June28: The Second Coming of Rage!

Around 6:00 pm I was at the families of martyrs sit-in at Maspero, I found the place somewhat unusually emapty, when I asked, I learned that a group of them together with supporters had left in a march to the honorary celebration of the martyrs at El Balon Theater in Agoza. I wasn’t able to figure out for sure who organized this “celebration” nor why have the families decided to go and leave the sit-in. Soon enough, a group came back from Agoza telling the story and showing me the footage of police attacking the supporters from Maspero after the families & supporters were denied entry into the theater.

The families from Maspero along with supporters went to get into the theater, and they were denied entry by security saying that they are not the families of martyrs, so four supporters jumped the fence, and that’s when the clashes started. Immediately, the police showed up and started firing tear gas and attacking supporters & families of martyrs from Maspero with electric shocks shown in the video above.

I took this footage and went to Aljazeera Arabic, uploaded it, and was promised that they would report it, and left. As I was passing through Tahrir, I saw a group of familiar Tahrir activists saying that they are going to the interior of ministry to protest against the police attacks in Agoza. There were 2 trucks with plain clothed people heading there as well. I wanted to pass first by the CairoTweetUp first then head to MOI, I showed the tweeps the video and left to MOI with @3effat & @Sarrahsworld.

When we got to MOI, clashes had already occurred between protesters and CSF officers with an exchange of rocks throwing. I saw there @norashalaby & @Tahrekshalaby along with other familiar faces. As things were dying down, all of the sudden, I saw the CSF officers marching with sticks in the air towards Tahrir on Mohamed Mahmoud St. The protesters followed them not understanding whom are they running after. I kept asking what is going on? People who were there before me, told me that “they are running after thugs who came and threw rocks at the officers in 2 trucks.” Hmmmm these must have been the same trucks I saw in Tahrir earlier, who are these people? unknown.

We, protesters, ran towards Tahrir, and clashes between us and them, pigs, never stopped since until now (noon June29th). Many were injured, including Noor Ayman @NoorNoor1, who was shot with khartosh in the head< but he is fine, just couple of stitches. One reported dead, Amr Osman. The most disgusting part was the cursing and the words that the CSF pigs were yelling at us while shooting us with tear gas and rock. They were saying, “we will kill you! you deserve death ya awsaakh!” I threw rocks for the first time from the front of the line. I was not afraid. I was ready to die because freedom is not without blood. I got soficated with tear gas like many others including @alaa @Lobna @salmasaid . I left Tahrir to upload the footage that I have and the pictures that I took before my phone, camera, laptop, and flip all batteries went dead. You will find my videos from the night here soon.

Watch my interview with the Guardian this morning about the clashes:

Gigi Ibrahim on the clashes in Cairo from matthew weaver on Vimeo.

There is a call to stay in Tahrir, few thousands are there already, and more will join tomorrow. Alexandria, Suez, and Port Said also have mass demonstrations. Power of the people. Revolution until victory!!!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Families of Martyrs Demand Retribution

Families of martyrs and protesters wait for hours for a trial session that takes about 3 minutes with a verdict of yet another postponement to July 25th. The protesters outside the Tagamooa El Khames court gather and chant aggressively against El Adly calling for “death to the dog Habib El Adly,” the ex-interior minister accused of killings of Jan25 martyrs and being responsible for systematic torture and abuse under the Mubarak regime. The anger towards any police figure was apparent when protesters hurled stones at all the police vans coming out of court and armored police cars carrying the 7 accused in the case. The circus continues with no justice serviced, while families of martyrs continue their sit-in at Maspero demanding 1) The efficient and transparent prosecution of all police involved in killings of martyrs 2) The adequate compensation to all families and those who were injured, 3) For Habib El Adly & Mubarak to be held responsible and tried fast without tampering with the law, and 4) For the policemen who are accused to be put on trial while being off-duty.

To Mubarak, with Love..Fuck You!

Take this “Sons of Mubarak” …Fuck you very much!

Virginity UNcheck and SCAF Circumcision First

I find myself sleeping every night and waking up with nightmares and anger about SCAF. Before the revolution it was Mubarak and now it is Tantawi. From military trials, to torture, to virginity checks, and lately the prosecution of journalist Rasha Azab for exposing torture cases by the military, SCAF have left no freedom that they haven’t robbed. We must stand in solidarity with Rasha Azab, not because she is a brave, kind, honest, and wonderful human being, but because if we didn’t then it means we are okay with the behavior of the military that Rasha was exposing in Al Fagr article. She is the first journalist to be tried by the military prosecutor for criticizing the SCAF and exposing army torture. No constitution will ensure our freedom of speech if we don’t take a radical stand against censorship of press. Rasha’s case whether you agree with her personally or not is about this very principle.

If we let this case pass like Michael Nabil’s case, then we are falling in the constitutional trap SCAF is throwing at us, when in fact things on the ground in our daily lives are actually deteriorating. Those who are so focused on the constitution first are completely forgetting that with SCAF still in power, torture still practiced in prisons & stations, virginity checks conducted on female protestors, censorship of press & media, and evicted families still living on the street after promised national housing, no constitution will solve these practical issues without real pressure on the ground not on fancy paper.

I urge you to build pressure on issues that effect the daily lives of citizens today in the streets instead of focusing so much on the constitution. Although I believe drafting a constitution and building political parties is important, but it seems that the overwhelming majority of the political forces in Egypt now are focused on this while forgetting whom or what they are actually trying to help and achieve through this constitution. If the end mean for establishing this constitution is equality, democracy, accountability, freedom of speech, and justice, then why don’t those people also support cases that fight for those principles like Rasha Azab’s case, the evicted families living in front of Maspero, the family of martyrs on June 26th, the workers facing court this Saturday, and countless other cases. This is the revolution in my view. If we don’t win those battles that are fighting for the principles of the revolution, then we are not gaining any ground in this “revolution.”

Rash Azab Facing Charges رشا عزب بعد انتهاء التحقيق

Rasha Azab explains her interrogation with the military prosecutor regarding the article she wrote in Al Fagr newspaper on military abuse and torture. General Hassan El Rouieny has filed a legal case against Rasha Azab and Al Fagr editor in chief Adel Hammouda accusing them of reporting false news and challenging national security, in which case they could face military prison sentence in a military court. Rasha Azab is now the first journalist to be tried in a military court for writing an article criticizing SCAF. It is completely unacceptable and wrong that this would be happening to a journalist in a post-revolution Egypt, which demanded freedom of press and freedom of speech.

iRevolution CNN Documentary

Video of the portion on Egypt of the iRevolution CNN documentary featuring Mona Seif @monasosh, Ramy Raoof @Ramyraoof, and I

Enough Sexual Harassment

There is not a day that goes by that I don’t get sexually harassed, at least verbally, on Egyptian streets. Many women face the dilemma of whether driving or riding in cabs safer to get around town, and sadly it is neither. I know as many women who get harassed driving their own cars as women who walk or cab it around town. The unfortunate truth is that NO ONE is above sexual harassment in Egypt; whether young, old, fat, thin, rich, poor, veiled, nikabi, not covered, foreigner, native, Muslim, Christian, atheist, educated, or not, all are equally subject to sexual harassment on any given day. However, I think the poorer you are, or the more time you spend on the streets, the more you will get harassed by sheer math. Thus, the working class women, I think are the ones who get sexually harassed the most on a daily basis. Any women, who travels far from home to work, or works multiple jobs, will spend more time on the streets (whether driving or using public transportation), therefore she is subject to the daily sleazy comments, starring looks, and even ass-grabbed by men of all ages even little kids!

What is the solution?

They are multiple, but first, we have to stop blaming the victim mentality. Many Egyptians believe that it is because women dress “casual” or “sexy,” but simply that is NOT true because Nikabi, and completely covered women get as much harassed too. The rhetoric of accusing the women for “bringing sexual harassment upon herself” by being late on the street is the most ridiculous. I, as a woman, have every single right to be on the street at any given hour of the day just as much as men without being judged or harassed. Let’s remember that women have a right to live just like men, and assumptions based on gender is simply a form of discrimination and sexism.

Rasha Azab Summoned by Military Prosecutor

Journalist and activist Rasha Azab together with Adel Hammouda, editor in chief of Al Fagr Newspaper, have been summoned to appear tomorrow morning 11:00 am in front of the military prosecutor at C28 for publishing an article on military torture cases. Not long ago did the SCAF also summon journalist Hossam El-Hamalawy and TV presenter Reem Maged for criticizing SCAF and espceially Lawa Hamdy Baddeen on Baladna Bel Masry on OnTV.

The Article that Rasha Azab wrote in Al Fagr newspaper discussed the already known testimonies, cases of torture, and military police confrontations of abuse with civilians featured in Tahrir Diaries blog. Rasha was one of the people arrested during the March 9th military police crackdown, here is her testimony:

I am outraged that I find every couple of weeks or days a friend of mine or someone I know is summoned by military prosecutor, arrested, or sentenced for criticizing SCAF or protesting. We had a revolution for freedom of speech and the independence of press; however, nothing have changed. The taboo used to be Mubarak and now it is SCAF. The only way we can challenge this taboo is by breaking it and demand our right to criticize; NO BODY is above accountability especially those in power. The people are the red line and any journalist doing his or her job of exposing the truths about those in power should be rewarded or at least left alone not summoned and harassed!

Since the only thing that is working in this country at the moment is pressure from below, we are planning a stand in support with Rasha Azab and Adel Hammouda tomorrow morning at 10:30 in front of the military prosecutor in Naser City, please join. Let’s remember how Hossam El-Hamalawy was going for an interrogation and the only thing that saved him and turned it into a “chat over coffee” was the media and street pressure that we created. Tomorrow will be the same, we will not give up, we will not back down, Freedom freedom until victory!!

Down with SCAF!

AUC After-Grad Party With a Splash of Sexism

Veiled girls not allowed to AUC after-grad party

As an AUC graduate of the spring class 2011, I am not planning to attend the usual fahkes – lame after graduation party, which immediately brings horrific images from the movie Mean Girls and the plastics. Then, during rehearsal today, I came across this piece of information via Twitter account Ahmed Abulhassan stating that veiled/hijabi girls are not allowed to attend after-grad. EXCUSE ME?!!! After making some phone calls to get to the bottom of who is actually is in charge of this event and especially this policy, I found out what was expected.

As far as I know and what I gathered from fellow AUCians, who normally attend those parties, is that this event is usually put on by AUCians of the graduating class. The party is planned independently from AUC as an institution, other than the name or the fact that it follows an AUC graduation. Usually the graduating class is invited except this time, whoever is in charge chose to exclude veiled girls. WHY?! Are they not pretty enough? Not appropriate for the event?! May tarnish the “cool in crowd” of the sexist/racist ignorant spoiled elitist AUCians, who get to decide who is invited and who is not? Also the hotel where the event is held allows veiled women, no problem, I attended countless weddings there full of veiled women, so it is NOT a hotel policy.

Here is a testimony of a graduating veiled girl, who wrote on Facebook a note about how she feels of being discriminated against. Thank you Menna Adli El Kiey for sharing your thoughts.

After all this digging around, I give you the douchebag of spring class 2011, who is said to be the person in-charge: Mr. I-am-too-Racist-Sexist for my shirt Gamal Kharma.

Here are some Twitter conversations starting with Sara AbdelRahman @Sarrasworld asking if the “rumor” of discrimination is true? Then she was immediately assured that it is a reality and when she asked who organized it, she was answered by Omar Khairy @okhairy88 of the same douche: Gamal Kharma @Gkharma

Please correct me if I am wrong, or if you have any more details about this nightmare of discrimination, do let me and others know. We are suppose to be graduating and celebrating our journey of education, but it seems that some people, who discriminate, need to go to rehab to get over themselves instead of graduate.

To be fair, here is what Mr. Gamal Kharma @Gkharma said this morning …

So you decide if Mr. too-sexist-for-my-shirt is a discriminatory douchebag or not?

If party organizers like him have a right to discriminate, then I also have a right to criticize them and hold them accountable for such behavior.

The private Facebook event is created by several douchebags including: Tamer Banna, Ahmed El-Meligy , Marwan Ziad, Dina Rizkallah Akladios. Anyone who is okay with attending this party that clearly discriminates against veiled girls is a douchebag and sexist in my book and special attention goes to the organizers.

Visualizing the Revolution

This video has been one of the most moving and inspiring visuals that I have played over and over, probably every night, prior to the January 25th revolution. Ever since I came across Nasser Nouri‘s powerful images especially from Mahalla, I became totally inspired. The Mahalla up-rise on April 6th 2008 not only inspired youth movements like April 6, but most importantly it visualized the revolution; gave us hope that it is possible. Three years later and this video could’ve been in Tahrir. Thank you Mahalla, thank you brave Egyptian workers, and thank you Nasser Nouri for making many believe that revolution is possible.