Egypt first became independent in 1952 when the Egyptian military finally got strong enough to oust the British occupation.
Nasser, Sadat, and Mubarek were all military men and voted in by the military. Hard to explain the system here. There’s a
parliament, senators, etc. and that balances things. So far the demonstrators have been controlled by the police. The police
have tried to protect people first and foremost, and it is against the law for demonstrators to smash cars and shops, etc. So
they were out there to protect people and property. Once violence started and people got killed (a policeman was the first
to be killed and it was horrible because they are just regular people, its just their job), anyway, once violence started and
personal property started to be destroyed, the police had to get 'stronger'. They reacted.
Demonstrations are allowed here, but after the deaths and property damage, the military said ‘no more’ and stepped in. Yet
the demonstrations continued all night Tuesday and every day since the start on Tuesday (which ironically was a national
holiday called “Police Day” honoring the massacre of police by the British 55 years ago or so). The people who organized
the demonstration on Police Day re-named it the Day of Anger and it was all over Twitter and Facebook a week or so in
advance because they knew everyone would have the day off and could participate. Now, Friday is supposed to have the
biggest gathering of demonstrators. Friday is everybody’s day off, so more people will be able to be involved if they chose
to do so. The Imam (or Grand Mufti) of Al Ahzar, sort of like the Pope is to Catholics, is excellent. He’s always encouraging
peace and is friends with the Coptic Christian’s Pope here. Hopefully he will make a statement to tell all the smaller imams
who head the thousands of mosques here to encourage the people to stop, but there will be exceptions in certain areas,
renegade Imams where Muslim Brotherhood congregate. So, after noon prayers on Friday, the imams give a sermon.
Hopefully these sermons will be encouraging peace and responsibility. When the millions come out of the mosques, then
we shall see the outcome of all this. It could possibly fizzle out, or, it could end up the biggest demonstration ever and the
military may have to be called in with tanks and everything.
"Police Day" turns into "Day of Anger" (my first posting right after Tuesday, Jan. 25--the first day of demonstrations)
My second posting after being given 2 moltof cocktails and a policeman's club (after all the criminals escaped from
prison and looting began)
The military came by a few days ago and organized our neighborhood into a 'neighborhood' watch type of thing to protect
ourselves. I'm the proud owner of 2 moltov cocktails and a billyclub/police stick. I live on the island of Zamelek so that is
good. Except that the people have crossed the bridges to get to Tahrir square and a few criminals jumped over to our area
to try to loot. So far we've stopped them. I got film from my window of gangs across the Nile barging the police station and
letting out criminals. The police fought back with tear gas but lost the battle. Our apartment became filled with tear
gas--awful stuff.
The people in my neighborhood and my neighbors love me (and I love them). They've brought chickens, rice, bread, and
water. I can last about 2 weeks. I cannot leave as no matter what the news is reporting, the airport is basically closed. I'm
stuck here until the demonstrators stop. Plus, with the internet down, banks, and all businesses closed including airline
offices, I have no way to get a ticket. I'd rather hunker down in my apartment than sit at the airport without a ticket for
weeks. You are not even allowed into the lobby unless you have a ticket. I have some money, but never have been one to
keep large amounts at my home, so I need the money machines, which were broken into right away and shut down. Banks
are closed, some broken into and money stolen.
Now this nonsense about the "pro" Mubareks. Most of the people who did not participate in the demonstrations were happy
at what Mubarek said in his speech and wanted the opposition parties to get together and start planning new elections,
When this didn't happen, people started getting upset, they were out of food, couldn't cash their pension checks, couldn't
get their paychecks, etc. so they hit the streets in an attempt to talk the demonstrators to get off the streets and start the
"change". The clashes that started are unknown. Some people think the shots fired and the violence was started by the
Muslim Brotherhood to make Mubarak look even worse and to keep the unrest. I know for a fact that the so called 'pro'
Mubareks just want the demonstrations to stop and the free elections to start, even Essam went to try to talk to people to
stop and he was punched. He didn't want violence so he left. The so-called "Pro" Mubareks became afraid to go and
represent their voice.
The horses and camels that arrived in Tahrir came all the way from the Pyramids area--a 45 minute drive when there is no
traffic--a long way. They came because they are losing their daily livelihood as long as these people stay on the streets. So
these 'pro' Mubareks are being portrayed as the bad guys when they are just regular people trying to get back to normal. I
have friends in the Pyramids area, I not only lived there for a while but I used to ride horses every night at sunset for over a
year and really got to know the locals. They have told me that everyone is starving there and angry and want the
demonstrators to stop and start the new negotiations and elections. The most angry ones organized the race on horseback
to Tahrir. The Pyramids have been closed and shut down to tourists, so the area is starving from lack of tourists.
I'm safe for now. I have people protecting me, people I trust with all my heart and soul. Egyptians are normally a totally non
violent, peace loving people.
New Posting: American media is doing a biased portrayal of what's going on--the so-called
"pro" Mubaraks are not the violent ones!
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I've been watching BBC, CNN and others and they are all presenting this totally wrong and extremely one sided. First of all,
some of you have asked me about the embassy vans that hit people in the street, all embassy vans and cars were stolen
days before they crashed through the crowd, they were NOT driven by Americans or people from the embassy, but were
driven by whoever stole the vehicles.
Mubarek is not the bad guy they are making him out to be. I cannot list the wonderful things he's tried to do. He's opened up
areas of Egypt and made new cities, complete with everything anyone could want including JOBS, but the average Egyptian
won't leave 'the family home'. They've been offered FREE homes, or homes extremely discounted or at 0% mortgages.
They have been offered free land if they would just get out of the city--just an hour drive away—because the city is
overcrowded and there are limited opportunities in a city of over 20 million. It would take a long time for me to tell you all
the good programs, hospitals, children's free hospitals, etc that he has started. He's promoted foreign investors because
any new big business here hires young Egyptians just out of university. I have witnessed these changes myself and know
people that have gotten good jobs from these new businesses. But big changes take time. Look at America. Obama can’t
fix things over night. And the world economy is bad and it trickles down and affects other countries. So there is that battle
here, too. So improvement does not happen quickly. Yes, its time for Mubarak to leave, but he is no criminal. He is no
Sadam Hussein.
He has not committed war crimes. He’s a military man and not the police—a totally separate system. Yes, the police have
done some bad things, but any policeman can get out of control, look at the L.A. police violence--do you think the president
of the U.S. told the L.A. police to be violent? No, most police here are good, but some have definitely gotten out of hand. But
that can’t be completely blamed on Mubarek, he does not condone that. I have friends in the police department and they are
not run by Mubarek. And they are sweet guys that are just out there trying to keep 20 million people safe and keep the
streets organized and safe (many are just traffic cops).
If it was not for Mubarek there would be NO peace in the region. He has single handedly kept peace with Israel for 30 years
and kept Islamists from attacking Israel, does none of this count? Believe me, the people that escaped from the prisons
here this last week were Muslim Brotherhood, and worse. He put them in prison because they were heads of well known
terrorist cells. Now they are out. He’s done a good job keeping Egypt from becoming Islamic extreme and free from
terrorist cells.
Many Egyptians right now, including everyone in my neighborhood, my friends’ neighborhoods, and even my husband are
being called 'pro' Mubaraks as if its some horrible violent thing to be, but we are not for the old regime, we, too, want reform
and free elections and Mubarek to leave in September, but we need him right now during the transition or the Islamists WILL
take over--they are very organized. They are the ONLY opposition party that is organized. Very organized. The people in
Tahrir Square at night after the curfew are mostly very young people with NO plan. They need to get off the street and let
the opposition parties get together and talk and plan free elections. This will take time and Mubarek needs to stay in power--
in the background, while this happens. To have no leader at this moment would be disaster.
The "pro' Mubaraks are being made to look violent or something--we are not--
But now we are the ones who are not being heard or allowed to talk or speak out or even demonstrate! I don't know who did
the violence and made it look like 'pro' Mubaraks, but it was not the so called ‘pro’ Mubaraks. My guess is that it was the
brotherhood. We were trying to talk the demonstrators to get off the streets and let people go back to work and make a
living. All those businesses downtown are completely shut down and all those employees are now unemployed and unpaid
and hungry. People are not getting their paychecks, they can't go to work, etc. The banks have been closed for 11 days
(and the cash machines, too). The 'pro' Mubaraks were trying to talk sense into the spoiled young demonstrators with their
blackberrries, laptops and CARS (the average Egyptian does not have these things). The bulk of the demonstrators don't
know the repercussions they have started because they are young and started this whole thing with chatroom talk on
Twitter and Facebook with no plans or after thought other than a day of demonstration. Eleven days of demonstrations are
just too much.
The Muslim Brotherhood is the ONLY opposition party that is totally organized and ready to seize power. Don’t forget it was
the Muslim Brotherhood that assassinated Anwar Sadat. The only Islamic leader who has made peace with Israel. Mubarak
took his place and has kept peace with Israel and convinced neighbors in the region to not do anything against Israel. Iran is
a ticking tomb bomb and thrilled about this unrest here. A lot of Iranians have entered the country this last week. Why?
The people staying out all night are not are not your ‘average’ Egyptian, they are young people. I talked to 3 young girls who
were walking back this morning after being out all night in Tahrir and they said it was so much “fun”. They were giggling
and excited. They told me they love being able to stay out all night with their boyfriends. They danced and sang and had a
blast. Don’t forget, although I am totally for change here, it was young people on twitter and facebook who started this
whole thing. None of them had a plan other than to demonstrate. They had no plan for who should lead the country or
takeover if they ousted Mubarak, no plan for which opposition party, etc. to lead the country and keep it functioning. Never
did they discuss what might happen if Egypt’s borders were not safe, nor what would happen to the economy if Egypt
stopped functioning. Their original day of demonstration on the 25th started something that they had not planned for nor
even gave any thought to. Now the ball is rolling--good, great, but you can’t leave a country as strategic as this one without
solid leadership. Right now you have ALL of the prisons empty. All of the Hamas, Hizbullah, el Queda cells, and every
Muslim Brotherhood member who was caught planning terroristic type operations are now out on the street.
Please, don’t believe everything you hear on the news. I am totally for a new government and free elections and so is
everyone I know, but most of us are not being heard at all and are being condemned as violent and are being ostracized and
not even allowed on the street. We are terrified to go out on the street because we are harassed and searched as if we are
the bad guys. Gads, we are not the bad guys. We just want the free elections to start getting organized and get the
demonstrators off the street so people can go back to work. This ‘bad’ situation is partly because of what is being portrayed
on the news. Be careful of what you believe on the news. Be open minded, please.
One last thing, many times I have wished I had Egyptian citizenship. I would love to have 5 free hectors of land on the Nile
given to me with a 0% interest loan to build a home there. Over the years when I was a student at the American University
in Cairo I asked fellow students why they were not taking advantage of these opportunities, their answer: “I want to live by
my parents”. Egyptians are still very clannish and tribal, and most still marry their first cousins, something I find quaint and
I like the tightness of familyhood, but they have turned down wonderful opportunities. Mubarak has tried many various
things that have failed. He is not the bad guy the media is portraying. Yes, he needs to go, but not right now. Not until some
sort of plan is put into place and free elections are organized. The main problems arise in the two big cities of Cairo and
Alexandria because they are over crowded. People need to move out of the city where Mubarak has created opportunities.
Has anyone seen my documentary clips on my website? Those are the average Egyptian people. Not the young people
with blackberries, laptops and their own cars (when they should be sharing rides with other to lessen the pollution).
Some of you have also mentioned that the crowds look ‘western’, dressed in regular shirts, jeans, etc. Well, let me tell
you, normally they are not. Normally it’s a mix. Let me give you an example. The neighborhood where I live is
considered ‘upscale’ because foreigners live here and there are a lot of embassies in the area, yet 80% of my area is
inhabited by regular Egyptians. They originally came from various villages all over Egypt. During the 80’s Cairo was
booming and there were lots of jobs and millions came thinking they could make a lot of money. But the jobs went fast
but most stayed in the city anyway.
Most Egyptians in my area wear galabeyas, not western clothes. They work as doormen, delivery people, they wash
cars, the women clean apartments, some sell fresh vegetables from their connections from their old villages where they
used to live. There’s this one sweet old fellow who is deaf and dumb (yet he has 4 wives if you can believe it!) and he
makes his living standing in the street opening taxi doors for people (like me) hoping we will give him a few pounds
(which I do). The Egyptians in my ‘upscale’ neighborhood that are doing better off work for various businesses, offices,
pharmacies, etc. and they do wear western clothes. The young girls wear the long sleeve, tunic-like dress that goes to
the knees and wear skirts or pants underneath the tunic and most wear headscarves. This is in my area, an ‘upscale’
area. My point is that the average Egyptian is not what they are showing on t.v.
Before I bought an apartment here I rented in many various locations all over Cairo, so I know and have lived in most all
of the areas of great Cairo. They are for the most part, all the same except for a couple of neighborhoods where there
are a lot of drugs, hence, you find greater poverty.
In the neighborhood where my husband is from, where the majority of his family lives, they, too, wear galabeyas and
some (mostly the young men) where western clothes (but not the older men—they continue to wear the galabeya of
their original village. Women wear galabeyas and headscarves and girls wear either galabeya and headscarf or the tunic
thing). Although most have lived in Cairo for years now, they still have a “village” that their relatives originally came
from. When someone important comes from their village to visit, they sprinkle sand on the entrance way or stairs of the
apartment building as a “welcome”. People here are still very, very old fashioned, clannish and tribal in many ways. So
there is a real clash of culture here. You have the young, with their cell phones, laptops (and many have cars of their
own--when they don’t really need one—I don’t even have one) and then you have the older folks, the parents and
grandparents who sort of stick to the old ways.
When I was a student at the American University in Cairo most of my fellow students came from ‘villages’. Yes, there
were some from wealthy families, too, who did not come from villages and many even lived in Europe and have
returned to Egypt, but my point is the ‘average’ Egyptian is not originally from Cairo. When I was working for the
Ministry of Culture, my research assistant lived in a village. During the week he came to the city and wore western
clothes but on weekends returned to his village and immediately put on his galabeya. I know this because I went to
several weddings at his village and spent time with his family. The ‘galabeya’ is not my point here, so do not
misunderstand. I’m saying that the way Egyptians look and the way they are being portrayed on t.v. is misleading and
confusing and skips many of the issues in this complicated society.
Members of the Islamic Brotherhood wear a uniform of sorts. They wear short, white galabeyas just below their knees
(instead of the usual length which goes to the ankles) and most of the super fundamentalists, hard core Muslim
Brotherhood wear beards. Regular Egyptians, the non-Islamic Brotherhood do not wear beards. Since Pharaonic times,
Egyptians are clean shaven and do not like “hair” (other than the ‘fake’ beard of the Pharaoh). Have you ever seen
pictures of ancient Egyptians compared to the Mesopotamians? The Egyptians are clean shaven and the
Mesopotamians have beards. It just been a long tradition to remove hair here. Yes, some wear mustaches, or little chin
growth (gotee—but its very different that the Muslim Brotherhood’s long beard.
I look at t.v. and the crowds in Tahrir and I see many long beards, but they have removed the short white galabeya and
are wearing western clothing for the demonstrations. Why? Think about it.
Every year my husband and I go to the annual book fair. It is enormous with about 50 super large warehouse style
buildings full of books. The books are mostly in Arabic, but there are buildings housing English books, French, German,
etc. It is a big annual event. Suzzanne Mubarak has been promoting literacy and reading for years. The fair gets bigger
every year. But the last few years have been alarming to both my husband and I because of the growing amount of
buildings that are full of Fundamentalist and hard core extremist books. We’ve walked in to some of these buildings and
found ourselves amongst thousands of Islamic Brotherhoods wearing the short, white galabeya and beards. Now, again,
I wonder why the Fundamentalists are showing themselves on t.v. wearing western clothes? Odd. When usually they
wear their standard short galabeya uniform.
Most of you probably saw that news video when the so called ‘pro’ Mubareks arrived in Tahrir and they hugged the anti-
Mubareks and it was a wonderful moment. Then seconds later there was chaos and violence. Personally, I do not think
the violence was started by the so called ‘pro’ Mubareks. They did not go there for violence or confrontation. I truly
wonder who was behind the violence that erupted. I have been talking to as many people as possible in areas all over
greater Cairo and no one “pro” Mubarak is violent, wants violence, nor has any desire other than ‘moving on’ and getting
the changes started, the demonstrating to stop and to start up business and banks and life again while the changes are
organized.
I just saw a leader of the Brotherhood interviewed on t.v. moments ago (that’s what prompted this posting) and when he
was asked whether all religions in Egypt would be respected (allowed), he said “sure”. That, my friends is baloney. That
is a blatant lie. All of my Coptic Christian friends here are very persecuted. And often harassed. I’ve seen it myself and I
have even experienced it myself. I’ve been kicked out of taxi’s when they’ve asked me if I’m Muslim and I’ve said “no, I’
m Christian”. Believe me, that particular leader that was interviewed on t.v. was lying. When I hail a taxi these days, for
over a year or so now, if I see the driver has a beard, I wave him on. I don’t want him.
My point? Most of the people I see interviewed on the news are “experts” of some sort spouting out their opinions but it
doesn’t even seem like they’ve ever even been to Egypt. They don’t even know the people, the culture, their values, or
even what they normally wear or where they came from or what their beliefs are or what their lifestyle is like. In my
research I have traveled all over Egypt again and again. I’ve seen all the regions and all the various people living in
those regions. Cairo and Alexandria are big cities. People left their villages hoping for better paying jobs but found
unemployment in those big cities. Mubarek has created several suburbs and what are being called ‘satellite cities’
complete with apartment housing, buildings for shops, etc. Those suburbs are empty. Hundreds of apartment
buildings—empty. This situation is much more complicated than Americans realize. It’s a ‘cultural’ thing mixed with a
combination of economic and political issues. Now, before anyone emails me upset as if I’m saying bad things about the
Egyptian people—STOP right there—I wouldn’t live here if I didn’t love Egypt and love the average Egyptian. I’m just
trying to point out that there are big issues here that are either not portrayed on t.v. or portrayed incorrectly. And one is
the Muslim Brotherhood.
I am not saying I want Mubarak to remain President. I think when his term is over in September that’s it. But he should
not be ousted to another country or tried as a war criminal as some are shouting. I think he should remain until a solid
replacement has been chosen and that can be done by September if the opposition groups get moving instead of sitting
around demonstrating. Egypt needs a ruling group that can keep our borders safe and keep peace with our neighboring
countries. And I’m not saying that Mubarek is perfect, I can list his mistakes. But he is still needed as the head of the
military and head of state because he is a strong leader who loves Egypt and the Egyptian people, the other Muslim
countries in the region respect him, and he can keep things holding up during the change. Why do you think the military
has not done harm to the demonstrators when they break curfew? Because Mubarek said don’t touch the people. Any
other leader would have had some shots fired to dispurse the people—especially since they are totally destroying the
economy, people’s livelihood, and basic life for the average person right now. Again, be careful what you believe on t.v.
More on how Egyptians are being portrayed, the Muslim Brotherhood and the culture here
and how its being omitted by the press
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