Question Everything.

We grow up with a set of specified rules. We're told what to do, how to behave, and who to listen to. We're supposed to bow to authority, whether they are kindergarten teachers, law-enforcement agents, or politicians who tell us what to believe and how to serve the nation, and we internalize this. Extremely simplified, the idea is that authority is not just external, but that people are conditioned by the markers of hegemony and continue to reproduce it from within; for example, we automatically become alert when approached by police officers, even if we have done nothing wrong. Authority is everywhere, and people don't even question it. People are likely to believe anyone with a badge or a uniform without asking further questions. Why? We are trained to believe that uniforms are a marker of authenticity and authority, and that we must defer to authority. When institution building is so strong, the visual and symbolic markers of those institutions become ingrained in our consciousness. A documentary on British TV showed set up situations in which uniformed "officers" intercepted people near customs checkpoints or on highways, asking for documents, fines, and seizure of cargo. In almost all cases, people were all too willing to provide whatever they were asked for, blindly trusting that the uniformed men were genuine law-enforcers. It was kind of shocking, and made me think about how I react to things like that too. My undergraduate institution really pushed the idea of questioning everything that we take for granted in society, and I feel that this is the cornerstone of liberty and human rights. Question everything. It's not a crime.

Luckily for me I'm a little wary of badges and uniforms, and this served me well last week. We boarded a train from Belgrade to Budapest - a 9 hour journey. 2 hours out of Belgrade, a guy came to our cabin, saying he was "Passport control." He wore a police badge around his neck, but had no uniform on. I was immediately slightly suspicious, since the previous border officers at the Serbia/Croatia border had been uniformed. Plus, we were nowhere near the border. We were told that we needed to pay a 300 Euro fine for not registering with the Serbian police within 24 hours of arrival, even though we had only overstayed this period by about 6 hours. In perfect English they explained that they would accompany us to the border, take us to court there, and fine us 300 EU. I was even more suspicious, since during my research and trip planning I'd heard of no such rule. While they walked around and checked other people's documents, P and I discussed whether they were fake, or actual, bribe chasing police. Eventually they told us that we could pay them a 50 Euro fee, and they would write up a form saying we lost our police permission. Since it was highly unlikely that they'd travel 4 more hours to the border to take us to court, I figured they were probably scamming us, or just wanted a bribe. They took me to a separate cabin to discuss fines. I really wanted to ask for proper identification, but not being in my country of citizenship or knowing who these guys were, I just kept insisting that we had no cash, and eventually they left us alone. Later on we double checked and it turned out that registration is required only after 3 months. I felt bad for the two other British guys we saw fork over the "reduced fine." So, don't always assume that a uniform/badge is fo realz.

Watch out for my next post on how to assert your rights with the REAL po-po!

Small Steps

For 15 months we've been moving non-stop. It was an excellent lesson in paring down, giving up material goods, and learning that I could live with even less than I thought. When you go to new places, the impact of environmental destruction, pollution, overpopulation, and overconsumption is shockingly obvious. Seeing parts of the ocean completely fished out, garbage dumps on pristine islands, and poverty right next to shiny capitalism, it became harder to accept that I was doing my part to be the change I wanted to see in the world. Of course, I'm guilty of not being super eco friendly what with flying everywhere - though I love trains and try to travel by them if possible (This one month trip was completely overland) - and I am far from perfect but I felt like it was finally time for me to do a little more. These aren't huge things, but just tiny ways in which I feel that a little effort adds up, is better for the environment, for my health, and probably for other people.

- This month marks one year of being anti-perspirant/deodorant free. And no, I don't smell bad. In fact, I smell better than I ever have. I found an awesome pump-spray that contains only alum (a type of mineral salt) and water. It kills bacteria, sprays without ozone layer destruction, and is also free of carcinogens and environmentally toxic chemicals. It's also insanely cheap.

- I switched to a sulfate and paraben free organic shampoo. P uses baking soda to wash and apple cider vinegar to condition. His hair is no longer falling out, and we are not putting shit into the water supply any more. After seeing what a tub of Sodium Laureth Sulfate looks and smells like, you won't want to use regular shampoo either!

- I skip body lotion and use almond oil instead, with a vanilla pod in it. There's nothing in it but... almond oil, and a vanilla pod :) No chemical additives, refillable glass bottle, totally natural. And it smells amazing.

- I cut out a large part of meat from my diet. Ideally I would be entirely meat free, but I like to keep the option of eating meat in places where it's the only available food or is humanely and healthily produced, like on small farms in Poland. I don't think eating meat is entirely wrong, I think we just eat too much meat. And most meat in the US and UK is industrially produced and highly unhealthy.

- I'm planning to make more of my condiments and foods from scratch. It's easy and fast, you can re-use jars instead of buying new ones, it tastes better, and you're not giving money to big companies.

- I started renting rooms from individuals or small family run hotels over staying in bigger hotels/chains.

- I'm planning to build my own computer instead of buying the apple desktop I wanted. It sucks, because they are so pretty, but after finding out about Apple's hideous labour practices, I can't really feel good about owning a mac. I can avoid HP, Intel components and keep supporting the BDS movement by not buying goods that support Israeli apartheid, and I can also avoid giving my money to Microsoft.

- Couchsurfing. It's been a great way to meet people I'd never meet normally, exchange ideas, and become immersed in different cultures. Everyone I've been has been generous, kind, helpful, and full of warmth. I can't think of a better way to learn about a different country and to act upon ideas I believe in.

I don't want to go all nutty and start wearing burlap sacks, but I feel like if there are little things I can do that are easy enough to incorporate into my life, I should probably do them. I'd love more suggestions! Anything that supports human rights and is environmentally friendly is something we should be doing!

Toronto Review

I've been slacking on the blog lately since I've been variously ill, traveling, researching refugee laws and busy writing an article. There's not much to report from Poland, but I'm gearing up for a trip to Italy and the Balkans to enjoy my last days without a full-time job, catch some much-needed sunlight after this dreary Baltic winter, and check out the work of some post-conflict human rights NGO's in places like Bosnia and Kosovo.

In the meantime, here is my latest on Egypt in the Toronto Review of International Affairs, with photography by yours truly:

The Arab Spring's Real Roots

Post-Revolution Frostbite

It has been about two weeks since we arrived in Poland, the first of which was spent in a haze of shivering nightmares involving riot police, teargas, gunshots, and general jumpiness; the next, full of the post-shock surrealness of being in small-town, freezing Poland. Finally, we are calm. Poles are sympathetic to the Egyptian situation - they know what revolution is like, and many are no strangers to autocracy or violent suppression. Our neighbour's grandma still hoards "Solidarnosc" memorabilia from her activist days. She says it's hard to be normal once you've lived through a revolution, that it never really leaves you. All the people in Egypt will know this soon. Sitting in my in-laws' living room in a blockhouse, in an ex-German town, hearing stories of post-Communist life nearly makes me cry. Inflation was sudden and absurd, jobs were lost, a game of political revenge started. My husband's generation is called "Generacja Nic" or "Generation Nothing" - the generation that was the first to grow up capitalist, and became a generation of nothingness. 20 years after the fall of communism, my father-in-law received a sudden notice that he will now receive only half his pension, because he served as a civil servant during the communist regime. Even at such a great distance from the revolution, the ripples still disturb peoples' lives. Poland transitioned to an entirely different economy and political system, so a true comparison cannot be made here. However, even though the scenario in a democratic Egypt likely won't be as dramatic or bleak, the effects of sweeping political change are long-reaching and painful.

I can't believe all this started just a few weeks ago, and now the Middle East is erupting - and so is everywhere else. Things hurtle forward like a faulty Toyota. Bahrain's situation is far more complicated than that of Egypt, because they have real sectarian issues, and also a huge US base, not to mention an unsympathetic army which opened live fire on peaceful crowds. Praetorianism fell out of favour in academia long ago; professors would drop the "oh, man on horseback, and all that," referring to Samuel Huntington, pretending like the military is no longer important. It's just not fashionable, because now, developmental politics and eco-politics are (and of course they are important as well). Sadly for all of us, the gaping jaws of the military industrial complex threaten to crush any attempt at democratic reform in places like the Middle East, West Africa and Pakistan. Even with the massive steps forward in Egypt, the formula of a dissolved constitution + army in charge makes me hellishly uneasy. Though it may have chosen to break with Mubarak, it is definitely looking out for its own interests. It is also clear now that the US has no actual strategic foreign policy in place, and that "regional stability" just means "a happy Israel" and "plentiful natural resources coming our way." The Saudis no longer trust the US to stand behind them (and they shouldn't). Any pretense of a commitment to morality or freedom is now moot. The last straw was refusing to condemn Israeli settlement building in the West Bank at the UN meeting, not because they didn't support the resolution, but because the UN was the wrong forum in which to debate this(!). In the long run, this hardheaded and idiotically blind support for Israel, the region's prime aggressor, along with various other puppet leaders and dictators, will decimate the US. But I already envision a new world order in about 30 years, and I don't expect America to be at the top of that food chain. I'm not anti-American...just pragmatic.

Watching helplessly as events unfold in Libya, Bahrain, Sudan, Yemen, Djibouti, Gabon, Egypt, and Algeria, scanning the news and posting online constantly - I have the distinct feeling that if I blink, I will miss everything. But life goes on in my real life; things like showering, working, sleeping... they interrupt the business of watching history unfold. Nevertheless, the information keeps overloading, and I keep consuming, ever hungry, ever angry, ever devastated at the loss of innocent lives.

The demands of the people

الزملاء و الاصدقاء الاعزاء This was just forwarded to me on a listserv:
هذه ترجمة سريعة "لبيان للشعب من معتصمين بالتحرير" للتوزيع والنشر لغير القارئين للعربية

عاش كفاح الشعب المصري وشبابه الباسل بميدان التحرير

Dear all,
This is a quick English translation of a statement from our brave youth at Tahrir square.
In solidarity
EZ


A Statement from the protesters at Cairo's Tahrir square
to the Egyptian people

The President's promises and the bloody events of Wednesday February 2

We the protesters who are currently on sit-in at Tahrir (liberation) square in Cairo since January 25, 2011 strongly condemn the brutal attack carried out by the governing National Democratic Party's (NDP) mercenaries at our location on Wednesday February 2, under the guise of "rally" in support of President Mubarak. This attack continues on Thursday February 3. We regret that some young people have joined these thugs and criminals, whom the NDP is accustomed to hire during elections, to march them off after spreading several falsehoods circulated by the regime media about us and our goals. These goals that aim at changing the political system to a one that guarantees freedom, dignity and social justice to all citizens are also the goals of the youth. Therefore we want to clarify the following.

Firstly, we are a group of young Muslim and Christian Egyptians; the overwhelming majority of us does not belong to political parties and have no previous political activism. Our movement involves elderly and children, peasants, workers, professionals, students and pensioners. Our movement cannot be classified as "paid for" or "directed by" a limited few because it attracted millions who responded to its emblem of removing the regime. People joined us last Tuesday in Cairo and other governorates in a scene that witnessed no one case of violence, property assault or harassment to anyone.

Secondly, our movement is accused of being funded from abroad, supported by the United States, as being instigated by Hamas, as under the leadership of the president of the National Assembly for change (Mohamed El-Baradie) and last but not least, as directed by the Muslim Brotherhood. Many accusations like these prove to be false. Protesters are all Egyptians who have clear and specific national objectives. Protesters have no weapons or foreign equipment as claimed by instigators. The broad positive response by the people to our movement's goals reveals that these are the goals of the Egyptian masses in general, not any internal or external faction or entity.

Thirdly, the regime and its paid media falsely blame us, young demonstrators, for the tension and instability in the streets of Egypt in recent days and therefore for damaging our nation's interests and security. Our answer to them is: It is not the peaceful protesters who released the criminal offenders from prison to the unguarded streets to practice looting and plundering. It is not the peaceful protesters who have imposed a curfew starting at 3 o'clock PM. It is not the peaceful protesters who have stopped the work in banks, bakeries and gas stations. When protesters organized its one-million demonstration it came up in the most magnificent and organized form and ended peacefully. It is not the protestors who killed 300 people some with live ammunition, and wounding more than 2,000 people in the last few days.

Fourthly, President Mubarak came out on Tuesday to announce that he will not be nominated in the upcoming presidential election and that he will modify two articles in the Constitution, and engage in dialogue with the opposition. However the State media has attacked us when we refused his "concession" and decided to go on with our movement. Our demand that Mubark steps down immediately is not a personal matter, but we have clear reasons for it which include:
His promise of not to run again is not new. He has promised when he came to power in 1981 that he will not run for more than two periods but he continued for more than 30 years.
His speech did not put any collateral for not nominating his son "Gamal", who remains until the moment a member of the ruling party, and can stand for election that will not be under judicial supervision since he ignored any referring to the amendment of article 88 of the Constitution.
He also considered our movement a "plot directed by a force" that works against the interests of the nation as if responding to the demands of the public is a "shame" or "humiliation".
As regards to his promise of conducting a dialogue with the opposition, we know how many times over the past years the regime claimed this and ended up with enforcing the narrow interests of the Mubarak State and the few people who control it.

And the events of Wednesday proved our stand is vindicated. While the President was giving his promises, the leaders of his regime were organizing (along with paid thugs and wanted criminals equipped with swords, knives and Molotov bombs) a brutal attack plot against us in Tahrir square. Those thugs and criminals were accompanied by the NDP members who fired machine guns on unarmed protesters who were trapped on the square ground, killing at least 7 and wounding hundreds of us critically. This was done in order to end our peaceful national popular movement and preserve the status quo.

Our movement is Egyptian - Our movement is legitimate- Our movement is continuing

The youth of Tahrir Square sit-in
February 3, 2011 at 11:30am


بيان للشعب من معتصمين بالتحرير - الرجاء النشر والتوزيع

بيان للشعب

أول القصيد: وعود الرئيس وأحداث الأربعاء 2 فبراير

نحن محتجون منذ 25 يناير الماضي، ومعتصمون في ميدان التحرير، ندين بشدة الاعتداء الغاشم الذي نفذته مرتزقة الحزب الوطني علينا في مقر اعتصامنا يوم الأربعاء 2 فبراير تحت غطاء المظاهرة المؤيدة للرئيس لمبارك ويستمر العدوان يوم الخميس 3 فبراير. ونأسف لدخول البعض من شباب مصر مع البلطجية والمجرمين ممن اعتاد الوطني تأجيرهم في الانتخابات، وساقوهم علينا بعد أن أشاعوا اكاذيب عديدة يروجها النظام وإعلامه بخصوصنا وبخصوص اهدافنا المنادية بتغيير للنظام السياسي يكفل لنا ولجموع المواطنين الحرية وكرامة العيش والعدالة الاجتماعية، والتي هي ايضا من اهداف هذا الشباب، ولذلك نريد توضيح الاتي:

أولا، نحن مجموعة من شباب مصر مسلمين ومسيحيين، أغلبيتنا الكاسحة لا تنتمي لأحزاب سياسية ولا لها نشاط سياسي من قبل. حركتنا ضمت شيوخا وأطفالا، فلاحين وعمال ومهنيين، طلبة وموظفين على المعاش. حركتنا لا يمكن تصنيفها على أنها مدفوعة أو محركة من قلة بحكم الملايين الذين استجابوا لشعاراتها باسقاط النظام، وانضموا اليها يوم الثلاثاء الماضي في القاهرة والمحافظات، في حدث لم يشهد حالة عنف واحدة أو اعتداء على الممتلكات أو تحرش من أحد بأحد.

ثانيا، حركتنا متهمة بأنها ممولة من الخارج، وتمدها الولايات المتحدة، وأنها قامت بتحريض من حماس، وبأنها تحت قيادة وبتنظيم رئيس الجمعية الوطنية للتغيير محمد البرادعي، وأخيرا وليس آخرا، بأنها موجهة من قبل الاخوان المسلمين. وتعدد الاتهامات بهذا الشكل في حد ذاته يثبت زيفها. المحتجون كلهم مصريون أهدافهم أهدافا وطنية واضحة ومحددة. المحتجون ليس لديهم لا سلاح ولا معدات أجنبية كما يدعي المحرضين. واستجابة الناس الواسعة لها تكشف أنها هي ذاتها أهداف جموع المصريين عموما، وليس أي فصيل أو كيان داخلي وخارجي.

ثالثا، يلقي النظام وإعلامه المأجور زورا وبهتانا بالمسئولية عن التوتر وعدم الاستقرار الذي شهدته شوارع مصر في الأيام الماضية، وبالتالي عما يسببه ذلك من أضرار لمصالحنا ومصالح أمتنا ولأمننا جميعا، على الشباب المتظاهر. فليس المتظاهرون سلميا هم الذين أخرجوا المجرمين من السجون ليخلقوا حالة السلب والنهب في شوارع المحروسة. ليس المتظاهرون هم الذين فرضوا حظر تجول يبدأ من الثالثة وأوقفوا العمل في البنوك والمخابز ومحطات الوقود. وحين نظم المتظاهرون مظاهرتهم المليونية خرجت في أحلى حلة وأفضل تنظيم، وانتهت سلميا. المتظاهرون ليسوا هم من قتلوا 300 شخص بعضهم بالرصاص الحي، وجرحوا أكثر من ألفي شخص في الأيام الماضية.

رابعا، خرج الرئيس مبارك علينا مساء الثلاثاء ليعلن عدم ترشحه في الانتخابات الرئاسية المقبلة وتعديله لمادتين في الدستور، وخوض حوار مع المعارضة. وقد هاجمنا الاعلام الرسمي عندما رفضنا "تنازلاته" وقررنا المضي في حركتنا. إن مطلب التنحي الفوري لمبارك ليس مسألة شخصية. لكننا نستند في ذلك على أسباب واضحة من بينها:

الوعد بعدم الترشح ليس جديدا. فقد وعد مبارك عندما جاء رئيسا في 1981 بعدم الترشح لأكثر من فترتين، ليستمر بعدها لأكثر من 30 عاما. كما أن الخطاب لم يضع أي ضمانات لعدم ترشح ابنه جمال، الذي يظل حتى هذه اللحظة عضوا في الحزب الحاكم، ويستطيع ترشيح نفسه في انتخابات لن تتم تحت اشراف قضائي، إذ تجاهل الخطاب الاشارة الى تعديل المادة 88 في الدستور. كما اعتبر الخطاب حركتنا مؤامرة من قوى تعمل ضد مصالح الوطن، وكأن الاستجابة لمطالب الجماهير عار وعيب. وأما فيما يتعلق بالحوار مع المعارضة فكم من حوارات ادعى النظام انه سيقوم بها خلال السنوات الماضية وانتهت بمضي دولة مبارك في طريق المصالح الضيقة لمن يسيطرون عليها.

وجاءت أحداث الأربعاء لتثبت صحة موقفنا. فبينما كان خطاب الرئيس يوعد، كانت قيادات نظامه ترتب مع البلطجية والمسجلين خطر من المأجورين مؤامرة الاعتداء الوحشي في التحرير بالسنج والمطاوي وقنابل المولوتوف، يصاحبهم أعضاء الحزب الوطني بإطلاق الأعيرة النارية بالبنادق الآلية على المتظاهرين العزل المحاصرين في الميدان، الذي أدى إلى مقتل سبعة على الأقل وإصابة المئات، منهم بإصابات بالغة، وذلك لإنهاء حركتنا الشعبية الوطنية والتمهيد لبقاء الحال على ماهو عليه.

حركتنا مصرية – حركتنا مشروعة - حركتنا مستمرة

شباب معتصم بالتحرير

Evacuated from Egypt

Thanks everyone for your warm wishes, concern and care through these past days, some of which were a little bit intimidating to say the least, and all of which were shocking and heartbreaking. We have taken a lot of pictures and documented a lot of things (of course from a safe distance, mom). We have just arrived in Poland and are speaking to Polish Media now and spreading the news about widespread human rights abuses, state sponsored violence and terror from the Mubarak regime.

Please understand that the media portrayal of "factionalized" violence from pro and anti Mubarak supporters is mostly a myth. There are indeed people who want Mubarak in power, including those in my neighbourhood, my taxi drive this morning, etc who are quickly losing income on a daily basis, are scared for their families, and want the stability of his dictatorship in preference to the chaos now. Unfortunately the chaos and instability originates from this "stability." The "pro Mubarak" people downtown are all sorts of people paid by the regime to instigate trouble; some of them have been caught with police id's and others admitted they were paid. The past few days, including the "jailbreak" aka release of criminals from jails, the camels, horses, and pro Mubarak thugs and criminals throwing molotov cocktails, shooting guns, and hitting people with sticks and stones are all intimidation tactics used by the regime so that people can revert to the "safety and stability" of the Mubarak regime. In contrast the pro-change and pro-democracy supporters have been peaceful, except when they need to protect themselves, and have been utterly non-violent and respectful of all involved. I have seen them teargassed, shot at with real and rubber bullets, beaten with sticks, chased by riot police, run from glass bottles and stones thrown by police, stand up to police violence, and above all, persevere in pursuit of a better, open, just, fair, and free government that will support and protect their rights, dignity and humanity.

We've seen and heard many horrible things and the amount of bloodshed going on in Egypt right now is disgusting and distressing; especially since most of it goes unreported. Reporters are now under assault as are foreigners, who are being blamed by the regime for inciting violence and "infiltrating" society. Locals are scared for their families. In the peaceful protests I felt no threats except from the police, yesterday morning when I went to buy food and passed a pro-Mubarak protest around the corner the protesters were nasty, harassing women, and you could see the violence in their eyes. Make no mistake: this violence is instigated, supported, and funded by Mubarak. People are dying and seriously injured on the streets, refused medical care and routinely arrested from hospitals. The situation is bloody, dire and is only worsening. So, I implore you all to please contact media, local congress people and friends in your country to inform them more about the situation and to press for positive change. Foreigners are being evacuated from Egypt, the ban on internet and mobile phones stopped the flow of information, Western media coverage is still limited to Tahrir Square, but atrocities and violence are certainly not and will only increase if coverage is limited.

Lastly, refugees in Egypt, an already threatened group, due to their inferior legal status, inability to work, and discrimination, are suffering immensely due to this situation. They often have no local support networks and now, the regime is destroying crucial infrastructure, like the Al-Nadeem Psychosocial center, which offers counseling services to torture victims, and human rights lawyers are being detained and their centers shut down. These offices and centers are essential to the refugee community here. Soon, I will start a fundraising effort and hope that you all can contribute to a very worthy cause for people who have been stripped of any other options and hope.

In love and solidarity,
PTO

The last few days in Egypt

Cairo Burning
Storming 15th of May Bridge – Jan 28, Cairo, Egypt.
As I type this, a curfew is underway in Cairo. Protesters continue in the streets, undeterred, shouting “Al-shaab yureed asqat al-nizaam” (The people want the government toppled). The internet is completely cut off all over Egypt, as well as mobile phone networks, making it nearly impossible to communicate. The situation over the last days was precipitated by the Muslim Brotherhood’s declaration of support for the protests and Mohamed El-Baradei’s return to Egypt (he is now under house arrest). I took an early morning trip to Midan Tahrir at 8:45 am, the site of Tuesday’s protest and the symbol of this uprising. The square was more or less empty until 9:15am, when 16 Central Security Forces Trucks pulled in, along with 3 armored cars with water cannons, and another armored car with gun slots. I returned to Agouza without incident, speaking to my taxi driver about recent events. I asked him whether he supported the protests, and whether he thought today would be big. “Yes, it will be huge! People will come out all over Egypt. I will go to protest too, in Zeitouna.” Crossing the street to go home, I saw another 10 security trucks and a few more tanks roll past. The local bakery boys also said they were heading to Tahrir, and the man in the barbershop informed me that Futuh Mosque, Al-Azhar Mosque, a mosque in Dokki and another large local mosque were sending groups to the protests. “I would have joined them if they invited me, but it’s mostly young people who are going.” Commentators and news channels call this a youth-led movement, which of course it is, but this designation obscures the fact that is indeed a majority movement in a country with a very young population – the median age in Egypt is 24.
At around 2 pm we headed around the corner to see if anything was happening. Everything was quiet, but the bridge we normally walk across was blocked with riot police. We walked up the ramp towards them, but as we approached, they shooed us away. It seemed strange, since the street behind us was absolutely empty. As we turned around, though, a massive, screaming crowd was approaching from Gamaat al-Dowal Street, one of the main shopping areas and transit arteries of Cairo. The flow of people continued for ten minutes. We sprinted down the bridge so as not to get caught between protesters and police. The protesters were energized, and seemed determined not to leave the streets no matter what the situation. There were women, children, and people from all classes, prepared with surgical masks, sunglasses and scarves. A little girl held up a sign saying “justice, freedom, respect, life.” As the crowd approached the bridge, the police began firing tear gas. Over the next two hours we watched from about 200 m away from the riot police as the crowd surged forward in an attempt to cross the blockade and get to Tahrir, only to be thwarted with tear gas, returned bleary eyed and unable to breathe. People were crying, coughing, collapsing on cars and on the ground, staggering about unable to see, red-eyed. Loads of them came up and talked to us, screaming “sawwar! sawwar!” – Take pictures of us and send them abroad!- some of them launching into diatribes, telling us why Mubarak was awful and they hated him. There was a great sense of solidarity with people handing out tissues, water, and vinegar to soak cloths and scarves and provide temporary protection against the gas. A few people were carried aside, injured. Some left to try to get downtown via a different bridge. As an armored truck drove by at full speed, protesters screamed and threw water bottles at it. After it left, they cheered loudly and began chanting slogans again, calling for Mubarak to get out of Egypt. After a few more attempts, tire fires were started and flaming projectiles were thrown back and forth between protesters and police, blackening the air. Moments later, security trucks arrived from Gammat al Dowal, firing tear gas. The crowd had nowhere to run from the gas and scattered to side streets in panic, which is when we returned home. Watching from our balcony, we saw locals lowering baskets with water and vinegar to help protesters. A little while later, a large crowd came down our small side street, chanting loudly, rolling tires and collecting dry paper.
At a press conference today, Hillary Clinton, called again for restraint on both sides, respect for universal human rights in Egypt, and, in a reversal from her previous statement, called upon the government, rather than Mubarak, to institute reforms for social, economic and political justice, and made no mention of Mubarak in her speech. The US is clearly positioning itself for every possible outcome, but has yet to withdraw its support from Mubarak, a key ally/puppet of the US in the Middle East.
CNN and NileSat are currently showing shots from downtown. The army has arrived on the scene, but has received a warm welcome from the protesters. Tear gas fills the air everywhere – it’s even difficult to breathe on my balcony. Rubber bullets and real bullets are being fired. Protesters are all over, breaking out in symbolic areas like downtown but also in sha’abi or popular neighbourhoods. As I saw earlier, the police have cut off all bridges, forming a virtual cordon of downtown, so that protesters cannot gain a critical mass in one area. Nevertheless, I’m sure the protests will continue. They’ve reached a head in Suez already, and today the protesters set the NDP ruling party headquarters in Cairo on fire as well. Mubarak’s planned speech was meant to start an hour ago, but is still to be aired. Meanwhile, surprisingly, state sponsored Nile TV plays footage of the protests, showing extreme police brutality and huge masses of people all over Egypt in Cairo, Suez, and Alexandria. I wonder if the Suez canal trade will be affected. Just a few minutes ago, the curfew was extended from these three cities to a nationwide curfew. Let’s see what the next few days bring.
Jan 29, 2011, Agouza, Cairo
At around 4:20 am I was woken up by sound bombs and the sounds of tear gas and bullets being fired. Mubarak finally gave a speech, “as an Egyptian, not as President” and vowed to protect Egypt and guarantee the security of the country and its citizens. He asked the government to resign and pledged to appoint a new government by Saturday. Obama reaffirmed the US commitment to Egypt, noting that Mubarak should take steps to democratize his government, saying “all governments must maintain power through consent.” This utterly disregards the illegitimacy of the Mubarak regime, seeking to prolong the status quo of heavy US influence in Egyptian policymaking, and also brushes aside the fact that were there to be a measure of consent, Mubarak would never be in power. As the internet and mobile communication channels continue to be blocked, Mubarak emphasized his support for individual freedoms. Of course this is upsetting to Egyptians, whose main demand is the fall of the regime and the fall of Mubarak. Should he be pushed out of office, which now looks like a real possibility, the next ruling government will remember the US’s lack of support for their struggle and its support for Mubarak. Egyptian state news reports that “protesters attack and clash with police forces,” rather than explaining that the police instigate violence by firing tear gas and rubber bullets and charging peaceful crowds. Footage from downtown bridges now shows normal scenes, but the NDP headquarters are still burning. Troops are stationed outside the foreign ministry and state TV and radio offices. 10:30am – mobile network back but still no net. Just walked around my area, which was the site of a battle between police and protesters yesterday afternoon and night. Shop windows are smashed in – the Samsung store is missing all its electronics. The local alcohol shop is completely destroyed; tires still burning in the streets. Remnants of Molotov cocktails are scattered all over, along with empty tear gas canisters – Riot gas, made in Jamestown, PA. The streets are being cleaned fast, though, and traffic continues, while a few shops are boarding up their fronts. The statue in Midan Sphinx has been graffiti’d, and now reads: “we want Mubarak out.” Slogans painted on the side of 15th of May bridge say “Irhal, Irhal Mubarak” – “Get out, get out, Mubarak.” Two army helicopters flew by overhead.
An Egyptian political activist friend told us that machine guns fired on the crowd in Tahrir last night, killing a lot of people. News reports say 35, with 10 policemen among them, but I suspect the number is much higher. Apparently all flights in and out of Egypt have been cancelled for the last 12 hours, and this is likely to continue. A source at the US embassy says that cell phones will be down again in about an hour and a half (1:20pm now). My neighbours say: “today won’t be violent. The Army officials are good, they respect the people, not like the police.” Some think there won’t be more protests today, but a friend downtown, Samy, already reported a march from Ramsis to Tahrir at around 12pm, and some other people from my area are heading to Tahrir again today. Apparently Samy also saw banks being looted. The situation downtown is grim; the Egyptian museum is dangerously close to the burning NDP building, and military tanks are rolling around with guns at the ready. Eyewitnesses report live fire in Alexandria as well, and the military has warned that anyone violating the curfew (4pm to 7am) will face danger.
State TV continues its broadcast of “unifying advertisements” (Be in Peace, Egypt) and propaganda. An NDP member, Professor Maged Boutrous on BBC speaks about “mob violence, terrorism, and looting” and calls this destabilizing of Egypt “unacceptable” and that “we have the highest freedom of expression in the Middle East.” This government reaction, shifting blame to the protesters and depicting them as a chaotic, destructive mob that is terrorizing society, is entirely untrue. Though looting is indeed taking place in sporadic instances, most of the protests are focused and peaceful. Boutrous continues, “who says that the president imposes himself on the people?” And that Mubarak is a legitimate leader elected by the people. Meanwhile, approximately 50,000 protesters have gathered in Tahrir, despite the curfew. State media only shows the looting, but streets are filled with protesters, all ignoring the curfew. A BBC reporter in Tahrir square notes that the army and protesters are chatting, getting along; people are organizing into groups to clean the area and make sure buildings are not damaged. Simultaneously, there are firefights at the ministry of interior since protesters have been trying to charge it all day.
We are mostly cut off from information – though we have BBC and CNN, whose cameras have been attacked and confiscated, and have limited footage, and Nile sat, the state propaganda channel, with more footage. The situation is slightly better since we have mobile networks now; still, it’s almost impossible to tell what’s going on. My roommate, who just returned from Tahrir, told us that people were carrying an army general, that the mood downtown was friendly and kind, extremely peaceful and that people had formed a human chain around the Egyptian museum to protect it. The army stated that they would not fire on the Egyptian public under any circumstances, no matter what Mubarak’s orders were. The NDP headquarters are still on fire, and it is highly unlikely that they will. People are giving army personnel flowers, making signs on top of burned out cars and trucks, and peacefully standing in the square. Trouble usually starts after dark, though, and I expect the mood to change after the sun goes down. I can still hear tear gas being fired, but I don’t know where it is.
5:21pm – The curfew has been in place for over an hour. I just looked out the window to see a huge group of men running with large sticks. Pete thinks they are looting but they say they’re here for “aman” (security). I can even see a guy holding a sword. People are standing outside their buildings with sticks, protecting them. Our neighbours have armed themselves with knives to protect themselves from “harameyyas.” We’ve been told to close our shutters and windows, barricade them, and arm ourselves. Tahrir may be peaceful but I just spoke to another friend of mine in Bab-al Louq, who told me that live ammunition and rubber bullets were being fired in Midan Falaki, and that the rest of downtown was “crazy,” with continued tear gassing and clashes with police. People are arming themselves with whatever they can get their hands on and going towards the interior ministry.
5:59pm – Just read that the cabinet has formally resigned and Omar Suleiman (chief of intelligence) has been appointed VP – the first time there has been a vice president in 30 years. Official death toll at 38.
6:09 pm – Just ran to the window after I heard screaming. Our local “security patrol” has a gun and several large sticks. Our building has just been chained up.
8 pm – I hear gunshots outside. Our local protection now has nunchucks and Molotov cocktails. Widespread reports of looting and muggings are on tv. My Egyptian friend Samy called again to warn me not to go outside, because of “baltaggeyaa” (thugs) robbing people at knife and gunpoint. The men downstairs just fired a warning gunshot into the air.
8:40 pm – Watching reports of Egyptian Museum lootings. Still hearing sporadic gunshots, probably from Gamaat Al-Dowal Street, where I’ve been informed clashes are underway in Midan Mustafa Mahmoud. Incidentally, this was also the site of a police massacre of Sudanese refugees in 2005. After the UNHCR stopped providing services to Sudanese refugees post-peace agreement, they camped out in Midan Mustafa Mahmoud for a few days. The police showed up to disperse the crowd, who refused to leave, and over 30 Sudanese refugees were gunned down. An Egyptian friend who is a political activist reports that Mubarak has killed all political prisoners and freed petty thieves, with orders to wreak havoc; we don’t know if this is conjecture or truth.
8:55 pm - We hear screaming outside and run to the window. Molotov cocktail guy has his lighter at the ready. Another man has emerged with a shotgun. The noise dies down, but the guys seem tense and ready to fight if need be.
1 am – Have watched a few charges downstairs and a few false starts. The guys are taking a tea break but still ready. We barricade our doors with a sofa and head to bed. We are not too worried about people breaking in to our apartment, but prepare ourselves for the worst. Pete has a knife, mace and a torch, and I have mace and a glass bottle.
January 30, 2011
Woke up to the sound of army helicopters overhead. Our roommate slept at the Marriot overlooking downtown and said that things looked much quieter last night. The reports of prisoners out and about were confirmed on the news. Brilliant tactical move from Mubarak, fomenting violence and instilling fear so that he can provide security and stability and may be welcomed back again. Our network of friends and acquaintances has confirmed violence in Maadi, Mohandiseen, and Heliopolis, meaning clashes between police and protesters continue. My friend in Bab al-Louq was woken up by machine gun fire. The state media offices are heavily guarded by armed forces – the last bastion of the production of hegemony. This won’t end until Mubarak steps down.
11:25 am – Just returned from a trip to the grocery store to buy supplies. Prices in convenience stores have already gone up. People are leaving with suitcases. The streets are eerily empty. C-Mart has whitewashed its glass windows; loads of people were inside buying in large quantities. My makwagi lady told me to go home, lock the doors, and not open them for anyone. Around the corner on Gamaat al-dowal, two army tanks were set up in the middle of the road and soldiers were standing around with guns. I sneakily took a picture from afar.
1 pm – Received a call from a friend notifying us that the US embassy is evacuating non-essential personnel and urges all US citizens to leave Egypt. The embassy is arranging for flights for US citizens to leave the country. Bab-al-Louq friends tell me they are hanging out in Tahrir where protests continue but things are peaceful. The military is still all over the streets there, which is probably guaranteeing safety, at least before curfew is on.
3pm – The water supply in Zamalek was just cut off. Luckily we filled all empty bottles in the house. Just to be on the safe side we fill up all our dishes and a large bucket.
3:49 pm – I hear deafening noise outside – 2 F16 army jets are flying over the city. A CNN headline says: “Israel concerned about 1979 treaty.” I was talking to my roommate about this last night, because I knew that Israel would be very worried about the Rafah border/Gaza and of course generally about instability here. I would really not be surprised if they tried to get involved in the mix in some way or seized the opportunity to meddle.
4:45pm – The curfew has been on for 45 minutes now but people are still out and about. Apparently soldiers are firing on some streets.
5:09 pm – The local defense group has blockaded our street with garbage cans and steel rods. A helicopter is circling above.
7:11pm – ElBaradei is in Tahrir Square amongst the protesters and will address them soon. The Muslim Brotherhood has backed him to negotiate with the current government. Earlier, in conversation with CNN, he said about Mubarak: “If he has an iota of patriotism in him, I advise him to leave today and save the country.” State TV showed Mubarak and the new VP at a military conference.
8:48 pm – CNN loops images of Mubarak in a huddle with the army. He looks young for an 82 year old. I can’t help but think about whether he’s had botox. Sure looks like it. CNN’s social media analyst, Mohammed Jamjoom, shows a tweet with dates of revolts planned in Sudan, Jordan, Yemen and Syria. Protesters have already gathered outside the University in Khartoum. Things are already a hot mess in Sudan. I hope nothing gets ugly with Omar Bashir. I just peeked outside the window and there are far fewer men defending out neighbourhood than last night, but I still see a few guys sharpening sticks with knives. A friend reports that the 15th of May bridge is blockaded, which is maybe why I can’t see anyone – perhaps they decided to focus on strategic checkpoints.
9 pm – Just heard a huge amount of gunfire. I can also hear planes and helicopters flying overhead.
10:30 pm – Our friend calls to say he is leaving tomorrow for Istanbul. We have a cat to consider as well, but are starting to think about leaving in case things get worse. I have a feeling that Mubarak will step down soon – I wonder: How can he not? The curfew has been extended until Monday, but no one is obeying it anyway.
10:55pm - State TV shows a lineup of “criminals” or “people doing negative things.” It seems sketchy at best. It also shows protesters who were arrested with knives or Molotov cocktails. Ridiculous.
11:15 pm – I hear screaming outside. The local vigilantes have started a fire and are sitting around warming their hands and making burnable devices of some sort. The mood is much calmer than it was yesterday. Someone downstairs has handed out white tape – people have fashioned armbands so we know who is guarding us.
31 January 2011
10 am – Nothing new is on the news. We take a walk around the neighbourhood. Army trucks still posted on Gamaat al-Dowal. Traffic is normal though. I drag Pete to Coffee Bean in Zamalek; I have to get out after being cooped up for so long. I hear a rumour that the internet will be back on today.
11 am - After talking to a friend downtown we decide to go see Tahrir and take a cab to Qasr al-Aini Bridge. Debris and litter is all over, but on the bridge, a few citizens are cleaning up and directing traffic. People stop to talk photos of them. It looks like families are going to visit Tahrir, people have kids and cameras in hand. At the Tahrir side of the bridge, an army checkpoint is checking people’s ID’s. Burned out vehicles are visible around. The Mugamma is shut. A few hundred people are still chanting in Tahrir and holding up signs and the crowd appears to be growing. The chants are all anti-Mubarak now, and no longer just focused on the regime. An injured and bandaged man holds up a sign that reads: “Mubarak – you are the cause of the deaths yesterday.” Tourists and news personnel come into the square; a helicopter circles repeatedly above.
12:15 pm - We walk towards the 6th of October bridge, which is towards the State media office, passing the burned out NDP building. More tanks are stationed under the bridge in Tahrir near the bus depot. This is the first time I’ve seen an army tank in real life. One side of the steps up to the bridge is guarded by a soldier. We get up on the bridge and see more tanks and guards around the media office, as well as a tank on the bridge next to a burned out police truck. We walk all the way back to Agouza. The police have returned to the streets, but they are mostly older and high ranking police; we can’t see any young police officers anywhere. Everyone thinks there will be more demonstrations tomorrow. The US Embassy personnel and AUC study abroad students are leaving. The curfew has been moved up to 3pm today. There is a huge line of people outside the bakery.
1:45 pm – A friend tells me that there are more people in Tahrir today than there were yesterday. The line outside the bakery has swelled and people are yelling. Roommate reports people buying huge supplies of rice and sugar at CMart.
9 pm – More and more countries are evacuating their citizens. It seems pointless to go to the airport now, though. The boys outside have started small fires but don’t seem too worried and spent most of their post-curfew time playing football. It’s a huge contrast to Saturday night, which was actually kind of scary. Tomorrow is the “million man” march. Tired of watching the news constantly and hoping that tomorrow will bring some positive changes. Oil prices are rising already. The Sudanese protests have increased in intensity.

1st February 2011
People have already gathered in Tahrir Square as of 9am. We saw some people carrying sleeping bags with them yesterday; I heard lots of people slept over. Today people are meant to storm the presidential palace.
10:50am – We leave our house and walk out across 6th of October bridge. People have set up blockades all over our area – chairs, trash cans, sticks, even an entire cut down tree.
1 pm - People are flooding into Tahrir Square. We enter through the Qasr al-Aini Bridge and pass an army checkpoint. Volunteers are checking ID’s and badges. The Ikhwan are very visible today. We spend the next 2 hours in the square, watching screaming protesters with creative slogans and posters proclaiming their demands. There were women, children, families, hijabis, niqabis, muslims, Christians – it was clear that people from every section of society had come out, even more so than before. The presence of families and children was significant, indicating that they felt safe in some measure, and also that they felt it important enough to participate. Soon, a large portion of the crowd spread out their posters as prayer mats and began to pray. For a brief moment after prayers, chants of “Allahu Akbar” and “La Allah Illa Allah” began, but were soon replaced with secular anti-Mubarak protests. As a helicopter started circling lower and lower, people turned towards it as one, screaming “Irhal, Irhal, Irhal…” (Get out). We didn’t feel unsafe; people were laughing, joking, holding up protests signs and chatting with each other. I felt incredibly touched by the solidarity in the square. As the curfew approached and the crowd grew, we began to leave. At the entrance, a volunteer was screaming “Muzahara Silmeyya!” (Peaceful protests!) On Qasr al-Nil bridge, people kept flowing in, holding posters and leading small groups of chants.
The streets in Zamalek and Agouza were almost empty. Shops in Zamalek remained closed, and we saw a few young women cleaning up the streets to help out.
A neighbor stopped us to ask “Do you still feel safe in Egypt?” and to warn us that going downtown could be dangerous. She said that she supported the protesters but that she didn’t think Mubarak was all bad or all good but that he had done some good things for this country during his 30 years in power and that she “respected him like a father.” Her mother and her invited us in for supper and gave us their phone number in case we needed anything. The local gazmagi expressed similar reservations about the security situation and hoped that things would change soon. A manager for Al-Ahram newspaper who lives downstairs seemed upset at the situation and was concerned for his wife and children. He said that people were planning to go out after prayers on Friday, get everyone from house to house, and proceed to the presidential palace. The neighbours are happy about the changes but remain worried about the availability of food and local security, and are unsure that the situation will change significantly anytime soon.
2:50 – Marouf Al-Bakhit has been appointed the new prime minister of Jordan. King Abdallah has just dissolved his parliament and appointed a new one. Discontent spreads in the Middle East.
6:08pm – The “vigilante” group downstairs is gathered around a fire. It’s just some young kids and teenagers. They’ll probably remember this as an awesome time where they sat around fires and were able to play football in the traffic-free streets. Some of my best memories in India are during the 1992 curfew after the Babri Masjid riots – no school for two weeks, plenty of freedom to play. Pete’s mom calls from Poland to say that Egyptians are no longer selling tourists food in Hurghada. Food supplies here are running out as businesses remain shut for a few days and stores have started rationing out food. The economy is obviously tanking very quickly without tourism revenue and business operations. I can still hear helicopters overhead. A BBC reporter just suggested to a protester that he could “get rid of [Mubarak] through the ballot box” in September. If that were possible with free and fair elections, Egyptians would hardly be protesting in the streets.
9 pm – The state department calls to tell me evacuation is mandatory. We arrange for a commercial flight to Poland with Glue on the 3rd. Mubarak speaks later that night and says that he will not step down until the next elections. Protesters turn violent in Alexandria. At around 11pm we hear a ton of gunfire. There is a protest at Mustafa Mahmoud Square on Gamaat al-dowal.
2 February
The deadlock continues. 11:10 am – Vodaphone sends two text messages – The first thanking every mother, father, brother, sister, and all honest citizens protecting the country. The second one says “The armed forces are protecting your safety and peace and will not resort to the use of force against this wonderful population.” As I had predicted, the Suez shipping route has been affected; the general strike continues.
11:35 am – Army general giving a speech on state TV. The headline reads: The army and the people are capable of handling the current situation. It will be interesting to watch what role the army plays. I don’t know if a coup is in the cards, but they seem to be doing everything possible to boost their credibility and popularity with the people, and in doing so distance themselves a bit from Mubarak. Pro-Mubarak rallies going. They're trying to make everything look normal but it isn't.
12:06pm – Internets back!

Protests in Cairo, Egypt - January 25-26

Egyptians are pissed. They're mad at Mubarak, at 30 years of dictatorship, at widespread unemployment, corruption, and repression. On Tuesday, they took to the streets, mobilized by a Facebook page calling for an end to the state of emergency and detainment without trial, a raise in minimum wages, and a limit to presidential terms. The call was unaffiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, which took pains to dissociate itself from the protests on National Police Day. Mubarak's consistent rejection of Islamists as unfit for political participation and as extremists feeds into the deeply misguided Western notion of the "Islamist Threat." Western newspapers are full of reports about disenfranchised and marginalized people, particularly men, as the support base for Islamist movements, which is patently untrue. It is important to note that Islamist movement in Egypt is a social movement, supported by all classes, not a religious one, and seeks political representation and has political demands. Denouncing them as extremists is one way for Mubarak to retain Western support and quash political participation. However, in these circumstances, the rumours that Islamists are behind these protests are simply NOT true. Protests have been secular, lack a unified and strong political affiliation (supporters from 5th of April, Kefaya, and various other movements have joined together), and are attended by people who have simply had enough. The crowd is full of youth, a demographic that makes sense given that protests were organized mostly via new media like twitter and facebook.

Most Egyptians I've spoken to are positive and enthusiastic about the events in Tunisia, and though I reject the myth of the "Arab mind" that tries to lump all Middle Eastern actors under the same rubric, the success of Tunisians is clearly an encouraging example for Egyptians. That being said, attributing this uprising to a mere domino effect strips Egyptians of their agency and their clear intent to send a message to the current regime. Unsurprisingly, the US response has been muted at best, calling first for the right of the Egyptians to demonstrate peacefully, then urging Mubarak to seize the opportunity to reform. The Egyptians want Mubarak OUT! An act like ripping apart a Mubarak poster may seem pedestrian to many Westerners, but in a country where speaking up against the powers that be can have severe (and sometimes fatal) consequences and gatherings of more than five are illegal, this action speaks volumes. The US does not have a real commitment to democracy, only to "democratic" governments which serve US strategic interests. I have long been upset with US aid and support for Pakistan, and though Egypt is not such an extreme case, nevertheless, US money aids the repression of ordinary people. Since the Atlantic Charter, which linked concepts of human rights to the discourse of security, the US government has appropriated the rhetoric of human rights. This is the problematic relationship which results in the language of human rights being used to justify security interests and interventions. In this case, the US sits on the fence, calling for restraint on both sides and respect for the rights of the people, while also mentioning the "stability" of the Egyptian government and calling for Mubarak to institute change rather than to step down, thus tacitly affirming his legitimacy in their eyes. But no surprise there.

Yesterday, on the second day of demonstrations, I witnessed police charge a crowd with sticks, fire tear gas into the crowd repeatedly, gather rocks and throw rocks and glass at protesters, and commandeer an armored car with a water cannon to disperse crowds. Reports abound of beatings, abductions and arrests of protesters and activists. I saw secret police and plain clothes policemen join in the protest, pretending to be protesters, but acting as agitators and fomenting violence. One of them entered our compound, screaming at an injured man who was teargassed in the face and unable to breathe or move "get out! get out of here! we don't ever want to see your face again!" It was very clear that yesterday the orders to the police had changed. The situation also escalated in Suez, where the NDP ruling party office was set on fire and a few people lost their lives after the police opened live fire on a crowd of protesters. Protests are likely to continue today, and another call has been issued for protests to continue nationwide tomorrow after afternoon prayers. The Egyptian weekend starts on Friday, so those who didn't come out because of work commitments on Wednesday and Thursday but came out on Tuesday during the national holiday are likely to join the protests. I also expect that violence will escalate as the Egyptian government tries desperately to quash the uprising, save face, and stay on the tourist destination and foreign investment lists. The elite and governing classes are also heavily concerned with the value of the Egyptian currency, which is falling rapidly. Neighbourhoods with expats and upper class areas have been cordoned off by groups of riot police in an effort to contain the protests, but I don't think this will be effective tomorrow.

Aside from the obvious differences in size, income and foreign influence, one of the main differences between what happened in Tunisia and what is happening in Egypt is Mubarak's media chokehold. Egypt state TV is reporting on protests in Lebanon and independent news media is being shut down. State controlled media shows absolutely nothing about protests. Two opposition newspaper websites were taken down. Facebook and Twitter are disabled. Though I did see a photographer embedded with a riot police unit, filming and photographers have been shut down in other areas, and even foreign journalists who identify themselves as press aren't necessarily left alone; Guardian journalist Jack Shenker was beaten, arrested and driven out towards the desert.

People in Egypt are hopeful. Many of them have put their jobs, health, and even lives on the line in taking part in these protests. Hundreds have already suffered police brutality, been beaten, arrested, and detained unlawfully. I have yet to meet an Egyptian that does not support the protesters. As one man I met put it yesterday "There may be corruption in other places, but here, there is injustice." Another one said "What happened in Tunisia was great. We are living in a dictatorship for 30 years. Enough of dictatorship. The protesters want democracy. I support them 100%". Meanwhile, Mubarak is in Sharm El-Sheikh, refusing the advice to step down. He is 82 and has been in power for 30 years. Most Egyptians live on less than $2 a day, and unemployment is high.

So, I urge you to support the right of Egyptians to associate freely, to protest, and to fight for their political and human rights. There are planned demonstrations outside Egyptian embassies worldwide, so please participate and show your solidarity with the Egyptian people. From what I hear, media coverage outside Egypt (and certainly within) has been limited. Please spread the word - the more international attention is focused on Egypt, the better the chance that the regime won't crack down so violently.

Ahlawy vs Bawwabeen

Yesterday was the Ahly-Zamalek derby. Ahly fans are FIERCE. Zamalek fans are called "bawwabeen" or doormen, since, inexplicably, a lot of bawwabs are Zamalek fans (Can you tell I'm biased?). The two teams have a serious rivalry and police were gearing up for post-match violence. They banned lasers, lighters and flag posts, which meant that I was unable to take my cat's favourite laser pen and use its incredible range to distract the goalkeeper. Which of course, someone else was doing to the Zamalek goalie. We arrived at Cairo International stadium two hours early, and even then the amount of people was astounding. Shocking, if only because nothing happens on time in Egypt. Because we were a group of foreigners and girls, we cut through a giant pushing, shoving, and hissing line, went straight to the front, skipped all security checks, and were inside in a flash. Though I wouldn't have wanted to be crushed in line, it's kind of sad that we got preferential treatment while everyone else had to wait their turn. There were scores of riot police (sans shields) outside, and inside the stadium (avec shields), instead of facing the crowd, they were facing the players... watching the game. For security, kids dressed in kitschy sailor suits sat 20 meters apart on the track between the players and the seats, facing the supporters. Yet more riot police were stationed on the stairs in general seating, separating blocks of Ahly fans from each other, and a huge gap was left between Zamalek and Ahly fans. Obviously peace is the optimal state, but the academic researcher inside me was hoping to see some riot action later on. A couple of us had purchased some fine Ahly "Clup of the Centry" gear and almost everyone we passed commented on it with pride, yelling "Ahlawy!!!" at us and getting really excited that "people from abroad are Ahly fans!" As we walked to our seats, the call to prayer sounded out, and a smattering of men took to the corridors to pray. While we were ushered on by the police and overexcited fans, I was too timid to take the ultimate photograph - three men kneeling devoutly on an Ahly flag. Once inside, all I could see was a sea of screaming red; hand-held flags and flailing arms looking like the noodly appendages of epileptic millipedes, the chic-chic-chic of cellphone cameras capturing young men with their shirts off, little boys with Ahly headbands and red war painted faces dangling their feet next to overweight daddies in Man U, FCB and Ahly gear. The cheering had a distinctly Arab flavour, with balloon batons sounding out dabke rhythms. In between the instrumental versions of Toni Braxton love ballads, everyone chanted Ahly slogans, booed the Zamalek fans (Egypt has the greatest form of booing ever - "yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeee!!!!!") and sang for football nation.

The atmosphere was hyped and I couldn't help but get carried away with all the excitement, so much so that I might have accidentally smacked P in the face with a flag a few times mid-jump. Unfortunately the match was boring as all hell, with an incompetent referee who missed ALL the fouls, and there were only six (piteous) attempts on the goal. Here are some pictures of the action:

Dysfunction

So a frantic post on Cairo Scholars today listed a $500 reward for a lost cat. The email was titled "Emergency Plea: Delta Airlines Lost My Cat!"
Apparently Delta/Cairo Airports have topped themselves, losing a cat that was enclosed securely in an IATA approved cage. I have a similar cage, so I know there is no way the cat could have escaped unless someone let it out. I can only imagine what the poor owner was going through, but I am gobsmacked at the utter incompetence of Delta and the airport staff. Another tragic only in Egypt moment.

Best Egypt Week

After our whirlwind Thanksgiving trip I was kind of bummed out for a few days. But I think that had a lot to do with the fact that I was sleeping until 4pm every day and going to bed at 3am. After I finally got back in the rhythm of things, I ended up having an INCREDIBLE week. Highlights included zero harassment, hour long walks by the Nile early in the morning (during which I once saw a weasel!) and a series of lovely evenings out, including a ragey house night with DJ Alexkid at the French Cultural Center. By far the best night out was a dance performance at El-Sawy Culture Wheel in Zamalek. It was called "Dancepiration" and despite the name and the tacky host of the evening, the dancers were phenomenal. There was a good bit of bboying and some amazing hip-hop moves, as well as an Egyptian comedian - even though he did his routine in Arabic and I'm sure I lost half the nuances, he still had me in splits. One of the dancers had adopted a stray cat and left it in the care of my housemate during the show, so I spent the two hours with a tiny kitten on my lap. Cairo's glitterati and teenage snobs were out in full force, and the evening left me with a subtler understanding of some of the quirks and joys of Egyptian society. There are things here that I'd prefer to live without, but it's still an amazing place.

Out of Africa

After a certain amount of time in Cairo, you get a "pollution cough." I'm pretty sure I have the black lung now, after the unbelievable amounts of dust, tar and smog I've inhaled. In order to keep loving Cairo, you have to leave periodically. So this week we spontaneously decided to head to the US and the UK for thanksgiving.

As soon as we arrived in London I had to outfit myself with boots and gloves. We returned to all our favourite haunts, caught up with friends, indulge in cider and were happy to be 'home' for a few days. In NYC, we went to Duane Reade probably every day, watched too many episodes of Top Chef, went out too much in Brooklyn and spent time with the fam. Then we headed to New Hampshire, and stuffed ourselves silly with green vegetables, turducken, and pumpkin desserts. P is used to eating meat all day every day, but I can't really handle that, and Egypt is particularly hard in that respect. I kind of just grabbed every single green vegetable I could see on this trip, to make up for the lack of fresh produce one is forced to suffer through in Egypt. When we got back to London it was snowing (eek) and miserably cold. We had just enough time to see the Christmas decorations up in Carnaby street before we left for home. I was kind of sad to leave, but I was so relieved to arrive in a warm climate. Here's hoping that our little break will give me renewed patience to deal with al-shawar'3a, aka the mean streets of Cairo.

Israel and Occupied Palestine

This week we traveled to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Needless to say, the trip brought up many complex emotions, and confirmed what I already knew about the injustice of the situation. However, we found everyone we came across to be warm and friendly, and I would highly recommend a visit if you can swing it.

We crossed the Egyptian border at Taba, managing to avoid both the Egyptian and Israeli passport stamps. Being brown, I was questioned - nay, interrogated - by Israeli border police for 15 minutes, until they were satisfied that I had no connections to Pakistan.

Since we missed the bus to Jerusalem, we hopped on one going to Tel Aviv, where we had the best breakfast ever at Benedicte, and walked around for a few hours, noticing how eery and European the city felt. The next morning we took a sheroot (shared taxi) to Jaylem. P and I both hate sightseeing, so our version is just incredibly whirlwind stop-offs and one picture at the "must-see" sights, then off to the more leisurely and enjoyable activities of exploring and spending all day eating. We ate hummous every meal for 5 days straight - that's how good it was, and stayed in the Eastern quarter. It was incredible to see the mashup of people in the holy city - an interesting place for us atheists - the tourists (mostly Polish), Armenians, Greeks, Palestinian Muslims and Christians, orthodox and not-so-orthodox Jews. After a day and a half of Jerusalem, we went to Ramallah, where the Palestinian Authority is based. Pete got a haircut and we went to Yasser Arafat's tomb. Eid was just around the corner, so the streets were full of people shopping. The contrast between the Israeli side (green) and Palestinian side (dry and brown) was ridiculous. As we left, two soldiers, armed to the teeth with gigantic machine guns, inspected our bus and our passports.

Given our personal experience, I would like to urge everyone to join me in a consumer boycott of Israeli Settlement produce. I'm sure most of you are familiar with the conflict and the situation: Palestinians are being forced into smaller and smaller areas while their land and resources are confiscated, routinely denied freedom of movement, and separated by a growing "security fence" which is 8 meters high (twice the height of the Berlin wall) that is referred to as the Apartheid wall. Israelis claim it is necessary for security, but it's built in a way that cuts off Palestinian areas from each other and from access to resources that are rightfully theirs according to international law. What we saw was disturbing and unsettling. P and I had no problem getting through ominous checkpoints at the wall that look like high security prisons, but it's not so simple for Palestinians. At the Bethlehem foot passenger checkpoint you have to walk 200 metres enclosed by grates to arrive in a holding area that looks like a warehouse, go through a turnstile, pass through security, put your bags through xray machines and walk through a detector, go through another turnstile and wait in line to show your documents. It took us almost an hour to get through, but lines can last much longer. We saw a group of schoolchildren being hassled. Imagine having to go through airport security every single day on your way to work, or on your way to the hospital for an emergency, or to go to school. This is the reality for Palestinians. Palestinian people engage in non-violent resistance every single day just by going about their daily activities; activities like work and going to school that the occupying forces make incredibly difficult.

While I realize it's not possible to boycott all the products listed, and all the companies that contribute to human rights abuses in Palestinian territories, there are a few significant ones. Such boycotts have been instrumental in weakening support for the apartheid regime in South Africa and I hope they will eventually have a positive influence in destroying Israeli apartheid. Boycotts generate bad reputations and apply economic pressure for change.

Please take a moment to read how your individual actions can help:
http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?list=type&type=203
http://bdsmovement.net/?q=node/9#cont2

Products you may be most familiar with are Intel, Motorola, Caterpillar, Estee Lauder, Jaffa oranges, Coca Cola and Ahava Dead Sea cosmetics. Produce that starts with the barcode 729 denotes Israeli origin.

The full call to boycott can be read here:
http://bdsmovement.net/?q=node/52

Pictures to follow!

Social Media Win; VBS Fail

I've recently discovered the joy of twitter. I was once loathe to use it, but now that I know I can use it for amazing, activisty purposes..... all bets are off. Today I called @VBS_UK out on this horrifyingly offensive "documentary". The poor, ignorant host Sarah Harris reduces India to a "land of contrasts" and talks matter-of-factly about "fat, blue-skinned, gold bikini wearing Gods." All this in addition to misrepresenting sex workers and having absolutely no knowledge of trans issues. I'm shocked that VBS couldn't (wouldn't?) see how almost every aspect of this film is thoroughly problematic.

The bright side of this is that almost anyone can use new media to fight back or have their voices heard. In a brilliant response video, the subjects of Harris' film reject the reductive, misrepresenting, racist and disdainful portrayal of their lives and realities and call her out for not using informed consent forms.

An open letter to VBS by AWID (Association for Women's Rights in Development) aims to counter such inaccurate representations and prevent VBS from spreading such a fallacious and offensive film. Women in such situations are often just the object of an often uninformed Western gaze and are unable to put forth accurate self-representations due to the dominance of Western media, but now have seized the opportunity to speak up for themselves! Sign the petition!

At-Tahharrush, or, Daily Harassment in Cairo

Cairo is an amazing hustle-bustle and I am always invigorated by its speedy, raucous, neon-bright pleasures.

But, there is one thing I can't stand. I can bear the pollution, the dry heat, the simultaneously gross and refreshing droplets of water from high up air-conditioning units, the traffic, the incessant beeping, being ripped off occasionally (hey, it happens everywhere) and waking up with cotton-mouth from dehydration. But the harassment on the streets drives me crazy. Literally. I become a madwoman, overcome by indignation at the fact that women have to put up with this. Not just in Cairo, but anywhere.

Despite covering from wrist to ankle, sitting in the backseats of taxis, making sure everyone knows I'm married, and avoiding long walks alone, I still get my fair share of harassment. It's usually just men saying things like "ya mozza, 3asal, sukkar" - calling me "honey" or "sexy girl," but sometimes men will follow me, expose themselves, start masturbating next to me, drive accident-distance close, or be more threatening. I've kind of learned to tune most of it out, but there are times when it's terrifying, and I have to do something.

A few days ago I threw rocks at two guys zooming dangerously close to me on their motorcycle and screaming obscenities at me. Effective, but my aim wasn't good enough. Yesterday I kind of lost it and lashed out at a group of guys who were saying unpleasant things and had surrounded me. The minute I hit two of them (extremely hard) they kind of scurried off, but I don't think this is always the best way to manage, particularly if there are larger groups. The most enraging thing is that usually when a woman reacts, the harasser laughs, as though he's kind of won. I have yet to figure out a way that actually gets the message across, but for now knowing that I have ways to protect myself helps me to be calmer and less scared.

Loads of people living here (expats and Egyptians) have suggested some strategies beyond the basic covering-up and avoiding isolated areas - research actually shows that most women harassed in Egypt wear the niqab or face-veil.
- Put on your game face. Walk confidently and act like no one can harm you. Wear headphones and sunglasses.
- SPEAK UP!! Make a scene in public. Scream in Arabic or in English. Supposedly very effective - Egyptians rate their honour and hate to be embarrassed in public.
- Carry a rape whistle or mace spray (illegal in Egypt, but then again, so is sexual assault)
- Trust your instincts and never make eye contact with anyone.
- Duck into a shop or pharmacy for help. The police aren't always effective and usually just make the problem worse. For stalker cases or worse though, I'd definitely recommend filing a report.

I've found that I'm typically harassed in non-neighbourhood areas, e.g. shopping areas, larger streets that don't have a community feel, etc. People are less likely to harass in mahally/local areas where everyone knows them, or where they can be held accountable, as opposed to crowded places where they are just passing through. I feel completely safe and protected in my neighbourhood and have never had a problem - everyone sees me every day, knows me, and I'm pretty sure they would stand up for me. It's just bigger streets (like Ahmed Orabi or Gamaat Al Dowal), bridges, and groups of policemen that are the worst places.

An NGO is currently working on a project called Harassmap that will allow women to report incidents via sms and work towards changing the perception of sexual harassment in Egypt.

Stay safe!

Blanket Sky

Last weekend we finally made it to the White Desert. A six hour trip from Cairo Turgoman to Bawiti in the Bahariyya Oasis (with obligatory blaring film on bus) followed by a three hour drive in a landrover leads to my favourite place on earth bar none: a moonscape under perforated skies, watching foxes shamelessly court your attention with their pretty eyes.

This was a repeat trip for me, and some guy from the village actually recognized me from when I was in Bawiti in 2006, staying at the now (thankfully) defunct Paradise Hotel. Lonely Planet had described it as the cheapest night in town with the bare basics, but it was nothing but dusty mattresses and three waterless, flush-less toilets. That trip was memorable for many reasons, one of the main ones being that my two fellow travelers didn't use the facilities for the duration of our three day trip. I, on the other hand, shamelessly used a different bathroom each day. I went by to check it the Paradise in its current iteration as the village mosque. We slept overnight in the desert, awoken periodically by cheeky foxes licking the kettle and trying to find food a few feet away from our heads.

Having not planned in advance, as per usual, we piggybacked on a tour that included a lovely French Canadian couple, two sun-scarred girls from Scotland and Ireland working in Sharm, a really old agricultural expert from New Zealand and his Thai lover, who brought and cooked her own food, applied metallic pink lipstick under the desert sun, and sweetly laughed loudly at anything remotely funny.

P and I escaped in the evening for a long walk alone over some dunes, then lay back watching shooting stars.

PICS coming soon.

Alexandria

I was super psyched to go to the white desert last weekend, until we got to the bus station and there was only one seat left on the last bus. So, we headed to Alexandria instead. I got a raging migraine on the way, thanks to the excessively loud movies played on the bus. That, coupled with the heat, forewarned me that this was not to be the best day trip ever. Alex has tons of ruins and beautiful things to see, but most of them are underwater. We skipped Pompei's Pillar (an average, unimpressive stump) and checked out the equally lacklustre catacombs of Khoms el Shefaa before backtracking to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, which is a gorgeous example of modern architecture. Still, we had a great time walking around, ghost-town style, and taking pictures.

BLOG YOUR HEARTS OUT

Turkey is no youtube land but this is outrageous:

Fellow SOAS-ian and pioneer of Persian blogging receives 19.5 years in prison:

http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2010/09/iranian-blogger-hossein-derakhshan-receives-19-5-years-in-prison/

Yemen Win

Back in college there was a Fulbright Scholar from Oman who was the TA for my Arabic class. I remember this guy very clearly because he smelled really, really good. Like a weird mixture of incense and musky wood. I've come across that smell a few times since, and it's always on men from Oman or Yemen. Weird... yes. Awesome? Definitely.
When I went to the Mugamma to pick up my passport, it was heatstroke weather outside, as always, so I decided to wait in the marginally less hot corridors of the Immigration department. Suddenly I smell something familiar. Wood. Incense. Hermes Terre d'homme. Whatever. I'm thinking to myself... "Smells like Yemenis!" I lift my head and there are two Yemeni men on my right, two on my left. Smelling really good. It was like a gust of relief came to save me from all the sweaty grossness of that crowded hall. I spent all afternoon being puzzled about how they all manage to smell like that, until I saw a snippet of Egyptian TV that showed me how. It's a spritz of perfumed oil behind each ear, followed by absorbing incense smoke under and around the robes and headdress. Whatever they do, that shit lingers. Must patent.

The USSR's curse on Egypt

You know how countries give presents to each other, like France giving the Statue of Liberty to the US, or Norway giving the UK the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree? Well, the USSR gave Egypt the Mugamma, the ugliest building of all. It's not much better inside, because it's where bureaucratic efficiency goes to die.

Yesterday I had a little day trip there to get my visa renewed. On arrival, I went straight to the second floor, passports, photocopies of initial and entry visa pages, and mini-photographs in hand. Of course I went to the window that said "non-Arab nations tourist visa" i.e., exactly what I needed. Of course it wasn't the right place to be. I waited in line while people thrust their passports around me, over my head, under my arms, in front of my face, etc. to get to the window first. India schooled me in the art of steely elbows, so I managed to retain my spot, only to be told that I needed to see a Mr. Hytham. 3 dudes later, I found the security table, ill-equipped to process the tens of refugees, immigrants, students, and tourists pouring in from all corners. I was ushered to one window, P to another (Poles have to get security clearance), and after handing in a completed form I was sent to another window to get stamps and bring them back. In theory, fairly straightforward, in practice, everything that could possibly complicate the process is done. The person who processes the (paper) applications puts 4 different stamps on each one - we're talking postage stamps here - when it would be so simple to use one. Or a sticker. Or a printer. Or an actual ink stamp!

My application miraculously took only 2 hours, but then I had to go back today and wait for-EVER. The plastic chairs weren't conducive to napping, so I just sat back and watched everyone. There really were people from everywhere - from Lebanese with Bangladeshi passports to Turkish women studying Shari'a at an Egyptian university and Filipina domestic workers. The process was easy for me, but I shudder to think of what it's like for refugees in limbo, always dealing with paperwork and legalities, with residence laws that change from one place to another, constant uncertainty, and the challenge of being forced involuntarily into a new environment.