tagged w/ #Egypt
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f you check 'million man march' hashtag on Twitter, you'll find that another huge demonstration is planned in Tahrir Square on April 1, 2011. It was probably a matter of time until such an action would be called for, as there has been huge dissatisfaction among the 25 January Youth Coalition, responsible for the downfall of Egypt's dictator, Hosni Mubarak.
Facebook has a brand new page devoted to the event, but it is in Arabic. If you use Google tools, it's easily translated into English. What are they asking for?
They have posted their demands on the page, which are the following:
Expedite the trial of three evil and corrupt Mubarakites: Zakaria Azmi (former leading figure of the NDP), (Safwat al-Sherifformer NDP secretary general ) and Fathi Sorour (former speaker of the dissolved parliament).
Elimination of the National Democratic Party who is responsible for the of devastation and corruption in our country.
Free Egypt of all corrupt institutions which include State media, educational, security, economic, administrative, and social factions who are anti-revolution and who mislead our people and do not contribute to their awareness.f you check 'million man march' hashtag on Twitter, you'll find that... more
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The Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) which has been ruling Egypt since Mubarak's ouster of February 11th has been issuing conflicting statements regarding the upcoming presidential elections.
The SCAF's original statement had been to hold parliamentary and presidential elections by September 2011. One of the loudest voices rejecting this short transition period has been former IAEA chief Mohammed ElBaradei. Though the military denied today that there was a possibility that presidential elections would be postponed until 2012, Al-masry-al-youm, one of Egypt's top dailies, learned that a strong trend within the SCAF indicated that the creation of a new constitution prior to holding presidential elections was seen as extremely important.
This is precisely what ElBaradei stands for and is tweeting to all of his followers. The Nobel Prize laureate said that 'the road to democracy should first start with a transitional constitution to temporarily run the country before developing a new one, followed by presidential and parliamentary elections'.The Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) which has been ruling Egypt since... more
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An Egyptian committee set up to investigate the violence during the demonstrations that toppled Hosni Mubarak filed charges against the former president and his Minister of Interior, Habib al-Adli on Wednesday, of intentionally killing demonstrators. Over 380 people died during the uprising in Tahrir Square and more than 6000, some of whom were affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, were wounded by tear gas, rubber bullets, live ammunition and water cannons.
According to Egypt's oldest daily, al-Ahram, the fact-finding committee submitted its charges to the Public Prosecutor, accusing Mubarak as head of the government as being 'criminally responsible for the death of the protesters.' The Public Prosecutor later referred Habib al-Adli and four other high-ranking officers for trial on charges of killing protesters, disrupting stability and of spreading 'chaos in the country' that harmed Egypt's economy, a statement said.
Ismail al-Shaer, Adly Fayed, Ahmed Ramzi and Hassan Abdel Rahman, all security chiefs who were detained on March 11 for allegedly allowing the shooting of protesters were also indicted.
http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/mubarak-al-adly-accused-of-premeditated-murder-of-protestersAn Egyptian committee set up to investigate the violence during the demonstrations... more
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Following US Secretary Clinton's visit to Egypt last week, Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived unannounced in Egypt today to hold talks with Egypt's interim Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, as well as meet with his counterpart, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi.
Upon arrival, Secretary Gates was greeted by Egyptian Maj. Gen. Hassan al-Roueini, military commander for the Cairo area. His trip comes after weeks of telephone conversations with Tantawi, which began with the very first protests calling for Mubarak's ouster to the present. He is expected to urge his hosts to continue the peaceful move toward democratic reform, as well as update Tantawi on military operations in Libya.
Not wanting to offer criticism, Gates indicated that Egyptians needed time to develop political parties, which is an argument in line with most Egyptians who feel that the proposed timetable is too tight and will favor the Muslim Brotherhood and whatever remains of the NDP. However, Gates refused to 'second guess' the election schedule charted by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.Following US Secretary Clinton's visit to Egypt last week, Defense Secretary... more
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If the US wants to keep a low profile as events develop in the Middle East and North Africa, especially Egypt, it has succeeded to do just that on the surface. When Wikileaks unleashed a torrent of diplomatic cables relating to US foreign affairs, it did not forget to publish cables which confirmed that although the US supported the Mubarak regime, it simultaneously was lending support, as far back as 2008, to pro-democracy groups.
The cable outlines how the State Department helped an Egyptian pro-democracy activist attend a "Youth Movements Summit" in New York and how the unnamed activist presented an "unwritten plan for democratic transition in 2011."
While this particular leak speaks of only one activist, there have been many other 'visits' to the United States by Egyptian activists, and the then-nameless revolutionaries created a Facebook "event" for January 25, like those for birthday parties or dinner gatherings.Can we say the rest is history? Not yet.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Under the radar: Egypt's protest organizer comes to Washington DC - National Foreign Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/under-the-radar-egypt-s-protest-organizer-comes-to-washington-dc#ixzz1GIzUptk7If the US wants to keep a low profile as events develop in the Middle East and North... more
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The 2011 Left Forum is only 10 days away, and its panel roster has swollen to over 300! Its seventh annual gathering will be held at Pace University, New York, March 18th through March 20th, and will feature some of the greatest literati of our generation.
As its name implies, its existence is to insure that we live in a more equitable society, where intellectuals and organizers share perspectives, strategies, experience and vision. One could say that it's the North American answer to the elitist Davos gathering in Switzerland. For a more in-depth 'about us', please click on this link.
Dates: March 18-20th, 2011
Where: 1 Pace Plaza, New York, NY
To register for the conference
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Upcoming Left Forum examines issues in Egypt, Tunisia and other Arab countries - National Foreign Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/upcoming-left-forum-examines-issues-egypt-tunisia-and-other-arab-countries#ixzz1G1PdDGuBThe 2011 Left Forum is only 10 days away, and its panel roster has swollen to over... more
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On Tuesday, March 8th, the world celebrates International Women's Day. But for Egypt, this day will have an extra bit of flavor and meaning: activists are calling for women's voices to be heard and counted in the creation of Egypt's new constitution, as well as passing legislation to enable gender equality; another extremely important issue is the abolishing of Shariah law, which is article 2 of the current constitution, which, by its very nature, nullifies women's rights.
At 3PM, the march will begin at Cairo's Tahrir Square, now the immortal symbol of the January 25th revolution. On Twitter, women are also inviting men to come and march along with them.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Egyptian women will demand equal rights at their Million Woman March - National Foreign Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/egyptian-women-will-demand-equal-rights-at-their-million-woman-march#ixzz1Fy6SsMpWOn Tuesday, March 8th, the world celebrates International Women's Day. But for... more
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My Sunday's twitter tape on Egypt saw a burst of activity about 3 hours ago, and it has since gotten slower, but there is still some shocking developments which need to be reported.
Though Hosni Mubarak is no longer president of Egypt, and certain changes have taken place, what is called Amn al Dawla, or security police, is still very much active and 'kicking' so to speak.
As calls for the abolishing of the institution continue, yesterday and today, as reported ipsnews.net, the much feared secret police and intelligence service that protected the Mubarak's regime by arresting, torturing and even killing opponents has started a wave of burning documents and evidence that could incriminate them.
The Amn al Dawla main office lies about 30 kms. outside of Cairo, where protesters had circled the building and tried to salvage files which contained records of human rights abuses. Security police decided to open fire on unarmed protesters. A similar scene could be found in Alexandria, where gunshot wounds injuries were reported; eyewitnesses in Alexandria told local TV stations that officers cornered inside the building opened fire on the protesters.
This was the first twitter I read which set off an alarm: (I purposely left out the names of the tweeters)
- promoted to top tweet -ALERT: Unarmed protesters under attack at Min of Interior Cairo by military and thugs. Shooting reported. #AmnDawla HELP! 4 hours ago.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Egypt's Amn Al Dawla security police turn on Egyptian civilians - National Foreign Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/egypt-s-state-security-police-and-army-are-losing-the-people-s-trust#ixzz1FrPPvUN8My Sunday's twitter tape on Egypt saw a burst of activity about 3 hours ago, and... more
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The store is called Kryptonite Toys, and it opened last week in Heliopolis as Egyptians were still basking in the glow of their successful demonstrations to unseat their 30-year long president, Hosni Mubarak.
The owners of the new bookstore explained that the story behind the store is a classic 'if you want something done, you have to do it yourself.' They were undoubtedly buoyed by Egypt's new 'yes we can' mantra. They had waited a very long time for such a store to open, and realized that it was time to take matters into their own hands.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Egypt's very first comic bookstore opens in Heliopolis - National Foreign Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/egypt-s-very-first-comic-bookstore-opens-heliopolis#ixzz1FOZEp2lFThe store is called Kryptonite Toys, and it opened last week in Heliopolis as... more
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No one can forget the images broadcast on January 28 by satellite television channels of a US embassy vehicle driving across a street in Cairo running over demonstrators. Eye witnesses stated that Major General Ismail El-Shaer, former head of Cairo’s security and assistant of the former interior minister, was driving the car.
On February 16th, 2011, we learned that Egypt's ruling military council had fired two senior security officials for their role in the decision to open fire on pro-democracy demonstrators during the uprising. One of those officials was Major General Ismail El-Shaer. The report said their dismissal was aimed at appeasing public anger against the security forces that the Mubarak government used to stifle dissent.
On Friday, February 15th, the Muslim Brotherhood’s website, under the ‘torture’ subheading, released a report titled ‘US Ambassador Scobey accused of Deliberate Killing of Egyptians’. Not a single Western news outlet or media picked up this accusation until today, when an article penned by the French website alterinfo.net released a more detailed version of the events. There was absolutely nothing about this development from the US State Department.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Egypt's US Ambassador Scobey accused of Killing of Egyptians - National Foreign Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/egypt-s-us-ambassador-scobey#ixzz1FBrImr39No one can forget the images broadcast on January 28 by satellite television channels... more
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On February 16th, Wael Ghonim sat down for an interview in Cairo with Bloomberg News. He is no longer anonymous, and is now equated with having been the catalyst behind the revolution in Egypt which brought about the fall of President Hosni Mubarak. He is Google's Marketing Manager for the Middle East, and though Egyptian, he lives and works in Dubai. He returned to Egypt to participate in the 'people's demonstrations' in Tahrir Square, where he was abducted by security forces, and held for 12 days. He has been hailed a hero by many, but remains modest and quite optimistic about Egypt's future.
It was very surprising to find that this interview was viewed less than 25 times. Perhaps shorter clips of it were viewed through other channels, however, it did not go viral in the way that Ghonim's interview with CNN had or his interview in Arabic with Dream TV had, once it was translated to English.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Bloomberg News talks to Wael Ghonim about rebuilding Egypt - National Foreign Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/bloomberg-news-talks-to-wael-ghonim-about-rebuilding-egypt#
Ghonim on Rebuilding Egypt's Economy, Returning to Work: VideoUploaded by Bloomberg. - News videos from around the world.On February 16th, Wael Ghonim sat down for an interview in Cairo with Bloomberg News.... more
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Though I have not verified every single news publication on the formation of this 'new cabinet', I have looked at Ha'aretz, Voice of America and Al Masry Al Youm, all respectable and reputable sources. They are unanimous in their assessment of today's announcement of the country's new cabinet in that it is merely a reshuffle of the cards in the old deck. And the loudest protests came from the 4000 who assembled in Tahrir Square today to demand for a complete change in the cabinet, starting with Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq.
According to al-Masry-al-youm, Wagih Afify Salama, director of the Arabic Center for Strategic and Political Studies, joined the protesters in support of their demands. These protesters appear to have come out spontaneously, and were not organized by the #jan25 group who are planning a large demonstration this Friday, anticipated to count a million marchers.
Voice of America dropped a note of optimism about the reshuffle, indicating that it was the first time in decades that politicians who had been opposed to the former president's rule were appointed to the cabinet.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Egypt's new cabinet appointments are a mockery - National Foreign Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/egypt-s-new-cabinet-appointments-are-a-mockery#ixzz1EkFaboUhThough I have not verified every single news publication on the formation of this... more
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Leaders and supporters of the revolution are aware that this is far from over, and that there may be leftover elements from the Mubarak regime that are in place to ‘guard and protect’ the ruling figures of the police state that was Egypt.
In a provocative oped dated February 21, 2011, Egyptian intellectual Mohamed Hassanein Heikal implied that there may be guidance coming from Sharm-el-Sheikh, where it has been reported that Mubarak is at times in a coma, and at others in good health and enjoying breakfast by the seaside. He indicated that there may be collusion going on between Mubarak and ‘external and regional’ factors in an attempt to take over the revolution.
He is not alone in this line of thinking, where Egyptian journalist Gamal Fahmi eyed with suspicion the excited claims and reactions of union workers following Mubarak’s resignation. Union workers have always been headed by Mubarak's security services. He was quoted as saying: ‘Mubarak’s presence in Egypt made for an attractive environment for all the forces that took advantage of his power. A board of counter-command revolutionaries was set up in Sharm-el-Sheikh, with the help of external forces, headed by Israel.’
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Is there a counter-revolutionary movement happening in Egypt? - National Foreign Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/is-there-a-counter-revolutionary-movement-happening-egypt#ixzz1EdpcF77SLeaders and supporters of the revolution are aware that this is far from over, and... more
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This small group of dedicated Egyptians was introduced to our readers a week ago when they began their campaign to clean up the city of Alexandria. Since that report, they've had an esthetic change on their Facebook page and have clarified their purpose. Their last organized clean up effort took place less than 24 hours ago, which included their Shentat el Heer (translated loosely as a goody bag, or a bag of happiness) where volunteers were stuffing bags with foodstuffs for the needy.
They refer to themselves as a charity group, not affiliated to any political party or NGO.
Our mission is to move our country into a new era of prosperity and progress, and improvement of social affairs at all levels and segments of society, especially for those who are below average living standards.
What they've accomplished thus far is remove approximately 38 million tons of rubbish from these neighborhoods in Alexandria: Gilliam, Camp Caesar, Moharam Bey, Miami, Manshia and Atarin
Continue reading on Examiner.com: In photos: Be positive and join the change continue the clean up of Alexandria - National Foreign Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/in-photos-be-positive-and-join-the-change-continue-the-clean-up-of-alexandria#ixzz1EcDW7hMMThis small group of dedicated Egyptians was introduced to our readers a week ago when... more
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The recent heinous event of CBS war correspondent Lara Logan’s beating and subsequent rape by a mad group of Egyptian soldiers has opened the debate of women and their plight in Egyptian society.
Women’s Lens has been following this plight as far back as 2008, and recommends the reading of the following articles to get a better understanding of the sexual harassment phenomenon in Cairo.
Chilling sexual harassment on tour of Egypt - sexual harassment is not limited to Egyptian women. (10/12//2008). As the editor, I penned the following note:
If the government and the Egyptians themselves don't realize that all of this, and more of what you'll read is proportionately a direct result of the islamization of the country, then they might as well bring down the curtain. All of this covering up, this return to a fundamentalism that was absent in the Egypt I grew up in is unhealthy. It matters little that it can be ascribed to dogma picked up in Saudi Arabia while Egyptians went there for work during shortages in Egypt. It should have been "nipped in the bud" as it started to rear its ugly head, and look where it has taken the country.. backwards.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Sexual harassment in Egypt commensurate with rise of Islamic influence - National Foreign Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/sexual-harassment-egypt-commensurate-with-rise-of-islamic-influence#ixzz1EWgBoYCBThe recent heinous event of CBS war correspondent Lara Logan’s beating and... more
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George Soros in a multi-billionaire investor, pro-open society activist, investment banker who puts his money where his mouth is. He has given billions of dollars of his own money to support democracy and open societies around the world, and was a guest on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS this Sunday morning.
Soros is a Hungarian holocaust survivor, and lived to see the day the USSR fell. He was very much involved in helping former Soviet satellite states gain their own footing. When asked by Zakaria is the tremors in the Arab World can be compared to the 1989-1991 years of the Soviet collapse, Soros does say that this moment is certainly historic. He adds that if the Bush/Cheney apparatus had been in power, a smooth and relatively bloodless transition of power could not have taken place in Egypt.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Fareed Zakaria talks to George Soros about recent events in the Middle East - National Foreign Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/fareed-zakaria-talks-to-george-soros-about-recent-events-the-middle-east#ixzz1EWJRWGBDGeorge Soros in a multi-billionaire investor, pro-open society activist, investment... more
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International human rights group Amnesty International is still waiting for a report from the Egyptian armed forces regarding the status of detainees not found guilty of having committed any crimes. On February 10, 2011, it alleged that at least 119 people were detained by the army and at least five people were tortured. By other estimates those numbers are well into the hundreds. Today, an Egyptian military source has denied Amnesty's allegations regarding unlawful arrest and torture. At the same time on Thursday, Amnesty declared that it had received 'reports from a number of demonstrators who claimed they had been arrested and tortured by elements of the armed forces in the last few days of the protests.'
The same military source indicated that current detainees were being investigated, and that those found innocent during the recent demonstrations would be released.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Egyptian army still detaining protesters; denies torture claims - National Foreign Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/egyptian-army-still-detaining-protesters-denies-torture-claims#ixzz1EGS6Gga1International human rights group Amnesty International is still waiting for a report... more
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Twenty minutes ago, on the MSNBC Rachel Maddow Show, we saw ABC news correspondent Miguel Marquez in Pearl Square covering the protests in Manama, Bahrain.
Suddenly, Marquez was being attacked by thugs with billy clubs as he was speaking on the telephone to his home office. We heard him yelling:
'Hey! I'm a journalist here! I'm going! I'm going! I'm going! I'm going! ... I'm hit, I just got beat rather badly by a gang of thugs. I'm now in a marketplace near our hotel where people are cowering in buildings. (pause). I mean, these people are not screwing around. They're going to clear that square, tonight, ahead of any protest, on Friday. The government clearly does not want this to get any bigger.'
Protests are continuing, despite an apology on Tuesday from the king over two civilian deaths resulting from police firing. Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa not only apologized but promised an investigation into the killings. There has been a third death in the meantime.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: ABC reporter beaten during Bahrain demonstration; protesters hold ground - National Foreign Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/abc-reporter-beaten-during-bahrain-demonstration-protesters-hold-ground#ixzz1EBTtDxtXTwenty minutes ago, on the MSNBC Rachel Maddow Show, we saw ABC news correspondent... more
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The day after the resignation of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, the Forum of Independent Human Rights Organizations issued a statement congratulating the citizens of Egypt for having successfully deposed a dictator. The Forum was always mindful to pay tribute to those that had died during and leading up to the 18-day uprising and the youth movement that outmaneuvered Mubarak's regime to bring it down. It also praised the Egyptian armed forces for having acted as a buffer between the brutality of Egyptian police and the peaceful demonstrators, and at the same time, urging the military to effect transfer of power to a civilian body as soon as possible.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Egypt's 'Road map for a Nation of Rights and the Rule of Law' - National Foreign Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/egypt-s-road-map-for-a-nation-of-rights-and-the-rule-of-law#ixzz1E28hRJOdThe day after the resignation of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, the Forum of... more
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JStreet is a pro-peace Jewish lobby which was created to counter the 'ask-no-question' advocacy of AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee). Its annual conference begins at the end of February, and we have just learned that Egyptian speaker and columnist Mona Eltahawy will be attending. In the aftermath of Egyptian President Mubarak's resignation, J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami issued the following statement.
J Street welcomes the announcement that Hosni Mubarak has stepped down as President of Egypt.
We applaud the bravery of the Egyptian people who have inspired the world through their nonviolent movement to secure an Egypt that guarantees representative government, opportunity and dignity.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: JStreet releases statement on Mubarak resignation - National Foreign Policy | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/foreign-policy-in-national/jstreet-releases-statement-on-mubarak-resignation#ixzz1DmCWcMLTJStreet is a pro-peace Jewish lobby which was created to counter the... more
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