سابق وكان دايماً يحلكنا عن امجاد الجيش وقت الحرب. فبالتالي ماكنش عندى ادني شك 

                ان الجيش هدفه الاساسي هو خدمة وحماية الشعب..

بس وشوية شوية ابتديت افوق من االغيبوبة دي. البداية كانت يوم ٢٦ فبراير لما الجيش هجم علي االثوار بالضرب وصعق الكهربإ ووالشتايم.

انا كنت مصدومة الليلة دي، لكن لما المجلس نفي ان له اي علاقة بالي حصل انا ارتحت اقنعت نفسي ان اللي عمل كده اعوان نظام مبارك متنكرين في زي جيش علشان يوقعوا بين الشعب والجيش.

وباعدين اتكررت نفس المأساه يوم الأربعإ ٩ مارس. بس المرة دي الأهانة للثوار كانت اسوإ. كثير مننا شاف الفديو بتاع الفنان رامي عصام وهو بيحكي ويوريا عنف وبلطجة رجال جيشنا العظيم.

بعد كدة بأه العنف والأهانة بأقة حاجة عادية، اشي كشف عذرية للبنات علي حبة شتايم حلوين كدة، للمحكمات العسكرية واخرها كان الضرب بالرصاص زي ما كلنا شفنا وسمعنا يوم تظاهرات السفارة الأسرائلية.

كل ده كوم بأه واللي بيحصل علي الساحة السياسية كوم ثاني! الأول يطلعوا قادة المجلس الموقر علي كل القنوات يوعدواالشعب بمحاكمات عادلة لكل رموز الفساد وبعد كده كل 

 يوم نسمع عن واحد جديد من المسجونين بيفرجوا عنه!

وكفاية ان لسة في ناس كثير من حكومة مبارك الفاسدة في الحكومة الحالية. وخد عندك  

المحافظين اللي المجلس عينهم في جميع انحإ مصر، حاجة تفرح وتطمن بجد!

وايه كمان؟ اه نسيت افكركوا بأخونا السلفيين اللي ظهروا كدة فجأة وبعدها مصايب الفتنة

 الطائفية ابتدت تهل علينا واحدة وري الثانية! اشي مرة يقطعوا ودن واحد ماسيحي ومرة يهجموا علي كنيسة يدوروا عي السنيورة كامليا وبعدها يحرقوا كنيسة علشان مدام عبير. كل ده والجيش والشرطة ساكتين. يعني العنف والمحاكمات يا عزيزي المجلس له ناس وناس لأ؟

اكيد في بلاوي ثانية ممكن اقعد احكي فها للصبح. بس اعتقد اي حد شارك في الثورة وبيحب وبيخاف علي مصر بجد عارف انا بتكلم لي ايه

.بجد انا حزينة يا مجلس لأنك واحدة واحدة بتسرق مننا الكرامة والأعتزاز بالنفس اللي 

الثورة رجعتهولنا بعد سنين من الأرهاب و الذل والقمع.

ونفسي اسأل المجلس وكل اللي بيدافع عنه اللي بيحصل ده في مصلحة مين؟ مين المستفيد من الفوضي والأنفلات الأمني؟ مين المستفيد من عدم الجدية في محاكمة مبارك واعوانه؟ ومين المستفيد من اهانة وذل الشباب اللي رجعلنا كرامتنا وخلانا نحس لأول مرة ان البني أدم المصري دمه مش رخيص؟

انا للأسف معنديش ثقة في المجلس خلاص. مقدرش اصدق وعودهم ثاني وشلت من مخي تاماً اكذوبة الشعب والجيش ايد واحدة. الشعب طريقه كان واصح من يوم ثورة ٢٥ يناير واختار اسقاط النظام الفاسد. لكن الجيش بأه طريقه غامض ومخيف وبجد خايفة لو مشيت في طريق المجلس الاقي نفسي محكومة بمبارك جديد ولا مش بعيد يبقي مبارك نفسه!

SCAF unveils its true colors

I think I can safely say that SCAF is beginning to reveal its true colors! Bit by bit, the military council is withdrawing away from the revolution, and breaking promises that were made to unveil the true faces of our current men in power!

Let's start with today's article in Al Masry Al Youm where a military official announced that SCAF is backtracking from a previous decision that would have given Egyptians abroad the right to vote. What is more mind boggling than the sudden change of course is the justifications offered. This military official explained that: 1) it would be challenging and almost impossible to collect votes from Egyptians abroad as they reside in 139 countries; 2) given that these Egyptians are abroad, they know little about the candidates and, therefore, their votes can be bought by people with other interests.

How ridiculous is that? More important, how humiliating and frustrating for all of us Egyptians abroad to be perceived in such a narrow-minded way? This official is practically saying that we are ignorant of our own country and that we have no clue what's going on and who's running for what!

I know I am not the only Egyptian abroad who is practically glued to her TV, laptop or cell phone, in a daily struggle to keep up with events and developments back home. There are millions of Egyptian men and women, young and old, Christians and Muslims who do the same. I see them on Facebook & Twitter; they exchange ideas and dreams for Egypt; they discuss the pros and cons of potential presidential candidates, among other important issues.

So how can this so-called official generalize and oversimplify and claim that we are all a bunch of clueless idiots who are willing to sell our rights to vote for some quick cash?

Personally, for me, this was the last straw. I've been watching events unfold in Egypt over the past few weeks, and I wasn't happy. The Imbaba attacks of Sunday were a clear sign that there's more to SCAF and the government than what meets the eye. I mean, how can a group of thugs attack and burn a church amidst the absolute absence of our police force? More so, how come SCAF has not announced military trials for those arrested?

SCAF has been pretty swift with military trials when it comes to Tahrir protesters, who's biggest crime was trying to cleanse Egypt from 30 years of filth and corruption. Isn't it obvious that something's wrong when people like Michael Nabil are sentenced to 3 years in prison for merely criticizing the army, yet groups of thugs who destroy a house of worship, killing over 20 people and terrorizing scores of civilians get no such sentencing?

Honestly, I hate to say this, but I think it's time we hit Tahrir Square once again to redeem our dignity and demand our rights. SCAF has unveiled its true face and we as Egyptians need to tell the military council that we get it; we can see through the acts and broken promises and we've had it.

Afterall, if we truly want to cleanse our country from all traces of the Mubarak era, we can't do so if SCAF continues to control and govern our every move.

The Military Council and unforgettable dates by Hoda Kamal

This post is from my friend Hoda Kamal. She wrote a detailed and honest account of our relationship with the military starting with the Egyptian revolution until today. So please read this post and leave her your comments & thoughts.

I have been reading a lot of comments recently criticizing those who dared to distrust the Military Council and of course, I am one of those people .... :) I had given myself some time to think ... maybe I am someone who doesn't trust people easily, or maybe I doubt things too much, or maybe I am stupid, or have an agenda or I might be an irresponsible person or too revolutionary....

No matter what you think of me and others who share my same belief, please allow me to share my thoughts with you... let me first tell you something... I don't have family members or direct friends in the Army, so I basically didn't know much about the Army before Jan 28th....all I knew is that, we respect our Egyptian Army very much... they are great people, who fought Israel in 1973 and did a wonderful job.... I watch the 6th of October movies on tv and enjoy them very much!!!!

We don't have same respect to the Police, unfortunately, maybe because we deal with them in our daily life, and SOME of them proved to be quite brutal, but the Army, thank God, we never had to deal with them before Jan 28th :)

So let me start from the day I got introduced to them... January 28th, 2011.... the same day that the Egyptian Police was killing the peaceful protesters ... also the very same day that the internet connection got cut off and I am not sure, if people in Egypt had access to any non-Egyptian tv channel...

January 28th :

I was watching AlJazeera News, police had been fighting the protesters for several hours, all of us here felt terrible until we saw the first TANK that came in Tahrir Square and it was said that " الحاكم العسكري أمر بنزول الجيشi" (the military ruler ordered the army to go down to the street).... a very special moment... I kept wondering, who is this الحاكم العسكري, that is saving the Egyptians.... he must be the boldest man in the Military.... and a few mins later, they explained on TV that "الحاكم العسكري" = Mohamed Hosny Mubarak :).... wooooooooow, did I hear it right?? Mubarak is sending the Army to save the Egyptians?? Are you kidding me?? So who the hell is the bad guy who sent out the Egyptian Police to kill the Egyptian People??? it is definitely not Mubarak then... :) and soon after this, we heard that Habib el Adly is probably the bad one who gave the instructions to the Police to kill the protesters.... aaaaaaaaah, now this makes some kind of sense... El Adly is the bad one, who without getting back to his boss, went ahead and decided to kill the Egyptians... but his "good" boss, saved them!!! Thank God we had Mubarak that day... I am truly appreciative to his efforts.... but did  we hear anything about Tantawy or any other Military figure that day?? NO, it is MUBARAK who sent out the Army.... REMEMBER THIS PLEASE....and BE THANKFUL TO MUBARAK, but of course, he must have discussed it with his right-hand man Tantawy first.... maybe we should thank Tantawy, in case it was his bright idea.....

Ok, the Army is now in the streets of Egypt protecting the Egyptians, not anymore from the Police, who disappeared right after the Army came, but from the prisoners that were set free by SOMEONE who opened the prisons for them and asked them to go frighten the Egyptians.... it must be another BAD guy, maybe ElAdly again, we don't know....but for sure NOT MUBARAK... Mubarak is GOOD and he proved this today already.... and the ARMY is the people's savior...

February 2nd :

We just had a "historic speech" on February 1st that Mubarak gave... it was very emotional and a lot of us felt terrible that day, that we dared to protest or even support the demonstrations against Mubarak, the good old man, who served our country for 30 years....

This speech was so well written that I wonder, who is the one who wrote this brilliant speech? It can't be an Egyptian!!! Don't get me wrong, I don't mean that the Egyptians can't write brilliant speeches, I only meant, that there was a word used in this speech that I have never heard of in the Arabic Language before.. never heard it from any Egyptian, literate or illiterate:  "أنتوي" ... does it come from a different language? Hebrew, English.... or something else? it sounds more like "intend".... but, let's not get off track... talk now about Feb 2nd pls.....

A few hours after the speech, the internet was back up and we were again very thankful to Mubarak.....

but wait wait wait... what's going on this morning again in Tahrir Square after the great speech??? what??? Camels, Horses... Molotov??????? Why??? Aren't protesters supposed to be home now and rest until September, when Mubarak leaves as promised in his speech??? NO, apparently there was a number of BAD, STUPID protesters in Tahrir, who DOUBTED the words in Mubarak's speech and decided to continue the demonstrations... must be " a bunch of idiots" who "enjoy instability" and "are too revolutionary"...... or maybe some of them had an "agenda"...... so now they are facing Thugs, Camels, Horses... and Molotov??????? Are you serious??? Who is responsible for all this??? ANOTHER BAD GUY...

Ok, we need Mubarak URGENTLY and RIGHT NOW here to save the Egyptians again from the bad people... and guess what,  the ARMY is present!!!!! Oh sure, it will protect the Egyptians... can't imagine otherwise!!!! but BIG NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.... THE ARMY HAD CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS TO STAY NEUTRAL..... what??? neutral??? isn't the ARMY'S JOB TO PROTECT THE EGYPTIANS??? No, the army takes orders and it does, what it's asked to do....stay neutral means, leave the peaceful protesters die in front of your eyes.... and DO NOTHING for over 15 hours when everything stopped and the protesters did a GREAT JOB lining themselves and fighting the thugs.... I guess, you guys are our TRUE ARMY....

So, where has Mubarak been?? If he is old and sick and was sleeping all day, where was TANTAWY or any other MILITARY LEADER that can give instructions to the Army to save the people???? until now, I have NO ANSWER ....

Obviously, those protesters should have gone home and stopped their stupid demonstrations after listening to the speech...

February 10th  & 11th :

It’s Thursday today, and some STUPID PROTESTERS promised BIG demonstration tomorrow, if Mubarak doesn’t step down… someone  needs to do something about this….. I can smell something serious is going on today…. What is it? BREAKING NEWS….the MILITARY COUNCIL is currently holding a “continuous meeting”…. What does this mean? Some rumors are going on that Mubarak is going to step down today… waiting, and waiting, and more waiting…and finally Mubarak gave a speech and didn’t mention stepping down… he promised changes to the constitution…. What??? Don’t worry, the MILITARY COUNCIL that gave the impression that Mubarak is going to step down today, and doesn’t give us an explanation for the speech that we all just heard… is still meeting… PLEASE IGNORE THE SPEECH….

You should know, that when the MILITARY COUNCIL announces that it is holding a continuous meeting, this means that it is in fact the one in power and that Mubarak is no longer ruling…. But because there were some stupid ignorant people like me who didn’t understand this by themselves, the Vice President had to announce this clearly on February, the 11th that Mubarak stepped down… OUR SAVIOR IS NOW THE MILITARY COUNCIL…. Thank you!!!! So, what happened between YOU and Mubarak? It’s non of your business….. why do you care to know??? THE MILITARY COUNCIL SAVED YOU……

February 26th :

After 2 weeks of “ stable”  life, and on February 25th, a million people demonstration was called for …. This was to put pressure on the MILITARY COUNCIL to lay-off the Prime Minister, Ahmed Shafik and his government and hire a new government, from people that are NOT related to the OLD REGIME…

Today, among these protestors were some STUPID ONES again, that thought that they should stay in Tahrir and not go home, until the MILITARY COUNCIL responds to their demand…

So please, wait here, what’s wrong with Shafik?

He is a nice, decent, smart guy, very respectful, charismatic and talks really well… and most importantly doesn’t stutter…. please stop saying, he was a friend of Mubarak’s or he was chosen by Mubarak to be the current Prime Minister and please don’t mention that he was the Prime Minister on the bloody Wednesday, Feb 2nd  and did nothing…oh, and don’t mention that he kept defending Mubarak until the very last day too…this all doesn’t count..… if you don’t know, who this respectful guy is, please enjoy a trip with Egypt Air or if you can’t afford the ticket, please pay a visit to our New Cairo Airport and you will know, how GOOD this guy is….

Oh, no, this STUPID GROUP doesn’t want to listen…. and the MILITARY COUNCIL doesn’t like that… because it likes to be obeyed. It tolerates the Friday Demonstrations, but can’t tolerate breaking the curfew rule anymore as it did during Mubarak time…

A few mins before the curfew is supposed to start, some group of Military Police is in Tahrir Square trying to disperse the demonstrators using Electric Tasers and beating them….  even some are getting arrested by them…. but, don’t worry, it is not a large group… and the MILITARY COUNCIL is on TV the next day, to apologize and ask The Egyptians to forgive them...  at least give them credit for ALL what they’ve done so far…. J)))) Since they apologized, this means they are the ones who really did that, not some sort of civilians as we heard?!! Probably YES….

March 9th :

Please, give me a break … what’s going on again??? Shafik is now gone and a new government has been formed… it has some people who were NDP members before, but the MILITARY COUNCIL really couldn’t find someone else who would accept to join this government of Dr. Essam Sharaf….

So why are you still sitting in the green area of the Tahrir Square then? This is truly unbearable…. You seem to “enjoy”  the status of instability… so please answer me today, why are you still here? What?? You are asking for a NEW CONSTITUTION NOW? Didn’t you hear that the Egyptians are voting on the 19th on the referendum? Go vote, NO, if you want…. But believe us, YES is better for you…. these changes are perfect.

THE MILITARY COUNCIL put a lot of effort in coming up with the changes…

THE MILITARY COUNCIL selected a group of very experienced people and asked them to make some changes in response to your demands to some clauses that THE MILITARY COUNCIL thought needed to be changed… and they did a great job!!!

Please go home now and leave the square… allow yourself sometime to think about the suggested changes as they are really good, even the Muslim Brotherhood and all other Islamists think so, not only THE MILITARY COUNCIL …but if you insist on NO, you will find other political power share your same opinion… you all please go and vote and let’s start the true democracy….

Please don’t be afraid of Abboud el Zomor, the one who planned the assassination of fromer President Sadat … he was only let out, because he deserved to be free… Mubarak had let him stay 10 extra years in prison, but

THE MILITARY COUNCIL  is different…

THE MILITARY COUNCIL is JUST…and

THE MILITARY COUNCIL might be thinking, it is its responsibility to reimburse him for the extra time he spent in prison… maybe the least that we can do is, have the MEDIA show him as a HERO…. Don’t worry, he really changed a lot….

So these Idiots still don’t want to leave the Tahrir Square?? They are getting on everybody’s nerve now and we need the MILITARY COUNCIL to be more strict with them… we just hope, they don’t get too much involved with them like on Feb 26th… well, someone else can do this job then….THUGS!!! Where did they go?? Go get them please….they can attack protesters with sticks and swords while the Army violently  disperses this gathering of around 1000 people… wait here… you say VIOLENTLY??? Do you mean beating demonstrators, dismantling tents and breaking up an informal medical clinic? What? Not only this? Wipe the memory cards of Journalists attempting to record events?

And moreover, make SOLDIERS arrest more than 100 protesters and take them to the Egyptian Museum near to Tahrir Sqaure??? And among them is the famous Revolution Singer, Rami Essam who is being dragged to the Egyptian Museum? Is he really getting beaten by them with metal rods? and not only this,  are they applying electricity allover his body? YES, but thankfully he is being released… but others are taken before Military Courts…

Is there more stuff? Egypt women protesters forced to take 'virginity tests'??? Why? Aren’t they able to express their views on the future of Egypt without being detained, tortured, or subjected to profoundly degrading and discriminatory treatment???  

NO, NO, NO… this is utterly unacceptable…

Hey Egyptians, let’s try to forget this and not think anything bad of our MILITARY COUNCIL…

March 19th and 20th :

March 19th: 45% voted today  - WONDERFUL J

March 20th : 77% said YES – EVEN MORE WONDERFUL J)

Oh, dear MILITARY COUNCIL, thank you very much for the wonderful TEAM WORK!!!

You proved to us, that you would do “ANYTHING” to make sure that the Egyptians choose the RIGHT thing… and we have NO DOUBT that you will do  the same when it comes to other critical decisions like this one in future….

April 9th :

Great day, starts with another million people demonstration... yahoooo!!!.... LOTS of people are joining in Tahrir Square and it is beautiful watching them all on TV... they all want to put pressure on the MILITARY COUNCIL, because they believe, that the MILITARY COUNCIL is TOO SLOW in responding to their  "never ending demands".... but among those are some that not only think that the MILITARY COUNCIL is slow... they DARE to think that it is in fact NOT TRUSTWORTHY and that it proved this throughout the last 2 1/2 months..... this group must be STUPID again, but you know what, they have their REASONS why to NOT TRUST the MILITARY COUNCIL... reasons???? are you sure, they have valid reasons?? NOOOOO, these people are "too revolutionary" and "can't calculate things right"... please everyone, listen to me here, WE CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE THE ARMY, OUR 1 AND ONLY ALLY..... please tell this "bunch of idots" to stop and go home....we have our 8 demands, that everyone in the political power agrees on, but to dare to ask the MILITARY COUNCIL TO PEACEFULLY HANDOVER THE POWER TO A PRESIDENTIAL COUNCIL, this is too much....we all trust the MILITARY COUNCIL, even the Muslim Brotherhood, that used to be Mubarak's 1st enemy... come on.....how are we going to select people in this Presidential Council??? Who is going to manage this whole process?? What if, this STUPID GROUP doesn't like the Presidential Council later on??? ... endless questions.... NO, NO, NO, PLEASE STOP....  we need STABILITY HERE…... they can put pressure through Friday Demonstrations, but other than that, it will be TOO MUCH...

We all agree, THE MILITARY COUNCIL is too slow, but we still trust them... they are the ones who SAVED :)) THE REVOLUTION... Saved, the revolution??? How can we judge this, while the revolution is still going on??? NO, the revolution ended on February 11th, when Mubarak stepped down and the MILITARY COUNCIL TOOK OVER..... but there is a group that says NO and thinks that the revolution ended on March 5th after "AMN EL DAWLA" had fallen apart.... and another, MORE STUPID group thinks that the revolution is going on until we achieve TRUE DEMOCRACY, TRUE FREEDOM AND TRUE SOCIAL JUSTICE.... no matter how long this is going to take... even if these people die before they witness this day, they still believe in this.....

Oooh, it is a very good and SUCCESSFUL day today :) ... that's what I've been hearing... SUCCESSFUL... how you say this, please explain...!!! we haven't heard 1 word from the MILITARY COUNCIL  commenting on the 8 demands!!!! No, it is successful, because we were able to collect over a million people in Tahrir Square:) ----- ahaaaaaaaaaaa.....

alright.... I guess it's getting late and we all need to go home after this successful day and continue again next Friday, if today turned out to be unsuccessful:))

We can even travel to Sharm el Sheikh, if necessary, but of course, get back home before the curfew starts.... J

So, what again? don't tell me that this same "bunch of idiots" doesn't listen to the wise voice of other fellow Tahrir Demonstrators and insists on putting more pressure today and wants to disobey the curfew rule, that the MILITARY COUNCIL put  again and stay in Tahrir Square after 2 am.... these PEOPLE ARE IRRESPONSIBLE...

What??? they are not alone? there is a group wearing Army Uniform with them??? Are these real soldiers? what do they want?  Don't they have to respect their job and don't protest against their bosses??? Again, what do they want ??? They want people to clash with the ARMY??? ARE THEY CRAZY???  NO, this is truly unbearable... PLEASE OUR DEAR MILITARY COUNCIL, DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS...... collect all the power you have (army forces, 777, intelligence, police...etc..) and send them to Tahrir Sqaure to get rid of these "THUGS" in the middle of the night...but, please try not to be TOO BRUTAL with them, because we don't support brutality, unless it's necessary, of course... and more importantly , please finish this before we wake up and start our work day on Saturday, so that we DON'T SEE THIS happening in front of our eyes and only hear about it from YOU, DEAR MILITARY COUNCIL, on our beloved Egyptian TV and on YOUR Facebook Page through your STATEMENT #34".... :)))))))

April 10th :

Mubarak is back on TV, saying “Hi” to the Egyptians through an audio speech. Any Explanation?

I guess, I have to stop writing and allow you to think, think and think....

thanks, for taking the time to read what I've been THINKING about and sorry, if this had brought bad memories to you........ and another sorry, if you wasted your time reading the thoughts of a stupid girl….