Glued to my laptop, unable to unfix my eyes to anything but Twitter and Facebook, every bundle of tweets matters, the revolution in Egypt IS the history in the making nowadays.
Being dehumanized and terrorized on daily basis is something both Egyptians and Palestinians can relate to. Palestinians in Gaza, in particular, have been directly abused by the despotic regime of Mubarak. Overwhelmingly, support and prayers for the peaceful protests in Egypt are felt by the Palestinians, who see their freedom as an extension to the freedom of the Egyptians.
Words of support, and sharing the videos and photos of the bravery of young Egyptians against the brutal forces is all what we, the young Palestinians, can do to help the Egyptians. This reminds me in the time of the Gaza war, when the Egyptians defied to take the streets in support for their fellow Palestinians.
Amid the fast events that are hopefully changing the political landscape of the Middle East comes the “Palestine Papers”, what Al-Jazeera calls as the biggest revelation about the stillborn peace process and the complicity of the Palestinian Authority. These revelations are like knowing that one is killed, then being given a detailed anatomy on how the killing occurred.
The implications, and the aftermath of this dump of the documents are not clear yet. But the only thing I am sure of is that the first and the only victim is the everyday Palestinian. Caught between a corrupt, defragmented, useless leadership, and the bitterness of the Israeli Occupation, whatever these Palestine Papers reveal, I cannot see how the plight of the Palestinians will be alleviated by these disgraceful details.
The Palestinians are feeling betrayed and desperate. Unity between the two rivals Hamas and Fatah if it seemed farfetched, now it is almost impossible. These four days of intensive “expositions” hurt any trust left in in the PA, and Hamas alike.
Egyptians and Palestinians know very well how politicians across the region backed by the US millions of dollars care about t power more than the people. The Palestine Papers confirm that totalitarian regimes like the Mubarak and the PA will do anything to suppress any defiance the people show.
Both Palestinians and Egyptians want to live in freedom and dignity, too. The Egyptians waited 30 years to revolt; we live in times where the power is coming to back the people.
Tunisia has been a great inspiration for the people across the region whose generations almost never witnessed change, or democracy.
People across the Middle East are watching hope for change being revived by these valiant emerging revolutions. Tunisia did it, Egypt and Yemen will do it. And it’s up for the Palestinians to restore their dignity and their freedom.
Lina Al-Sharif, 22, studies English literature at the Islamic University in Gaza. She blogs at http://livefromgaza.wordpress.com/.
Lovely writing ya Lina. Allah ya’teek al afya.
“We live in times where the power is coming to back the people”
…and thank heavens for that, because governments have screwed up like never before in the last decade. Revolution has become self-defence for citizens and if western government don’t wise up they’ll cop it too.
We even have a few signs of this peoples’ awakening in the USA; Rand Paul told Wolf Blitzer on CNN we need to cut foreign aid to Israel (and other states there, such as Egypt) because we cannot afford it, especially since it’s stupid to keep funding the arms race in the Middle East. First Wolf tried to smear Rand Paul as a rascist by asking him if we should end humanitarian aid to Africa, but Paul was too quick for the old AIPACer Wolf; Paul responded that most of such aid goes to local tyrants and never gets to the people; Paul also mentioned specific things he has done to help various African peoples. Then Wolf hit Paul with the Israel question. So Paul put the idea out there that aid to Israel should not be immune from cuts, even though, Paul recited, “its the only democracy in the Middle East.” Maybe, at long last, aid to Israel will be a subject finally trickling down to the unwashed American masses? If so, wait until they get a load of the details on our “special relationship.” That is, just how “special” it really is, and has been for ages.
C Span Washington Journal’s morning question was, “What should be the role of US in the Arab states where young people are protesting?”
First caller was a hero:
Ron, from Miami: “The problem with all of the Arab countries surrounding Israel is we set up these puppet governments . . .in the interests of Israel and not in the interests of the people *** who want democracy.”
the *** marks the point at which Susan Swain, moderator, cut in:
Susan: “So what is the interest of the people?”
Ron: “The interest of the people is they want a democratic society. And all these regimes that the United States and Israel support is there only to protect Israel. Please watch Democracy Now, Amy Goodman, and please watch Mosaic news from the Middle East — late night TV, because that’s when you get the real news.”
Susan Swain is just about the best of the Washington Journal moderators.
I’m still fine-combing the entire 45 minute segment. Quick-and-dirty assessment from the first hearing is that most of the callers were abysmally stupid and misinformed (how could they help but be otherwise?). There is a lot of work to be done to find out what the attitudes are, figure out a way to turn them around to an honest and truthful assessment, and find the venues and fora to do so.
NPR was worse than abysmal. Jeffrey Feltman was given a sound byte, as if he had something intelligent, much less just or unbloody to contribute to aiding Tunisians. NPR followed up with a clip from Robert Kagan. In this forum, no one has to explain why that’s a kiss of death, but listeners who don’t have time to dig deeper might be seduced to think Kagan & Feltman are good for Tunisian and Egyptian hopes for autonomy and self-government; they are not.
The fall of Hosni is going to be brutal for Israel’s PR image. The American people are going to find out some very unpalatable truths about “the only democracy in the Middle East”. This is why the US rearguard action is so desperate.
C Span is re-airing its morning segment; I was wrong in my “abysmal” characterization of most callers: upon listening a second time, I heard many, many callers say, “we should stop meddling.”
My brain was inflamed when a Tweet was read that stated that Arabs have been stupid for 1500 years, they’re finally waking up . . . , and another caller said, “the same thing should happen in Iran, the people are getting more educated . . .” It is a fact demonstrated by polls that Iranians and Arabs know far more about the US and its government than the US knows about the states in the Middle East.
The fury those message evoked in me colored my reactions to the whole segment.
“Revolution has become self-defence for citizens and if western government don’t wise up they’ll cop it too.”
This is quite interesting, it seems to be some sort of disconnect – however I get the feeling that it is something that is broadly shared. It is like saying that the ones who specifically committed these acts over decades are worthy to be overthrown by revolution, but not the ones who have bankrolled and participated in making such dictators a reality. If the puppets are worthy of resistance to the point of revolution why let the puppet masters off the hook? If the recipients of such largess and supplies for oppression are guilty as charged, why not the primary accomplices?
“…because governments have screwed up like never before in the last decade.”
No, they made no mistakes, they have specifically and carefully planned that such activity by their men in Tunisia, Egypt, Palestine, Israel _____________ fill in the blank, transpired over the decade, actually well over hundreds of years. They have no plans to change, and they more than any foreign country need to face and experience the wrath of the people through a revolution which will wipe them like scum off of the face of the earth – NOW
DON’T BE DECEIVED BY THE ILLUSION
If the puppets are worthy of revolution , how much more the primary sources?
I understand what you’re saying VR but the bankrollers of war/terror/environmental destruction etc. are a lot harder to make accountable than politicians – without resorting to vigilantism. As much as I would like to waterboard Cheney I don’t think that sort of justice is called for, just yet.
There was a time when our government(s) feared their citizens (and consequently acted responsibly – more so than today, anyway) and it’s only because they stopped that things have gotten so out of control. It goes back further than the last decade too, obviously – much further. We need to get back to a situation where politicians are terrified into doing their jobs (honestly) because if they don’t they’re prosecuted. Perhaps an evolution of social media + wikileaks-style ultra-transparency can deliver us that.
Don’t deceive yourselves, the people should understand that they are in a global battle and follow suit everywhere –
GLOBAL WAR OF IDEAS
What bothers me in particular is that the US Gov has taken away so many rights in the last decade (specifically) that Americans are actually much closer to Mubarak-style government than they realise.
Joe Biden claiming that Mubarak is not a dictator, after Mubarak shut down the internet in Egypt, suggests that US leaders have similar martial law contingency plans complete with ‘internet kill switch,’ if the peeps get stroppy.
Birds of a feather hang together. With friends like Mubarak, the US global military empire is showing its anti-democratic true colors. We are the Soviets now, comrades.
They think it’s for there own good; they never imagine the slippery slope because they think they are good Americans. Who needs due process or the Fourth Amendment if you’re living properly? Homeland security is just after the bad guys, you know, those people who want to install Sharia law here and bury the baby Jesus?
These revelations are like knowing that one is killed, then being given a detailed anatomy on how the killing occurred.
tortured over decades
John “the mustache” Bolton, tentative candidate for POTUS, is now on Fox News being interviewed. He’s blaming the uprising in Egypt on the Muslim Brotherhood, who, he says, wants to install Sharia Law. Says the Obama regime should remain prudently silent. Tells us too that the protesters climbing onto police water cannon vehicles and tanks cannot be assumed to be seeking democracy. Bolton’s an original underwriter of PNAC, a suppressor of the evidence the US regime attacked Iraq with knowledge there were no WMDs there; and Bolton is especially loved by Zionists who remembered he led the attack on the UN resolution saying Zionism is Racism.
He’s like so many in Washington. Flamingly ignorant and given a megaphone for his total, total nonsense. At least when I read things like this, I KNOW I’m not the crazy one.
Fox News is stressing that Egypt “is one of our key allies in the Middle East.”
“It is the second largest recipient of US foreign aid.” (No mention of Israel as the first) Obama said he considers Egypt a main ally because “they made peace with Israel.” Talking head goes on to say “it’s not the first time the USA had to respond to street protests “against a repressive regime.” Hillary is about to speak; she’s been chatting with her Egyptian counterpart….
Some one interveiwed says he’s astonished Beiden was on tv last night praising Mubarak; says the US should be silent for now (same as John Bolton says).
Hillary: Both sides should refrain from violence; we support the universal rights of Egptians; we want the Egyptian authority to allow peaceful protest and quit the cut-of of free speech avenues. Reform is critical to Egypt, an important parter of US; as a partner US says Egyptian government needs to engage reform with its own people. We want to parter with both the Egyptian government and its people in the interest of human rights. Leaders need to view civil society as a partner, not a threat.
The message from Egyptian civil society is that they have no partner for reform in the discredited Mubarak torture regime. There won’t be a partner until elections can be held to select a new leader.
From Brian Whitaker, the Guardian: Israel should henceforth be referred to as “the only democracy in the Middle East that supports dictators”