A Prehumous Funeral

Morrie Schwartz, the name might ring a bell for a few, but for most it's just someone they've never heard of. Morrie Schwartz was a retired sociology professor who had terminal cancer, his story was unfolded in Mitch Albom's  book "Tuesdays with Morrie". 
Morrie loved life, but because he knew his days were coming to an end he chose to have a "living funeral"; which was a gathering he invited his family, friends and loved ones to to say their last goodbyes, their prayers, poems, praises and eulogies. Days later, he died in his bed in peace after leaving his legacy to the world.

That was Morrie's story, now comes mine, and I guess it's everyone's too.

Sometimes I have my high days, sometimes it's my lows. Sometimes I feel so old from the outside and young from the inside other times it's vice versa. Sometimes I feel I've lived enough lives in a lifetime while other times I feel I haven't lived a day.
Of course I don't know when I'm going to die, but I know a few things about my death.
I know that when I die I want to have lived my life to the max, when I die I don't want to have a deathbed wish; I want to have all my wishes fulfilled when I was still alive. Most of all, I want to leave a legacy, I want to have mattered, I want to leave my mark and I fear most walking through this life unnoticed. I want to die in peace and live in satisfaction.

So here's why I mentioned the living funeral idea earlier, I liked the idea! It doesn't have be prior to an expected death, I decided I want to do it on daily basis; whomever mattered to me I'll tell him/her, whomever left a touch in my life or who I am today I'll let him/her know.
And I expect -hope- people to do the same to me, it really serves us well. I would be happy if I knew that I matter for others, that I really made a difference and I'm on a right track. This sense of satisfaction and this positive energy can keep us going.



I thought to myself, how many times I heard the words "I wish I told him/her ..." after it's already too late. Why do we always value things or people after they are already gone? I didn't find an answer, but maybe I found the solution.
And if in many years I read this again, I hope that I haven't wasted more time. 


*this is not a suicide note.

الجيش و الشعب و الحكومة صباع واحد

الجيش

الجيش لا بيتعامل مع الموضوع بطريقة عسكرية ولا بطريقة سياسية, هو تقريبا مش بيتعامل مع الموقف أصلا. بعيدا عن كلام الاخ عمر عفيفي و"العناصر الخارجية" أكيد الجيش فيه فساد زي ما كل حاجة تانية في مصر فيها فساد بس كل اللي بيتكلم على الفساد ده مطلعلناش دليل واحد على كلامه . الجيش من سنة 52 بيتمتع بـمزايا رهيبة, سواء لاعضاؤه أو الكيان نفسه; يعني مثلا كل الأرض في مصربتاعة الجيش, وعندك كمان الميزانية اللي محدش يقدر يسأله فيها وكمان المظاريف السرية (بدل الولاء). و كمان عندهم مصانع ومزارع وخطوط إنتاج وحسب احصائية فـإن الجيش بيساهم في 15% من اجمالي الاقتصاد المصري.

أنا مبقولش إن ده حقهم أو مش حقهم, بس طالما أنتم في الحكم فـأنتم عرضة للنقد زيكم زي اللي قبلكم واللي هيجي بعدكم.

خلاصة الموضوع هم مش عايزين يضحوا بـده ,أو على الاقل بـده كله و ممكن يكون ليهم حق في حاجات ومالهمش فيي حاجات تانية.

الجيش وطني على عيني وراسي, والمعلومات (أو الإشاعات) اللي بسمعها عنهم من قبل وبعد الثورة كتير قوي منها بيأكد على وطنية الجيش وعدم تواطؤه عشان مصلحة مصر.

لكن....لما ييجي الموضوع لإدارة بلد مينفعش كده, المجلس الأعلى بصفته القائم بـأعمل رئيس الجمهورية لازم أولا يحكم سيطرته على البلد, ثانيا لازم يبقى ليه سياسة واضحة حتى لو أعد لفترة مؤقتا انتقالية,ثالثا لازم يبقى في شفافية في اتخاذ القرار وفي كل حاجة رابعا لازم يشرك الشعب معاه ويحسسهم إن الكلمة اللي اتفلقنا بيها من أول يوم "الجيش والشعب إيد واحدة" حقيقية مش بس شعرات وإن في الحقيقة الجيش بيعمل اللي هو عيزه وعايز الشعب يبقى هو ايده.

يعني مثلا إيه لازمة المحاكمة العسكرية للمدنيين؟ و إيه لازمة بالونات الإختبار اللي كل يوم والتاني يسربوها بعدين بعد ما يجسوا نبض الناس يغيروا رأيهم. و إيه فكرة انهم مبيكلمش الشعب وبيكتفوا كل كام يوم بـبيان على فيسبوك مع العلم إن 80 مليون مصري معنهمش انترنت أصلا وأقل من نص العدد ده بشوية مبيعرفش يقرا أصلا.

و إيه لازمة القوانين الغريبة اللي بتطلع كل يوم والتاني دي حتى بعد ماعمله إعلان دستوري مؤقت, ويجوا يعملوا حوار مجتمعي (اللي هو ملوش لازمة أصلا ) بعد مايطلعوا القانون!

ليه الحجر على حرية الإعلام؟ احنا بنتقدم ولا بنتأخر؟

يعني إيه كل يوم التاني تعيدوا وتزيدوا إن الجيش في مصر معملش زي ليبيا واخد صف الشعب ومضربهوش...ما دي وظيفة الجيش يا سادة يا افاضل , أنتم معملتش غير الواجب وتشكروا عليه لكم ماتزلوناش بقي.

الأهم يا مجلس العسكر يا بتوع الدراسات و الإستراتيجيات ليه كل قراراتكم رد فعل مش فعل؟ ليه لازم تحصل مصيبة عشان تتحركوا؟

وحياة ابوكم البلد مش ناقصة.

الحكومة 

"من النهردة مفيش حكومة" ده حال مصر فعلا, ممكن حد يقولي إنجازات الحكومة دي إيه؟ لو سمحتوا محدش يقولي راح اثيوبيا ماحمدين صباحي راح اثيوبيا, راح سيناء وقنا .. ها عمل إيه بقي؟ كل يوم اعتصام و قطع طريق ومظاهرة.

و كل القوانين المشبوهة خرجت تحت وزارته, من قانون الانتخابات لقانون الاعتصامات للقانون المزمع اللي هيصلحوا فيه رجال الاعمال. طبعا هيجي حد يقولي ده مش ذنبه, لا ذنبه حتى لو هو ملوش دعوة بس سياسيا هو مسئول عن كل اللي بيحصل في البلد.

مش هننسى كمان الانفلات الامني اللي متحلش لحد النهردة, طبعا لو واحد عنده دم كان زمانه استقال لكن نقول إيه, العيسوي و شرف وكلهم زيهم زي اللي قبلهم, مفيش حد بيعترف بالمسئولية. و في كمان المحكمة اللي اعتقد مش محتاجة كلام عنها وعن اللي بيحصل.

لو حد بيفكر إن ده مش ذنبهم, يبقى يراجع شفيق مشي ليه..عشان نفس الأسباب ولسة الوضع هو هو.

الشعب 

الناس, الناس هي اللي عملت الثورة, وهي اللي ممكن برضو إنها تبوظها.

الناس اللي كانوا متحضرين وعلى قلب رَجل واحد على مدى 18 يوم فجأة بقت بالنسبة ليهم الثورة هي إنهم يدهنوا الرصيف. لكن ييجي لما حد يقولهم الوضع وحش ومش هنتقدم غير لما نشتغل كله يعمل عبيط و يقولك دي فزاعة.

الناس اللي اتحولوا إنهم يطلعوا إشاعات و يصدقوها, زي إشاعات إن  مبارك هيعتذر  اللي كله نفاها نزلوا يعملوا مظاهرة عشان يرفضه  الإعتذار اللي هو محصلش أصلا ومحدش قال إنه هيوافق عليه عشان نعمله مظاهرة.

الناس اللي لما بتسمع خبر من طنطاوي يبقى بيخوفنا لكن لما البرادعي يقول نفس الخبر يبقى احنا فعلا في مشكلة اقتصادية.

الناس اللي فكرين إن هم اغلبية وقعدين على تويتتر و مش حاسين أو مستعلين على 80 مليون واحد بره تويتتر ليهم مطالب وأراء تانية.

الناس اللي اتخلصوا من ديكتاتورية مبارك عشان يفرضوا هم رأيهم ومش عايزين يسمعوا  الرأي الاخر.

الناس اللي بيعملوا من أي حد ليه رأي تاني عدو و بنخون أي حد.

الناس اللي حولوا المظاهرة من وسيلة للتعبير عن الرأي لمهنة.

رغم كل ده, برضو الأمل الوحيد في البلد في الناس دي, بس ده دور النخبة الواعية إن يبقى ليها صوت وتقود وراها الناس اللي كان ليهم حظ اقل في التعليم أو الوعي, مصر محتجالهم دلوقتي أكتر من أي وقت.

وحياة ابوكم, البلد مش ناقصة,

بلدنا تستاهل أحسن من كده.

من الآخر , الجيش والشعب مش إيد واحدة,, الجيش والشعب و الحكومة صباع واحد وكلهم ب****صوا البلد.

The People of Fayrouz

map of Sinai

People of Fayrouz are obviously the inhabitants of Sinai aka "The Land of Fayrouz". There is no exact official record of their numbers, sources claim they are 600000 while others count them at 1.3 million, means either way they comprise less than 2% of the 82 million population of Egypt. Sinai itself is 60,000 km2 out of Egypt's 1,000,000 km2 area , which means it forms 6% of the whole area of Egypt.

The numbers may look insignificant at all, but they are not. Sinai serves as Egypt's eastern gate and have always been the aspiration of invaders throughout history. Also Sinai has most of the country's touristic non-pharaonic attractions for all its reefs and diving spots as well as Mount Sinai and is considered as a "Holy" land as a lots of prophets passed by or lived there.

Sinai's people -the Bedouins- have always felt marginalized and neglected by all the previous regimes, that subsequently lead to an identity crisis. Some -if not many- Bedouins identify themselves as Bedouins not Egyptians or the moderate  ones see themselves as Bedouins then Egyptians. And they always consider themselves as the landlords of the peninsula and that we -other Egyptians and tourists- are their guests. But surprisingly, they are used for border patrols and defense and sometimes they are resorted to to transfer aids or whatever through the desert due to their absolute knowledge of the desert routes and mountains, this is mainly because Bedouins are men of honor so as long as the government respects its side of the deal they won't dissent.
Which deal? well from what i understood there has always been an unwritten agreement between the inhabitants and the government, as long as they mind their own business the government won't intervene. But of course after the Sinai terrorist attacks in the 2000s thing changed, especially after the unnecessary and unexplained mass detention of the Bedouins in the wake of the attacks.

Mountains and blue sea,
the whole Sinai  shore line  nearly looks like this

Apart from that, the development projects in the peninsula by the governments have been so sparse. Even the whole tourism industry that the area strive on usually do not employ the land's inhabitants but resort to expats from Upper Egypt and the Nile Delta.
So that mainly leaves them to grazing, working as peddlers -or the few of them who own bazaars- or the privileged who work as guides; as in some places like Mt. Sinai its obligatory to have a guide climbing the mountain even if you know the way.

All these reasons combined with some greed and rebellious nature push some -a few actually from what they said- to work in the illegitimate fronts of arms and drug smuggling, and even human trafficking to Israel.

Saleh, a young guide at St. Catherine in his 30s is from the Jabalyia tribe. He claims his ancestors root  to Romania and came centuries ago to guard the Monastery. "When i went to my conscription duty in the delta, i was very poorly treated from my fellow conscripts." Saleh explained, and and counted the numorous insults he used to hear including the likes of "Bedouin jew", "zionist" and "traitor". He believes there is some racism from mainland Egyptians towards Sinaiwis. Saleh also stated that he doesnt know the exact number of his tribe, but he expects them to be roughly 5000, and only 3 of them went to college.

Whereas Hamada, a driver from Asyout who has been working in South Sinai for 14 years, believes its the other way round: "They are the racists, they are very aggressive and united against any outsider, as if we will steal their livelihood". Hamada recounted several stories of feuds and fights between them and the bedouins which occasionally reach the point of fire arm shootings. He also added how it was very easy to smuggles fire arms into the peninsula despite all the check points and the scrutinized searching, and also how automatic weapons' prices doubled after the revolution.
We noticed that he always referred to himself and his fellow Upper Egyptians as "we" and the Sinawis as "them" as if they are from very different countries not working side by side and neighboring each other.
 Also both men,along with a local woman working at a bazaar blame the North Sinawis from Arish of using violence and terrorism against the state and the tourists.

a typical Bedouin child on his camel.

There were some positive signs though, like these people actually have schools they built through self effort, most of the children who are educated are school educated not home schooled as thought. Also worth noting that most of these guides and peddlers -even the illiterate- can speak 3 or 4 languages.

Sinai ,with its people is a national treasure and its is a part of Egypt not just a vacation destination, its vast lands can be used for plantations and industry along with the already active tourism industry than can even be expanded, and its people -who already have the determination, with some help can make wonders.




*update: news today that North Sinai security director will be having a discourse with the governorate's youth, from Saleh's stories its believed that most people in Sinai do not have access to the internet. So I think it is better to engage with talks with real people instead of the small and sometimes biased or directed facebook world and twitterverse.

الداخلية و الزمالك

الثورة المضادة تاني ...

ماتش كورة باظ عشان الجمهور اقتحم الملعب تاني تبقى ثورة مضادة.

في سيناريوهين للي حصل النهردة, يا إما الجمهور المتعصب عمل كده من نفسه , يا إما فعلا كان في مؤامرة.

الإختيار الاول إن الجمهور عمل كده من نفسه,ليه؟ حد هيقولي استحالة الزمالك كان كسبان. أيوه كان كسبان بس النتيجة دي مكنتش تعديه للدور اللي بعده.

آه إبراهيم حسن كان قال تصريحات يسخن الناس إنها تنزل بعد ماتش الذهاب في تونس بس ماظنش إن ده سبب مقنع برضو.

السيناريو التاني و ده اللي قريب للناس كلها أو بمعنى أصح الناس كلها نفسها تصدقه إن كل ده كان متدبر. يعني الناس بتقول إن الأبواب اتفتحت لوحدها عشان كده الناس نزلت و إن ده مش شكل الجمهور اللي بيروح الماتشات كلها ودول ناس دخلاء و مندسين.

عامة بصفتي بروح الاستاد كتير فـأنا احب أؤكد إن الأشكال دي شكلها عادي جدا (أبو جلابية أو غيره) و بنشوفها هناك كتير لكن طبعا مش بسلاح عشان بيتفتشوا.

الاسئلة بقى اللي أنا مش عرف اجابتها, اشمعنى ده حصل في ماتش الزمالك محصلش في ماتش الأهلي أو ماتش الاسماعيلي اللي كانوا في مصر هنا من اسبوعين؟ و لو كان "الثورة المضادة" عندها القدرة إنها تحشد الناس دي كلها ليه مش بينزلهم مظاهرات مصطفى محمود بدل ما العدد اللي بتنزل هناك بيبقى شكلها يكسف؟

أولا احب اوضح حاجة,اللي حصل النهردة ده تقصير من الجميع. تقصير من الجمهور نفسه; كل واحد يطلع في التلفزيون يقولك ده في ناس هناك من الساعة 10 الصبح بسنج ومطاوي ,طب طالما أنتم عرفين مبلغتوش ليه؟؟. تقصر من أصحاب العقول و الاغلبية الواعية -طالما اللي نزلوا قلة غير واعية- إنهم لما شافوا الأبواب بتتفتح سابوا التانين ينزلوا و مامنعوهمش. ماهو مش معنى إن الباب اتفتح إنها زيطة بقي كله ينزل.

الأهم بقي إن التقصير من الشرطة ,أيوه تقصير في كل حاجة . الناس كانوا فرحانين انهم  بقوا بيدخلوا الستاد من غير ما يتفتشوا , اهي النتيجة اهي. مينفعش الاسلوب اللي الشرطة بتتعامل بيه مع الناس ده , ما هو مش عشان "اتصالح" مع الناس يبقى اسيبهم بـمزاجهم و مفتش حد ولا اخد مخالفات . لا معلش التصالح بجد إنهم يطبقه القانون صح على الناس كلها.

هنا برضو بييجي دور الناس , كل واحد دلوقتي بيطلعله عسكري ولا آمين في الشارع الناس بـتتنك عليه و يقولوله كنتوا فين من يوم 28 .

العقيد المسئول عن الماتش قال احنا مافتشناش الناس عشان حقوق الإنسان بتاعة الثورة, هم هيذلونا يعني ولا إيه ؟ و لو الأبواب اتفتحت فعلا كنتوا فين بقي وهم بيتفتحو ولا أنتم بقى اللي اديتوا الاوامر؟

الخلاصة إن اسلوب الداخلية في التعامل مع كل حاجة غلط في غلط , واضح إن الوزير ده يا اما ملوش كلمة عرف يمشيها على اللي تحته فا بيحصل كده يا اما هي دي سياسته فا يبقي في الحالتين لازم يستقيل حالا.

و الخلاصة إن الناس مش حتستريح غير إن يطلع دي مؤامرة وياريت كمان تكون من فلول النظام و ده احتمال كبير إن يشيلهم الليلة حتى لو مش هم اللي عملها بجد عشان يهدوا الرأي العام و هتبقي الحقيقة دايما غير معروفة.

الحق إن اعتذار الحكومة لوحده مش كفاية , و زي ماكل الناس قامت وماقعدتش على شفيق بعد موقعة الجمل لازم نطالب بـتحقيق حقيقي  عشان الحق حق بغض النظر احنا اللي جايبين الحكومة الحالية وهم مننا ولا لأ.

رأيي لغاية ما يبقي في أمن مينفعش تتلعب ماتشات كورة أو أي تجمعات بالعدد ده. لكن إن الدوري يمكل من غير جماهير ده كلام ملوش معنا, ماهو الحجة إن عشان الأندية ماتفلسش طب ما لو من غير جمهور هيجيبوا فلوس منين؟

تبقي فقط في كل مايحدث حقيقة واحدة, إن دايما الزمالك و الاسماعيلي فاضحين مصر ومجرسنها و الأهلي هو اللي رفع راسها.

A Counter Revolution Against The Counter Revolution

Honestly I've never heard of the expression "counter revolution" until after the January 25th revolution of Egypt. From what we all understand a counter revolution is a -revolution- or movement by any old toppled regime or monarchy trying  to abort the newly formed system so they could come back to power or try to save whatever could be saved.

A lot of speculations and  allegations about a counter revolution have been ongoing for quite some time, some may be true and have basis of reality other being of mere fiction and evidence-less.
Some two weeks ago, someone -whom i cant remember his name now, from Al Ahram Center for Political & Strategic Studies (ACPSS) was on ONTV and claimed some remnants of the old regime were running the counter revolution from what he said was "a dark room in a villa in Moqatam", others sources claimed the same but from a villa in Zamalek.
Then came the famous episode of Alaa Al Aswany and Belal Fadl (2 prominent Egyptian writers) with Yousri Fouda on the same channel last wednesday discussing the counter revolution's plans to cause nationwide unrest and their list of "100 assassinations" of public figures that may expose the old regime, the subject which Belal Fadl wrote 2 articles about in Almasry Alyoum newspaper last week. In the very same episode, the mysterious ex-police colonel Omar Affifi called from his exile in the US, according to his sources whom he refused to mention by names , there were lots of weapons and heavy arms being smuggled through the western and southern Egyptian borders to certain groups he refused to name.

So what do we have now? only some pieces of news which are mostly without any evidence or backing from other sources, so better call them to this moment as rumors. If according to the ACPSS man, a plan was being in the makes, why wouldn't he simply point out names and give the exact locations? maybe this can't be  told on tv, he could easily have informed the authorities. Same with Belal Fadl's articles, we never saw the list he mentioned. If a real race of armament was taking place inside our country, why didn't Affifi warn us where the weapons were going and to whom and against whom will they be used.

I'm not implying these respectable figures are trying to deceive us, it is just the whole thing might be part of the counter revolution and they are doing it inadvertently. Maybe they too are being fooled as we do, the real counter revolution wants to deviate us from our goals and disperse us from our real dreams. We have the battle of the next parliament elections which until now they still hold control over the masses which if we do not act swiftly we will lose their votes. They want us to be so busy discussing trivial issues -or issues that might be of utmost importance but are not effective at the end- and forget about the real work that ought to be done.

Even reading this blog discussing the counter revolution, acts as a way of diversion from the real issues, but even if the whole "100 assassinations" plot was true, and even if it was carried out, it is not the end of the road. We are 80 million, and from day one the revolution had no leader so no one will ever have control  on the people's will nor their dreams, if they kill even 1000 the rest are still willing to continue the journey till the very last breath.

قبل ان يفوت الأوان

هذي المقالة هي ترجمة لمقالة سابقا بنفس العنوان بالانجليزية نشرتها يوم 20 مارس.قمت بـكتابتها بالعربية بناءا على نصيحة أحد الأصدقاء.

المقالة الأصلية هي:-

لقد صوت بـ "لا" في الاستفتاء الاخير, وخرجت النتيجة 77.2% في صالح الموافقة على التعديلات. لقد حاربنا كثيرا من اجل حقوقنا ان نحدد مستقبلنا ومصائرنا بـارادتنا الحرة بدون أي تدخل أو املاءات من أي جهة. وجزء من العملية الديمقراطية التي تحملنا الكثير من اجلها هو احترام قرار الاغلبية التي اخترت نعم .

نحن - الذين رفضوا التعديلات - خسرنا المعركة وليس الحرب , والمعركة القادمة هي الانتخابات البرلمانية التي من المزمع إجراؤها خلال 60 يوم بحسب الاعلان الدستوري المتوقع بين ساعة وأخرى. فإذا يجب ان نعرف ماالذي جرى خطأ هذه المرة ؟

الإجابة هي : الكثير

أولا, قامت جماعة الاخوان المسلمين (الذين اثبتوا انهم في بعض الاحيان انهم لا هم "اخونا" و ولا هم بيتصرفوا تصرفات "المسلمين") بـبعض الالعاب اللتي توصف بـالقذرة , من استغلال بعض التفسيرات الخاطئة من اجل مصالحهم الشخصية إلى استغلال حاجة الفقراء إلى المال عن طريق شراء الأصوات و هي الطريقة المحفوظة ملكيتها إلى الحزب الوطني التي كانوا طالما يشتكون منها.

ثانيا, معظم الحملات من اجل اقناع الناس بـ "لا" بدأت متأخرة إلى حد ما, حيث انها لم تصل إلى معظم الناس الا متأخرة جدا قبل الاستفتاء .

ثالثا و الأهم,  لقد ركزت هذه الحملات على الميادين الخاطئة, معظمها تركزت على الانترنت و بخاصة على فسيبوك و توتير, في حين ان الساحة الحقيقية هي الشوارع وهي التي يسيطر عليها إلى درجة كبيرة الجماعات الدينية و فلول الحزب الوطني و ينجحون في اقناع الناس بـايدجولياتهم .

الخلاصة: المعركة القادمة هي الحاسمة ,البرلمان القادم هو الذي سوف يصوغ دستور جديد لذا فـيجب ان يعبر عنا و عن مطالبنا و امالنا. لذا فـيجب علينا ان نحاول الوصول إلى عدد أكبر من الناس, يجب علينا ترك كراسينا و كناباتنا و مكاتبنا و ننزل إلى الشارع من اجل الوصول إلى رَجل الشارع العادي.

المجتمع الالكتروني لا يمثل إلى نسبة صغيرة من الشعب, حيث ان معظم الشعب على غير دراية بـافكارنا و طموحاتنا لذا يجب العمل على تَغيير ثقافته و العمل على زيادة الوعي العام من ان أصواتهم ليست للبيع إلى ان رَجل الدين ليس بالضرورة أنه اكثرهم معرفة في الأمور الحياتية وانهم لابد ان يكونوا على دراية و فهم كامل لحقوقهم و واجباتهم .

وهذه النقطة بالاخص تنطبق على حملة البرادعي اللتي اراها في خطر. البرادعي يكتسح معظم الاستطلاعات على الإنترنت لكن في الشارع ليس له الشعبية أو القبول الكافي وهذا يعود إلى ماجرى من حملات التشهير وتلويث سمعة من قبل الحزب الوطني واعلموا القومي أثناء النظام الاسبق. فما حدث في المقطم هو ناقوس خطر وانذار مبكر لكي تبدأ حملته ترك توتير و النزول إلى الصوان.

الوقت ليس في صالحنا لكنه مازال ليس عامل ضدنا , فيجب التحرك فورا, 60 يوم ليست فترة كبيرة لكن يجب ان نتذكر دائما أنا مبارك رحل في 18 يوم فقط .

 ** عندما حصلت مصر على صفر المونديال الشهير كان بـسبب التقصير في الدعاية الخارجية و التركيز على الدعاية الداخلية اللتي لم تكون لتأتي لنا بالتنظيم بـأي حال من الأحوال, أي ان تمت الدعاية و البروباجندا في الوجهة الخاطئة , هذا هو الخطأ الذي يجب علينا ألا  نقع فيه مجددا.

Political Awareness Road Map

When the referendum outcome resulted in what seemed a shocking result for many -the fact of the big gap between Yes and No and the 60% of voting force who did not bother to participate-, many observers seemed to have detected the major fault which is the lack of communication between the internet and social media community and the average citizen in the street.

The whole idea of this campaign is not to convince people of a certain candidate,party or ideology, but simply informing them of their duties and their rights, as well as the basic principals of not being manipulated by false religious teachings or selling their voices and entrenching the notion that their voice counts.

Simply, the basic tactics of Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) or Network Marketing can be applied. Each one of us, the internet people or better say the better aware people will have to teach at least 2 people of these simple basics. By saying 2 people here we are mainly targeting the less privileged who are supposedly less politically aware due to lots of reason, like your housemaid, janitor, driver, doorman...etc

We all agree that we have to take it down to the streets at this stage, so try to engage in these conversations with random people in local coffee shops. public transport, cabs, work place..etc and do not waste time in debating with people who are already aware of this just to impose your opinion.

And after you finish your talk you will ask them to do the same with more people and etc... ("pay it forward" principle) so the numbers can increase exponentially in a short time.

We do not have time in our side, but it is still not too late.

We can hopefully have a snowball effect at the end.

A Personal Stance On Religious Groups

Ok, I've been heavily criticized for my last entry, some thought I was throwing responsibility on the religious groups for swinging the vote towards a Yes and passing the amendments. Well, I did and I didn't.

Of course I do not believe all who voted pro the amendments were under influence of these groups, nor do I ever accuse them of being ignorant or traitors; they had their own reasons which I totally respect and for the sake of the democracy I've always wanted to live in and I have to respect the outcome of the voting process.

Then whom am i against? I'm against everyone who happens to use people's weaknesses and needs for his own need and interests, like the Muslim Brotherhood who were always playing the victims's role during the last regime's reign and are now using the very same tactics they suffered from (200 LE were being distributed in certain areas to encourage people to vote for Yes, eyewitnesses reported).


I'm against intimidation tactics and using people's soft spot towards religion to lure them to a certain vote, though Mr.Essam El Eryan claimed on tv the infamous "voting for yes is a religious duty" wasn't from the MB, there were lots of them all over, i saw some of them in Nasr City and some acquaintances in Alexandria claim there were minivans circulating some areas of the city and playing out the same message from recorders.
So if you were so jealous for you religion, why didn't we ever see a poster encouraging people to pray or fast as they are religious duties too? why wasn't it a religious duty to vote Yes for Mubarak?

I'm against deliberately misinforming people and taking advantage of their ignorance, Mohamed Hussein Yaqoub (a Salafi imam) appeared on a video on youtube today congratulating the masses attending his sermon of a "victory for the people who voted for religion", to a vote that was about 9 articles of a constitution that did not even include the debatable Article 2 of the constitution.

I wont be considering some of the Islamic groups past doctrines of violence as they declared they revised their ideologies and now it is a new page. I believe them in this one and I wont be judging them depending on their past.

We've always been annoyed by what we hear that the Church directs its followers to certain political opinions, which might all be rumors afterall.

So, I do not want religion to interfere in scenes it does not fit to intervene in, as much as I do not want politics to harm religion by any means.

A famous saying  : Religion spoils politics and politics spoils religion.


**to this point I finished writing the original text, then i found some further interesting stuff so I felt obliged to add :

And here's a flyer asking to vote Yes lest a non-muslim president can rule us one day under a secular state that can come through a new constitution.

Just for the knowledge, the neither the constitution nor its amended version state that the president must be a muslim.

And here is a very moderate Imam (Sheikh Osama Al Qousy) who shows the true side of the religion, and in a way sums up some of what I wanted to say

Before It Is Too Late

I voted against the amendments , yet most reports show the result would be between a 65-75% "Yes" vote. We fought for our rights to choose and decide our own future without intervention or dictation from any party what so ever, and part of that democratic process we endured a lot to achieve is to accept the majority's decision, so yes we have to live with that "temporary constitutional announcement" that is due to be announced by Tuesday.

We -the No voters- lost the battle but not the war, the next battle will be the parliament elections which will probably be within 60 days of the announcement. What went wrong this time? A lot.
 First,the Muslim Brotherhood (who proved they deviate miles away from the doctrine of Islam and they are not our "brothers" at the end of the day), played some dirty tactics, from deliberately rephrasing certain interpretations of the religion for their own interest to bribing the needy, a practice copyrighted to their long time rival and superior the National Democratic Party.
Second, most of the No campaigning started late,quite late actually, or at least it started reaching the mainstream at a late stage.
Third and the most important, the battle field was the wrong one, most "No" campaigning took place online through social media and forums,whereas the real battlefield was the street where the NDP remnants and MB succeeded in luring people to their ideologies.

Bottom line: next battle is a decisive one, the parliament to be will phrase a new constitution, so it has to reflect our needs and demands, so we have to reach to more people.We all have to leave our sofas and cubicles and talk to real people -average Mo's- , the online community represents only a small portion of the population, most illiterates and uneducated are unaware of our ideas, we need to change their culture. We have to spread awareness; that their vote is not for sale, that the cleric and the devout do not always know best and they have to be aware of their duties as well as their rights.

The last point applies to ElBaradei campaigners too, he is sweeping most online polls and gained lots of support and endorsement from the intellects , but what happened today in Mokatam is a very strong alarm, the average citizen still hasn't changed his perception of him drawn by the NDP and the state media.
Its never too late for them though, but everything should start now before its too late.

Fight fire with fire, thats what they say for situations like these.

Our only hope: The Army

First thing that pops up in every Egyptian's mind when hearing this word is the 6 of October (Yum Kippur) war and the Egyptian army's heroics in 1973.But ever since that date we haven't really seen the army that much except for building a bridge or stadium every now and then here or there or helping helpless governments over the course of the last 38 years in some bread distribution problems.

But where was the army when we needed them most? On Thursday 10th of February, they held an urgent session of the Supreme Council of Armed Forces and announced the council will be in continuous session.What was different this time that the council was in session without the country's president who by law is the Supreme Commander of the armed forces, this was a sign that a minor coup was taking places or they were trying to pressure Mubarak to the hilts to step aside.On that particular day rumors were very wide spread across the nation that a coup was on its way, these rumors were fed by some claims that foreign embassies called for their nationals to leave immediately for fear of a coup and what instability that may follow.

However, next day Omar Suleiman-then VP- announced Mubarak's resignation and handing his powers to the supreme council, to this date no one is sure if he has done so by his on will or under pressure.My main point is not why or how it happened as this matter will be the subject of lots of debate for years to come and only history will tell one day.

What and how the army has been ruling and dealing with things ever since is a subject to lots of questions.Why is the army slow in decisions, why are they always some steps behind just like the old regime?why were they slow in the decisions of freezing the accounts of notoriously corrupt officials after most of the assets were already transferred?why are they keeping most of the public media administration still in its place?
Do they want people to still be fed lies? Why did they play a spectator's role at the storming of the State Security (SS) buildings and left people to leave with valuable and top secret and confidential documents and then demanded people to hand them over to them after they've already been leaked to the internet?

Most of the army's highest echelons were part of the toppled regime, maybe not literally part of it but at least they benefited from that regime's corruption and policies.So a guess is that they wanted these SS documents burnt and shredded and vanished forever lest they too get exposed.

I'm not saying there is a collusion here between the army and the regime, but the army too are looking for their best interest-and the country's best interest at the same time, people can not lose the faith and trust they gave the army, it is their last hope.And in my humble opinion, we can not make it to democracy or any other system without the army in our side.