Referendum.. What Referendum?

I have a heavy heart.. The mood is sombre.. Instead of feeling jubilant for voting on their long-awaited Constitution, their Social Contract, their Bill of Rights, Egyptians are instead locked in a vicious battle that is testing and questioning their very faith, instead of their legal rights.. A series of decisions have forced the patriotic civil parties and revolutionaries to go back to the streets, to protest this flagrant religious polarization and attempt to defend their own rights.  

A great and peaceful Revolution that started off as a noble fight for freedom, dignity and social justice, became tinted with religious discrimination, not between Egyptian Muslims and Christians but between the so-called Islamists and the rest of the country. Egyptians' historic religious affinity was manipulated by Islamist parties who exploited them to rise to power, infiltrate the decision-making process first in parliament, then culminate it by the presidency and the government. The liberal national and patriotic forces, whose division and bickering - let's be honest and objective here - led to their own demise, were left out in the cold and are now reduced to defend themselves against the stigma of being branded as disbelievers or infidels, instead of being equal partners in their own destiny! Though the diverse national civil parties have finally united under one National Salvation Front, it was too little, too late..

MB and other religious parties virtually controlled the Constitutional Council and drafting of the Constitution and in an unprecedented flurry discussed it in the wee hours and approved it. This was understandably done to defuse the explosion of nationwide protests against the presidential decree which granted the president sweeping powers. The Constitution is virtually a faits accomplis, and the civil political forces had little say in what they and the rest of Egypt are voting on today.  

Egyptians are now irreconcilably and viciously divided, albeit fallaciously, into the Aye versus the Nay

camps.. No thanks to extremists who have exploited the masses through religious manipulation, and indoctrinated them that they should vehemently vote yes convincing them that it was in defense of Islam and Shari'a when in fact it had nothing to do with religion. They even guaranteed them a place in Paradise, in effect granting them Indulgence or Forgiveness Certificates صكوك الغفران in a stark breach of Islamic teachings!

May God NEVER forgive those pseudo-preachers, those criminals who, created this deep rift in Egypt and paved the way for dissent and shedding of innocent blood.. 

I'm not concerned with a No or a Yes anymore.. I'm more concerned with the Egypt that is slipping away.. the Egypt which is changing to a country that we may not recognize, or consider ours.. An Egypt which is repelling, not attracting..
حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل

الترويع ليس من أخلاق الإسلام.. أين الدعاة؟

الخبر: قوات الأمن تتصدى للإخوان وأنصار حازم أبو إسماعيل حاولوا إقتحام دار القضاء العالي بإستخدام بنادق الخرطوش والألعاب النارية والأسلحة البيضاء..

هذا الخبر يفيد أن من اعتدوا علينا أمام بوابة دار النقض يوم السبت ٢٤ نوفمبر ٢٠١٢ هم من أنصار أبو إسماعيل والله أعلم إن كان معهم الإخوان أم لا، ولكن الخلاصة أنهم ينتمون للتيار الإسلامي!! أقسم أنني وحتى آخر لحظة كنت أحسن الظن وأقول مدافعة لا ندري إن كانوا من الإخوان أم لا، ألا يمكن أن يكونوا بلطجية مأجورين من قبل بواقي النظام لقلقلة الأمن وإحداث شقاق! ولكن هذا الخبر تركني في ذهول.. عندما أفكر أننا كنا واقفين في أمان الله في مظاهرة سلمية تماما وكل ما نملكه هو صوتنا وبعض الأعلام.. وأنهم هجموا علينا رجالا ونساء، وروعونا بالشماريخ والصواريخ وفي بعض الأقوال بالأسلحة البيضاء والخرطوش.. وأن منهم من ضرب بعض الشباب المتظاهرين (أحدهم أصيب إصابة بالغة في جنبه وكان ينزف بغزارة وأتمنى أنه حي يرزق) .. وأنه إلى الآن لم يصدر بيانا من الرئاسة أو الإخوان للتنديد بهذا العمل الجبان الخسيس.. عندما أفكر وأسترجع كل ذلك أول ما يتبادر إلى ذهني هو السؤال: ألم ينصحهم أي من قياداتهم أن ما فعلوه هو حرام أو على أقل تقدير ليس سلوكا إسلاميا قويما؟ ألم يبلغهم أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عن ترويع الناس، فما بالك بمهاجمتهم وضربهم؟ لقد علمنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كيف نتعامل مع أسرى الحرب الذين كانوا يحاربوننا ويقتلوننا ونهانا على ألا نمسهم بسوء، فما بالك بترويع وضرب من هو مسالم ولا يفعل شيئا سوى المعارضة السلمية الكلامية!!؟؟

Dar Al Qada' Stand: Friend or Foe..

Date: Saturday 24 November 2012

Just returned from Dar Al Qada' stand.. What happened was a disgrace and a criminal act! There we were.. peacefully demonstrating.. voicing our opposition in the most civilized way.. And then someone said: Hey it's the Ultras and we were jubilant! I couldn't see them well but saw a crowd of youth walking down from Ramsis/Is3af down Fouad St. towards where we were standing in front of the gate of Dar Al Naqd and they were shouting what we thought were patriotic slogans.. They started firing fireworks, shamareekh and we waved and clapped, happily cheering them on.. Oh, how nice, what an entrance.. Then we became alarmed that the shamareekh were fired non-stop and they started falling on our heads! Then they closed in on the Dar Al Naqd building itself and the shamareekh were fired on the windows, the doors and many hit the building and deflected and fell on us.. Panic struck as the realization hit us that this was a group of baltageya and not ultras!! Women started shouting and men running here and there, and there was a stampede.. Our group tried to hold our ground but as the sparks fell on our heads we scrambled to safety only to face a stampede in the making as the protesters were fleeing from in front of the aggressive baltageya! Many familiar faces were also there but we lost each other in the mayhem that followed. Then those criminals picked up the large metal traffic barricade and around 10 of them carried it and started hitting at the Dar Al Naqd large metal gate trying to force it open! Police then started firing tear gas indiscriminatingly to try and stop them! A young man was badly injured some say by cartouche and others say by shamroukh that hit him in the side but he was bleeding profusely and I heard a woman crying that he died. I pray to God that he's alright.. Another stampede ensued and we decided to leave for Tahrir.. WHAT IS THIS? WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?? من أنتم Is this the way it's going to be from now on? We, the peaceful demonstrators being attacked and intimidated by street thugs?? Everyone was saying that these thugs were Ikhwan, or at best commissioned by them to do this dirty job.. I personally don't know.. For all I know they might even be affiliated to the old regime.. Whoever they were, they are a disgrace to every decent and honest Egyptian.. I was, and still am, badly shaken and upset.. And one last thing.. We are naive, so naive.. but I'll reserve that for another post.. I am truly upset.. حزينة ومشوشة الفكر ومش عارفة رايحين على فين.. بس اللي شفته النهاردة رعبني إننا داخلين على حرب.. المصريون منقسمون على أنفسهم وأخشى ما أخشاه أن هذا النفق المظلم المدلهم يقلب على شئ بشع يأتي على الأخضر واليابس.. اللهم احفظ مصر وأهلها من كل سوء ومن شر الفتن ما ظهر منها وما بطن.. آمين

Don't Settle for a Second Worst

It's been a long day and I'm exhausted and I should sleep.. And I will but it won't be a worried, uneasy sleep but rather one of peace and comfort for the first time in many weeks.. Comfortable in the thought that Egypt has people like Baradei..

 

I have never seen a man, an altruist, so unwilling to take over or lead people who are vying to follow whatever he says.. He's not leading us like a flock... of sheep.. He doesn't claim he's Mr. Know-it-all but he's giving us food for thought so that we THINK and DECIDE.. He is forcing us to be independent thinkers and decide for ourselves and do what's right by our conscience.. And ironically, we're confused because we haven't been doing that for so long.. He is teaching us and I'm in awe..

 

There are many more Egyptians like Baradei and they are the ones we should listen to and endorse.. We should not take the easy way out or settle for second worst not best.. I insist for the nth time that we, and Egypt, deserve better! مصر ولادة ولن تنقطع بركاتها ولا خيرها

Don't Vote for an Evil.. Void for a Better EGYPT

I had decided some time back to void my vote amid continuous effort to dissuade me from sincere friends who warned me that I MUST vote or else "the other evil one" would win..

I wasn't persuaded because I believe that choosing the lesser of two evils isn't an option at this point in time. But after watching Baradei tonight I've become even more convinced that I should stick to whatever I believe is right irrespective of what others think.

It's not a matter of being stubborn or inflexible, it's a matter of principle! Proud to be in the same camp with a great man of vision and ethics like Baradei.. He gave me hope that the Revolution will never die, it can retreat, it can wither but it will never die..

Here's to a better Egypt.. An Egypt of pride, equality and human dignity.. الثورة مستمرة بإذن الله وتحيا مصر  

خسارة يا دكتور برادعي

Sunday - 10 June 2012

لسة مخلصة حلقة البرادعي مع لميس الحديدي التي كان يتخللها دعاية مستمرة لمرسي وشفيق واتحسرت :( مستوى تاني خاااالص عن المرحلة الأولى والثانية!!! ما هذا الرجل؟ ما هذه الرؤية والنضج السياسي والفكر الواضح والثبات على المبدأ؟ ما هذه الوطنية ومصر أولا والنزاهة ودماثة الخلق؟ ما زلت مرشحي الأول يا دكتور برادعي.. خسارة وألف خسارة :((((

To Void or not to Void.. That is the Question

Objectively and far from any emotional evaluation? Let's analyze.

 The results of the presidential elections were as follows..
1. Over 24% voted for Morsi
2. Over 23% voted for Shafiq
3. Over 20% voted for Sabbahy
4. 17% voted for Aboul Fotouh
5. A little over 11% voted for Amre Moussa
6. 1% voted for El Awa
7. Over 0.5% voted for Khaled Ali
... 8. Rest of the candidates got from 0.05% to 0.17% each

 Irrespective of whether you agree with or approve of them the duo Shafiq and Moussa got a total of 34% of the vote. So to ignore them in the proposed presidential council is both undemocratic and an exclusion of a third of the voters. This is exasperated by including the Revolutionary Khaled Ali who only got 0.5%. Although I'm heart and soul with the Revolution I have to say this is a bias, though understandable..

 Now.. let's continue to analyze this:
1. Turnout: 46% of registered voters
2. Voters' lists were not scrutinized and included non-eligible voters like conscripts and the dead..
4. There were disparate instances of rigging ~ ballots with Hamdeen as a choice were found.
5. There were many instances of lax control
6. There were many instances of manipulation

 Overall, do the elections reflect a democratic process? Yes they do, albeit imperfect and faulty.. What is happening in Tahrir now is 18 months too late.. If we want credibility then this scenario should've been done BEFORE the elections and not before the re-runs.. Also, all lawsuits should've been filed right after the elections; the only excuse is that new evidence may have surfaced. Furthermore, we should've INSISTED on the political dismissal or disqualification of Shafiq before the elections and not start an uproar after his surprise performance.. And to demand the MB to relinquish their ambition of a president when it's so close is overly naive. Blame it all on the disappointing Mubarak trial verdict which instantly resurrected feelings of oppression and injustice and ignited anti-regime emotions which were translated into an anti-Shafiq frenzy (more than a pro-Morsi one). I was personally inclined likewise but what I'm seeing from MB and Morsi isn't comforting and my position remains to void my vote.. Having said that I confirm that I would NEVER, EVER choose Shafiq.. NEVER.. What now? We continue to observe how this saga unfolds and choose for Egypt.. United we stand, divided we fall.. الثورة مستمرة بإذن الله وتحيا مصر :))))