10 years: Defeated but not Dead #Jan25

ُThroughout the last 10 years, with worsening political conditions in Egypt, it became a self-defense mechanism to bottle-down the amount of pain, guilt, anger and constant feeling of injustice as a consequence of every person who ever believed in the ideals and aspirations of the Jan25th Revolution. We are still fighting for the 60,000+ political prisoners including close friends and comrades in the fight, who are paying the ultimate sacrifice in addition to those who died fighting for ever asking for bread, freedom and social equality. We are still fighting in silence and in a parallel Egypt than that is portrayed in state-run media, culture, press, and general sentiment towards what they now call “nakba yanayer” meaning the January “catastrophe.” How did the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to my generation that changed our lives go from the greatest event in recent Egyptian history to our daily nightmare dealing with its consequences of its defeat. It became so difficult to still “celebrate” memories of the Jan25th highlights or small achievements when we are drowning in political prisoners cases of horrible prison conditions, torture, forced-disappearances, death, suicide, exile, ostracized by society, local media, and just mere paranoia amid a global pandemic under a military dictatorship. How do we continue to live under these conditions?

Surviving the 2013 military coup in Egypt is a daily struggle for most Jan25th activists/generation, who are still left with the task and moral obligation to keep fighting for those who are paying the highest sacrifice and price for ever striving for political change in this country just like the 1000s of other Egyptians who did yet we are still somewhat free under daily threat that if we make the “wrong” move in the eye of the state, our fate could be similar. It’s a never ending cycle of repression, fear, erasing history, inciting wider divisions within society that perpetuates fearing the “other,” and consolidating power, counter-revolution at its best. My choices, and choices of others like me, whoever took part in this revolution, I believe, are the biggest testament or measure to what happened or what has been achieved since Jan25th uprising.

Photo By Jonas Fredwall Karlsson 2011, Tahrir Square, Cairo.

Revolutionary change is a process and takes a long time for their outcome to be tangible, we might not know the real benefit and losses of Jan25 for years to come. The January 25th revolution opened so many doors to progressive ideals that were either forbidden or widely unaccepted by society. In areas of culture, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, and the general sentiment that people have the power to take down a president by the power of the people peacefully protesting, striking and using their position within society to bring about political change, that it is possible, are some areas where the uprising was a catalyst for change. The revolution smashed doors and broke barriers of fear. People might not be demanding change right now because they are content or afraid, but both the state and the people know that it is possible to bring change through the streets and now the state is feared by the people and vice versa. This is what governs our daily life. Because the state is so afraid of a repeat of the “January 25th events” as they like to call it trying to erase history (it is still celebrated as police day and not a revolution), they have completely closed off any opening for any opportunity that could or might lead to anything close to social mobilization or a serious political opposition. The laws are harsher, impossible for assembly or to allow any type of opposition of any kind in any area of life not just politically, the cost is so high and for what will come out of it all?

Change happens when the masses are no longer content with the status quo and have nothing more to lose, fertile conditions for change are present (accumulation of mobilization, an event that sparks movements like Khalid Said or event in the region like the Tunisian Rev) and a fight in leadership or those who are in power (the Gamal Mubarak project which was rejected by many of the old guard). Those were three main factors that led to the January uprising in the first place, and if we look today if these same factors are applicable or not and I can say with confident as a person who lived in Egypt all those 10 years and witnessed first hand what it is that we are going through, none of those factors are here 10 years later.

The leadership at the top is in full power and there are no major divisions within the ruling class, there is nothing happening politically that would spark any social unrest, people are no longer confident in change through the streets. The issues that Jan25 tried to challenge still haven’t been fixed. We still see police brutality more than ever before, poverty is still a major national crisis, inflation and minimum wage has not improved. Egypt had to borrow a lot of money from the Gulf, IMF and World Bank to build back the economy that looks like it’s improving on the surface, but we are being drowning in un-payable debt. Rights of minorities is still in question if they are better off today than before while the threat of extremists is still looming especially in Sinai. Counter-revolution is in full control, and there is almost no light at the end of the tunnel; however, I am still hopeful not because I am romantic or nostalgic about Jan25th ideals, but because the situation and level of oppression in Egypt is politically, socially, and economically unsustainable.

Our test will be in the next time the masses will reject the new status quo, and I believe that we are still years away from anything happening in Egypt simply because those factors that lead to Jan25 do not exist anymore and until they do, we will remain in the daily struggle of existence under a military dictatorship, where the revolution is dead and it is only alive within those who lived it. Existence is resistance and self-preservation is our quest so we may do better next time and learn from the many lessons of defeat. We are defeated but we are not dead, we are depleted, but we are not finished, we live to tell the stories of triumph and struggles, we live to learn the lessons that power of the people is more powerful than people in power. We tell the story for once, achieving what seemed impossible and made it possible.

Mubarak was removed by the power of the people, not by facebook, not by just people in Tahrir square, not by bloggers and tech savvy activists like me, but by the 1000s of ordinary Egyptians who took to the streets and went on strike in their factories that pushed the military to sacrifice Mubarak for a better Egypt. Mubarak was removed, faced little in consequences, but he didn’t continue to rule, his sons never came into power. Mubarak is dead, his legacy will be forever tarnished by our actions that exposed him to the world and ultimately placed him in the trash bin of history next to Ben Ali, Gaddafi, Ali Abdullah Saleh. Even though he didn’t pay much for his crimes in terms of legal consequences, just seeing the king dethroned is a lesson for every oppressed person out there to know that it is possible when they tell you it’s impossible.

The lessons out of the Egyptian revolution are many and we see how its mechanisms and tools still inspire change throughout the world. Toppling every Mubarak is an idea and ideas are tested with time, 10 years after toppling Mubarak, we have learned that no matter how long injustice may rule, one moment is possible, toppling injustice with peaceful resistance is the ultimate beacon of hope to all the oppressed around the world. Movements evolve and we learn from each other. The Egyptian revolution is a lesson for many people around the world to study and build upon, so we do better next time. We are the light and we will keep on shining it with our lives to inspire change, freedom, civil direct democracy and equality for all. 

You can always check my photography from the 18 days and beyond here

Mubarak’s Release is No Suprise

Mubarak’s release is one of many police officers and criminals already freed under both SCAF and Morsy. The judicial system in Egypt isn’t apolitical, there is no neutrality here; what would one expect Mubarak’s men and system trying Mubarak do?
On the other hand, Morsy’s idea of ‘change’ in the judiciary during his one year of power was replacing Mubarak’s men with his own under the same corruption, but serving MB’s interest instead of the old regime.
Now, with Sisi’s counter-revolutionary mandate, it is clear that the release of Mubarak is the beginning of many old-regime comebacks; emergency law is only the tip of the iceberg.
The conditions under which Mubarak was released; curfew, emergency law, Sisi’s mandate ‘to fight terrorism’ are all not a coincident to the timing for Mubarak’s release even if he was eventually going to be found ‘not guilty’ and released in this monkey trial.
This is more of a proof that we are facing a counter-revolutionary mandate for the return of the old regime. While the very guilty Muslim Brothers are used as scapegoats, the criminal SCAF is leading counter-revolution smartly and viciously.

Mubarak, Tantawy, Morsy, Sisi; your day will come and revolutionary justice will be served!

The people will make justice

2012: The Year of Persistence

Ever since last January when millions took to the streets celebrating one year anniversary past the revolution following deadly clashes in the winter of 2011 and the continuation of iron-fist SCAF rule, and the people have never stopped a day believing in the revolution. We continued despite all the mishaps, weaknesses, and continuous repressions.

In February, after the Portsaid massacre, people turned to the streets to remind every official that the blood of our brothers will not go in vain and retribution must be delivered. We will fight for freedom & retribution until the last drop of blood in the last person of us. Ever since, football has been put on hold until justice is obtained. I lost an AUC friend in Portsaid, Mogrem, I will never forget your beautiful face, or your loud chants, and your revolutionary spirit, may they all rest in peace.

During the presidential elections mess, people chose against the flool, people didn’t fall in the trap of Shafique bringing counter-revolution on in full force so bluntly. Even though we are not in a much better position now, but I still believe that the best thing that has happened in the presidential elections mess was for Shafique to lose and for Ikhwan to finally be in power so people can get disillusioned about Ikhwan ways and their true ugly face show, which many back then, more than now, believed that they are “God’s people, they will be good.” Yeah! Try to tell that now to an average man on the street, you most possibly will get hit in the face with a rock. This would not have happened any other way than Ikhwan coming into power, and they are so bad at it that it is good for us; less and less people will choose Ikhwan as the revolution matures (they already have compared to parliamentary votes) and the Ikhwan have hit record-breaking low in just 6 months! Imagine how 2013 will be like? I am very hopeful.

Ever since Morsy came to power, the 100 days have passed, all promises were not fulfilled, and the people started rising again. Neoliberal economic policies such as the IMF loan and the World Bank are all signs that Morsy is Mubarak just with a beard, and prays a lot. Since the Mohamed Mahmoud clashes II and the streets have not been still. The loss of Jika, a young man who voted for Morsy, killed by Morsy’s men (police) only few months later, and nothing has been delivered in return; no prosecution, no investigation, nothing. Despite all this people are still revolting and persistent on continuing the revolution.

In November and December, we were dealing with a full force dictatorship with Morsy having more powers than Superman himself; judicial, executive, and legislative in addition to the 1000s of Ikhwan militias who are ready with a push of a button to go, kill, rape, torture, detain, besiege, or beat anyone they are ordered to attack like what happened on the deadly night at the presidential palace on 4 December 2012. We were force fed a dictatorial constitutional declaration, an unrepresentative illegal constitutional assembly, and a referendum in two weeks when millions of Egyptians on the streets and square all across Egypt protesting all these violations and on the eve of a deadly massacre on the brink of civil war between pro-Morsy supporters (Ikhwan & Salafies) and literally everybody else (liberals, leftists, independents, flool, secularists, Christians, all minorities, workers, and even children!).

Despite all this, we, the people, are applying all the pressure in our hands to object, protest, and revolt against this dictatorship and continuing the revolution until all of our demands are met; bread freedom, social equality. The persistence of the Egyptian people to gain what they revolted for inspires the living hell out of anyone watching Egypt closely, and is feeding into it more strength and hope like never before. I believe that we can and we will achieve those goals, but the road is very steep and long. It reminds me when I used to run cross country, when you know that the coming hill will last for a while and you can no longer feel your legs, but you know that you have to climb it and pass it to reach the peek and then go into free falling limbs lingering downhill so effortlessly and beautifully knowing that, yes, you made it at last.

Morsy is fat in every way, fat in fortune, fat in lies, fat in body, fat in powers, fat in weaknesses, and he grabs his male parts on TV, on the other hand; the revolution is young and persistent, when the two face each other, you know who will win in the end. As dark as these days may seem with possible “bankruptcy,” dictatorial overrule in all ministries and branches of governments, soaring prices and Egyptian pound taking a nose dive, I am still hopeful because I have no doubt that the people will not stand still, we will not accept, we will fight, we will persist on revolting , and we will win because we have given so much to give up now.

Revolution continues with persistence!
Happy New Year

Elections under play

When I would get ready to attend a protest before the revolution, my father would tell me, “nothing will ever change, Mubarak and his regime will stay the same forever, you are just wasting your energy and risking your life for nothing.” I would respond, “every little demonstration is a stepping stone in a long-term process called a revolution that will end this regime.” I still believe that every mobilization is an essential piece of the puzzle to topple the regime.  The revolution started and without one single group leading it, we managed to kick it off. What will take to achieve the revolution’s goals is another important question that we must start answering. We, revolutionaries, spent a year and half boiling our energy in reaction, in mobilizing to achieve the goals we set out on 25 January 201, yet only few things have been achieved. One sure gain is that Mubarak is out, put on trial, and now in Tora prison facing a life sentence. Even though nothing less than death to the dictator would have satisfied my anger, I can’t say that I am not happy to see him suffer his last days in a prison hospital.  As for the rest of the murderers who are free, their day shall come when they will suffer just like they tortured many Egyptians.

Elections are finally finishing up with major expected disappointments and setbacks on the political road to “democracy.” I never expected any elections under military rule to achieve any results satisfying the revolution. Elections engineered and constructed by SCAF (Supreme Council for Armed Forces) can never produce revolutionary or even reformist accomplishments, only will result outcomes that would suit counter-revolution and its allies. History tells us too soon of elections are always used to bury revolutions. We are not the first by any means. Whether Romania, Chile, Portugal, or Bolivia, we can draw parallel where military junta institutionalized militarization and strengthened counter-revolution. We can go back and assess where “we went wrong” or where we could have done better, but one thing is clear, elections were inevitable since the regime is still in place since 1952.  Sooner or later elections would have happened, conducted by the same old regime, benefiting the organized groups sufficient enough to run and win elections. In the case of Egypt; the Muslim Brotherhood and the National Democratic Party (the regime’s political arm).

The truth is the revolution has no machine, no organized group, no political party sufficient enough to adopt the revolution’s goals and capable of fighting the two most organized and biggest threatening machines to the revolution, the NDP & MB and SCAF. This is partially our fault yet partially out of our control for the many decades we were politically silenced under Mubarak. Many of the revolutionaries got politicized with the revolution or slightly prior to the revolution giving a major lead to the organized groups already existing under the repressive regime.  This explains the great success of Islamists in parliamentary elections and in the first round of presidential elections despite their decreasing popularity on Egyptian streets due to their reactionary and opportunistic agenda that clearly contradicts with revolutionary goals.

What is to be done? We organize. Aside from fighting for civil liberties, constitution that reflects revolution principles, and for ending military authority in daily life, we must build our alternative power, our machine that will and can topple this regime once and for all.  As a revolutionary socialist, I believe that the only group of society that has the power to topple this dictatorship is the workers.  We must organize the working class. For this revolution, it is a matter of success or defeat. When I am talking about the working class, I am not only referring to the traditional blue collar worker at a factory, but I am referencing anyone who sells his or her hours to earn a wage. This includes doctors, teachers, public and private employees, those who have the power to put the country at a halt like the last 3 days of the 18 days in the revolution. The workers were the final bullet in Mubarak’s chest, and are the only ones who can finish off SCAF.

The Festival of Flool #EgyElections

During the Egyptian Circus represented as “The First Democratic Presidential Election in the Arab Word,” which is untrue by the way, the first was in Mauritania in 2008, you will encounter the funniest and most creative ways people have used to expose the flool (figures from the Mubarak regime) candidates in attempt to prevent them from being “elected.” As many people have zero hope in this fake-democracy packaged in a ballot box, Egyptian people have always resorted to humor to make a point in a time of desperate need for counter-media.

The wide range of mediums used to expose the most popular flool Shafik and Mousa beside the “Spare,” also known as Ikhwan’s 2nd choice Morsy, are photos, cartoons, songs, YouTube videos, and my favorite graffiti

Exhibition A: The “Spare” Mohamed Morsy of the Ikhwan, who came as a second choice after business tycoon Al Shater was disqualified.

Morsy is your “Spare” president, the puppet of Ikhwan

  Morsy as a “Spare” LOL

Exhibition B: “The Pullover is Not Over” represented in Ahmed Shafik, the luckiest last prime minister Mubarak appoints before enjoying a 5 stars stay at a 5 stars hospital. He is the funniest and easiest to make fun of and expose. Every time he speaks, I feel like comedy movies could be drafted. His posters almost every where have been either ripped or flool written all over them, but my favorite is the flool song and graffiti.

Graffiti stencil saying “Vote for Shafik for an even bloodier camels battle” referring to Shafik’s presence in Mubarak’s cabinet during the bloody 2 Feb 2011

This is mimicking the famous Om Kalthoum song saying that the East build civilizations where Shafik built the airport himself on his own.

Shafik flool and Zionist

Exhibition C: “Mr. X” represented in the most obvious flool, the candidate of all elite in Egypt including Sawiras and I am sure if USA and Israel had a love child, it would be Moussa with a smaller frog face. He has received the most anti-flool propaganda. It is a tie between Shafik and Mousa, but since Mousa is more likely to succeed so the concentration is more when it comes to the obvious level of floolness.

Mousa flooling around back in the day

Cartoon by Ashraf Omar depicting Mosa looking in the mirror trying to convince himself he is not flool.

“The students of Mubarak can not be president, no flool”

It will be “kossa” a term meaning zucchini, but usually means rigged

This video can not be translated because the humor is just too relevant to Egyptian slang that it wouldn’t make sense in English but trust me, it is the funniest thing !!

January Flashback

 

 

These days last year, we were running from city to city protesting sectarian strife post the deadly bombing of Alexandria church 20 minutes into the new year. We chanted death to Habib El Adly, we demanded justice and to hold those in power accountable for not protecting churches, and repressing us for asking for our dignity and equality. While crackdowns on Tunisian revolutionaries were taking place, activists in Egypt were watching closely hoping for victory for what was known then as the #Sidibouzid up-rise. As fellow Arabs calling for freedom, we stood in solidarity with Tunisians in their fight hoping the domino effect would hit us soon and save us from our dictatorship misery. On January 2nd, we called for a stand with candles in Talaat Harb sq in solidarity with Tunisians that soon enough turned into a protest against police and sectarianism. The stand was held by only tens of supporters and was shortly raided by state police, telling us no one can stand here, four of my friends got arrested while Ramy Raoof and I ran down on Talaat Harb st escaping police after my phone was almost broken by a police officer when I was trying to take a video.

 

 

 

We regrouped with more supporters on the way, and we marched down the streets of Talaat Harb chanting “To Mohamed tell Bolus, tomorrow Egypt will be Tunisia,” a chant that combined Muslim and Christian unity in the face of sectarianism for a better free Egypt in support of the Tunisian revolution. We marched down Ramsis st and immediately we were met by hundreds of riot police, and finally cordoned for nearly 8 hours without anyone allowed in or out of the cordon for any reason.

 

 

Along with Mona Seif, Ramy Raoof, Haitham Mohamedain, Aida Seif, and many other brave souls, we stood there chanting, tweeting, never giving up, and telling those officers, “Tomorrow when the revolution comes, it will put you in prison.” The night ended, we went home, and protested again in Shubra in solidarity with our Christian brothers & sisters at El Massara church sit-in, where I also was cordoned for nearly 10 hours by riot police while thousands clashed with police on Shubra st.

 

January 7^th, the Coptic Christian holiday, was spent differently. Muslims and non-Muslims went to form human chains around churches on midnight for Christians to have a safe mass. Later that day, we stood in black with candles on Kasr El Nile bridge mourning the loss of our Christian brothers and sisters from the Alexandria church bombing.

A year later to think that we had multiple churches attacks, whether in Imbaba in April or Aswan in October, post a revolution that happened only weeks after the kind of solidarity & unity shown post Alexandria church bombing is incomprehensible, but explainable. It is explainable by one reason and one reason only because the regime is still alive and kicking. The people STILL demand the removal of regime. Sectarian strife has been one of the many tools used by the regime to divide and rule people, so it is not a surprise that attacks against minorities do still happen, but unfortunately, they happen at a greater loss and more viciously.

 

 

Who can ever forget that the same army who is supposed to protect its civilians could run-over Christians with military tanks? The loss of Mina Daniel and others makes you wonder at what cost will we win this revolution? The answer is clear and seen everyday and in every revolutionary’s eyes in Tahrir willing to die for Egypt to live.

I have no doubt that with this kind of support, courage, and bravery, we will free Egypt from SCAF, which is the same regime that killed and repressed us since 1952. This year, the year of freedom, as I am calling it, will be different and it already has since we started the year celebrating in Tahrir, Muslims & Christians, hand in hand against SCAF. Welcome 2012…

EgyWorkers Against Privatization

EgyWorkers from companies that were privatized under Mubarak’s regime staged a protest during their court case calling to return these companies back to the public sector. I spoke mostly with workers from Ghazl Shebin, where 1000s of jobs were lost their jobs and 1000s of money stolen in this corrupted privatization process. The workers are demanding all companies to be nationalized since contract conditions were violated. The case was postponed to September 11th.

About Ghazl Shebin Textile Company

Ghazl Shebin textile company was privatized under the authority of the ex-minister of investment Mahmoud Mohieldin in 2006 to Indorama Corporation, for 122| million EGP. This Textile company of 5700 workers used to be one of the leading exporting textile factories to Europe with net profit of 9 million EGP in 2005-2006 alone, and the main competitor to Indorama Corporation. With the help of Nazif’s cabinet including Youssef Bourtros Ghali (ex-finance minister), Osman Mohamed Osman (ex-economy development minister), Rashid Mohamed Rashid (ex- business & industry minister), Farouk Okda (ex- head of central bank), and Esha Abdel Hady (ex-labor force minister), the factory now has 1200 workers.

The working conditions have deteriorated tremendously in addition to the thousands of workers that were laid off with no compensation. Some of the workers that have been hired back are hired under very strict contracts, where they are fired every year for 2 months and hired back so the employer can avoid paying pensions & benefits to the workers.

The amount of corruption that goes into this so called “privatization” process is unacceptable. Privatization here literally means the stealing of the hard-working Egyptian workers’ money. What “privatization” good will it do to the people who don’t have jobs and those who are being deliberately exploited for the money-hungry businessmen & politicians? A7aaaa!

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To Mubarak, with Love..Fuck You!

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