Saturday
Feb192005
More Protests Planned in Egypt
By 
Josh Stacher | Egypt
Josh Stacher | Egypt
I was out last evening and speaking to a dear activist friend, who also is a key organizer for the Egyptian Popular Committee for Change.
We were talking about what was coming up on the Committee's schedule.
On Monday (21st February), The Popular Committee, Movement for Change, and the defunct/frozen Hizb al-Amal (Labor Party) are having a protest/demonstration at Cairo University. This is the third anti-Mubarak protest following the 12 December 04 (Highest Appeals Court, Downtown) and 4 February 05 (Cairo International Book Fair, Madinit Nasr).
Also, there is something planned for when the G-8 meeting convenes in the beginning of March to discuss the "non-foreign interference" version of the Broader Middle East Initiative and Arab Reform. I jokingly explained that I heard and read that US Sec of State Condi Rice was talking about not attending the Cairo proceedings given the ongoing case against Ayman Nor. In a moment filled with disappointment and anger directed at AFP, I was rhetorically asked, "So they think this is just about Ayman, what about the other 20,000 political prisioners?"
I also asked if the coming protests would be organized along the anti-Mubarak theme. I was told that "from here on out, it's all directed at Mubarak."
Things plan to heat up in Cairo. Stay tuned.....
We were talking about what was coming up on the Committee's schedule.
On Monday (21st February), The Popular Committee, Movement for Change, and the defunct/frozen Hizb al-Amal (Labor Party) are having a protest/demonstration at Cairo University. This is the third anti-Mubarak protest following the 12 December 04 (Highest Appeals Court, Downtown) and 4 February 05 (Cairo International Book Fair, Madinit Nasr).
Also, there is something planned for when the G-8 meeting convenes in the beginning of March to discuss the "non-foreign interference" version of the Broader Middle East Initiative and Arab Reform. I jokingly explained that I heard and read that US Sec of State Condi Rice was talking about not attending the Cairo proceedings given the ongoing case against Ayman Nor. In a moment filled with disappointment and anger directed at AFP, I was rhetorically asked, "So they think this is just about Ayman, what about the other 20,000 political prisioners?"
I also asked if the coming protests would be organized along the anti-Mubarak theme. I was told that "from here on out, it's all directed at Mubarak."
Things plan to heat up in Cairo. Stay tuned.....
Reader Comments (14)
Offtopic and breaking good news
"Paradise Now", Hany Abu-Assad has won the "Panorama Audience Award" at Berlin's Bienale. [source German Radio DLF]
http://www.berlinale.de/en/programm/programm_2005/datenblatt.php?film_id=20053181
This afternoon the "official" prices will be anounced and the audience-price makes us hopeful that Abu-Assad can earn an official price, too.
update
Hany Abu-Assad received the Agicoa-price, for the best European film. [That is 3rd place, but the most money for the award.]
Together with the "Panorama Audience Award " very successful with a polical drama about Nablus-folks.
I wish those guys all the best of luck. They're gonna need it!
Do you think that the Nour arrest has generated enough energy to bring a significant number of people on to the streets?
No - I would not wager that Nor's arrest is going to bring peopel out into the streets.
I dont belive in Nour as an alternatibve, I dont think Nour is that popular or can be that popular anyway. Too Elitarian, too Liberal and too Pro American. Its in the Egyptian movement for change "kefaya" that I believe. They are real activists, they are clean, they dare and they are patriots and opposed to American plans for the region. They have an Arab dimensiion and a social dimension....
Thanks to everyone for their views on the Nour-kifaya issues but it makes me angry to see intelligent people equate a pseudo politician like Nour with the brave people of kifaya who have and continue to risk their safety and freedom for a noble cause. I think the Nour arrest has been blown out of proportion. The government made a mistake of course not only by arresting him and failing to justify his arrest, but because it made a HERO out of a silly nobody. Please go back to reading about what has been happening in domestic politics and see where Nour was visible outside his stupid fights with the Wafd party which kicked him out.
I hope I didnt offend anybody but really. ENOUGH!
Gamal, why do you consider the people of Kefaya brave and risking their safety and freedom, while Noor who is in jail right now, not so?! Even if we consider his background silly, I think that his means to make a change were stronger than Kefaya's. And I don't really think that being kicked out by AlWafd party is necessarily something to be taken against him. I greatly respect what the people of Kifaya are doing, but why does that have to be on Noor's account?!
I wont answer for Gamal, but my problem with Nour is that he is right wing and that he is one of these people who think egypt first and egypt last and has no Arab dimension to his agenda whatsoever, and above all that he is a friend of the Americans. And to say the least, I do not trust the Americans nor their Friends. I do belive in Kefaya because they are the opposit of all that and because they are vocal and they form a real new dynamic with alliances between activists from several political spectrums (Marxists, Nasserist and sme moderate Islamists). I think they have also a grass roots aproach which I can only Salute. I think this site have indeed giving too much attention to Nour and not enough attention to the Kefaya movement.
by the way, I am not an Egyptian and no member of Kefaya just in case some of you thought I was doing publicity ;-)
its just my observation.
Your point about Ayman Nour not having Arab leaning is laughable. I am an Egyptian and I don't give a rat's As* about Arabs. In fact I believe the more we distance ourselves from Arabs the better off we are. Look at all these Gulf states: they Arabs; are they not? And who are the biggst friends of the American in the whole region? Why is it OK for the Saudis, Quataris' and others to sell their conutries to the US, but having a decent relationship between Egypt and the US is not OK?
No one is stoping you from selling out. But the honest people of kefaya will not and did not sell out. there platform begins with outlining the dangers facing the Arab Nation and they equate Imperialism with dictatorship. You have the right to say and think what you want but I think I can also say that the really potential for a mass movement for change in Egypt lies within an alliance between Marxists, Nasserists and Islamists of the center trend and thats what kefaya represents. Ang Egypt first and egypt last analysis is as naive as the Lebanon first and lebanon last platform ( Iam lebanese) and all approaches that deny the interdependent reality of the region.
I wish we'd stop labelling political movements/thoughts as honest, noble, honorable, patriotic, etc., and stop discrediting any thought just because its disagreeable to us.
Mo - couldn't agree with you more - it seems if it isn't 'your' opinion, it's corrupt - one of the many reasons why Egyptians aren't ready for democracy maybe?
MM - I agree with you there as well. There IS no Arab unity, and efforts to make one happen are better of stalled until we get our own house in order. You Egyptian? Try applying to a job in the UAE.
I personally have a distaste to Islamists, nasserites and marxists - center right today, extreme right tomorrow - it's a typical rightest ploy (see Torys in the UK for examples) - play the center to win support, then morph agenda to extreme right when in office. I would stay away from policies like this at all costs.
I do belive that being allied with the americans whether in lebanon or in Egypt is destructive for any movement for change. I think that American mperialism today is more agressive than ever, and that it is targeting the whole Arab nation and not only parts of it. It has a project, and its project is that of hegemony and protecting Isreali interest, not that of freedom and democracy.
I do belive in an alliance between Nasserists and Marxists and moderate Islamists. I think these are the real forces of change with a popular potential, and with a grassroots base.
However I do agree that one must be cautious with the Islamists. I do not trust their agenda on long term, but we must also understand that parties like al wassat al jadid and some of the elements in hizb al Amal are real democrats, albeit moslim-democrats.
and finally, I did not mean to show any disrespect for another opinion, and I am sorry if i did exprees myself in a way that insulted anyone. ( I am an Arab so I can express myself in Arabic much better than english obviously). I respect the other opinion but please respect my right of criticizing any opinion like you criticize mine.
regards
Sam