25 January 2015 – 4th anniversary

Instead of repeating again what has gone wrong, I would like to publish a photo:

It shows the uproar of 25^th January 2011, the demand for bread, freedom and justice. I discovered this copper plate during my visit at The Urban Centre forWomen in Luxor.

Many have lost all hope; some continue fighting for their basic human rights.

A coin recounts

Following the present homicidal events in Palestine, we can hardly imagine that once upon a time, there was unity - even in politics. The coin here is a proof:

Yet how far away are we from those days!

Who is the owner of the holy land?

Here's a video, that shows in a sarcastic way who became the rulers of Palestine and how he reached that position:

I found this on: Free Arabs. 

Butchering in the Gaza strip

This morning, I had already started a text about Israel and Hamas, but soon I deleted it. Yet now, I cannot contain myself anymore:

Only today, at least hundred civilians (that are real human beings: babies, small children, teenies, mothers, fathers, elderly, disabled!!!!) have been wilfully butchered. The pictures show cruelty, they show people seeking shelter in basements. I cannot understand why nobody wants or can stop those lunatics… or should they not be stopped at all? Hamas sacrifices Palestinians and Israel does the same. Do human lives not count at all in politics? Do we live in the darkest middle age? Who gains from this slaughter? Spontaneously, I see: jihadists, especially IS (the new Islamic State that is in my view the next, most serious danger outside of the region). Hence, Hamas is digging its own grave and Israel provokes a savage war.

The attacks are happening in Ramadan, the holy month of the Muslims – this is like our Christmas and Easter. Hundreds of thousands have fled to where ever and several hundreds of Palestinians were killed these days by Israelis.

The Near and Middle East hosts already enough extremist and jihadist-groups and their hateful worriers with Al Qaida, Ansar Bait El-Maqdis, the Muslim Brothers, IS, Jabhat Al Nusra, Hamas and others.

Hate breeds only more hate. How hateful must the Palestinians be with good reason? By this butchering, only more hate will be incited and more bloodthirsty jihadists will be born!

Does nobody really see the danger coming from the Near and Middle East for the adjacent regions? Is the West so happy that all the jihadists bustle in this region and that they have allegedly got rid of them? The shot might sooner or later turn to be a boomerang. Nobody intervenes, to beware Palestinians, Syrians and Iraqis from these extremists – this won’t go well for long. Beware of what lies ahead of us!

Addition:

http://muftah.org/38-reasons-support-bds-movement/#.U8wnbfl_uSp

The ultimate inhumanity show Israelis, sitting outside in the evening, watching rocks bursting in the Gaza strip and cheering them as well as celebrating each dead Palestinian.

How lowlife!

I feel ashamed about the silent Western politicians!

Deutsch

The small difference: to act or to look away

Hundreds of Millions of people are watching on TV these days, how 22 men are scrapping over a ball. The event is called World Football Championship and is a huge money factory orchestrated by the media. With the half-finals at the latest, even those fall for it that usually don’t care about this ball game. Everybody watches.

Overestimated intelligence

(published on my German blog on March 27, 2014)

So he does: El Sisi is running for the presidential elections. Many Egyptians argue that he is very clever and intelligent. Each time, I used to answer that if he was really that clever and intelligent, he would not run for the presidential elections. He may have been a good defence minister. However, this does NOT guarantee that he will also be a good president.

But he does. What a pity. I would have thought him to be cleverer. Sooner or later he will fail. The problems to be resolved are enormous. In addition, he raises too many hopes and once these hopes are deceived, the people will revolt once more.

Finally, if he IS that clever, how come that he is willing to participate in another round of fake elections?

Oh dear, what more Egypt has to face.

Bombings for breakfast, lunch and supper

Here I am, having breakfast and reading the news… in addition to coffee and muesli, internet serves bomb attacks. The most serious one probably occurred at the police headquarter in Cairo. Several people got killed and injured. In addition, the Islamic Museum and its (hardly protected) pieces were damaged.

And the day went on the same way: until now, four bombings have been sparked off. Again, innocents have been killed and injured. Again, the police have arrested hundreds… just any who happened to be nearby, who was graspable. Allegedly, Wael Ghonim’s brother has also been arrested. The police and the army have everything, i.e. everybody under control, everybody, except those that are really dangerous.

Of course, the Muslim Brothers are being accused again. Of course, more hate is being spread and herds of blind and brainless people follow the calls: down with the Muslim Brothers, down with the Americans, down with traitors and spies!!!!

A mob, incited and blinded by hatred (against whom?????), attacked a German camera team today. They can boast themselves for their headlines today and for having something exciting to show to their viewers that are longing for disasters and violence. A documentary about Egypt’s beauties that can already be sensed a couple of kilometres outside Cairo would be far too banal! Well, that’s how the media business works.

Police and army are on top of things. Welcome in the police state of Egypt. Violence breeds more violence – why do the rulers not take it in??? And why do they not learn that sooner or later they will succumb to violence as well?

I do admit, I’m down. Let alone the assault on the German journalists and their dramatic coverage will give another blow to tourism…

All this happened today, the day before the third anniversary of January 25, that day, when Egypt rose as one against the police state and the world rubbed its eyes in disbelief…

What will happen tomorrow???? More bombings?

Deutsch 

Full of hope

(posted on my German blog on 14 January 2014)

Watching the photos on internet giving impressions of the first day of the referendum over the revised constitution, and listening to what my Egyptian acquaintances say, my eyes fill with tears.

The people say „Yes“ because they finally wish serenity and peace in their country. They are fed up with the demonstrations, the religious representatives’ promises and the bombings. They are tired and exhausted after three years full of hope and fight – that seem completely useless at the moment. They want to live, laugh and work again. They want to eat, drink and sing again. They want to discuss football and not politics.

Who can blame them???

Last year, my guard said with zest that Morsy got rid of the army and everything will be fine – Insha’Allah. Today, he said with zest, everything will be fine – Insha’Allah – and the army is no problem. Freedom will come gradually. – I can understand him and the other 50 million…

Deutsch

Shut up

(posted on my German blog on 12 January 2014)

Egypt is heading back with giant steps into a repressive past. Those who are not with them, are against them, is declared to be a traitor and silenced.

The „protest law“ that has been launched recently does not only aim to curb the demonstrations of the Muslim Brotherhood which have become a routine, and to take violent measures against them. It also silences the opponents of the present regime. Who are the opponents? What are the holders of power afraid of?

Currently, dozens of famous and hundreds of less renowned activists are jailed. They are those courageous ones that were the driving force of the uproar of 25 January 2011. Other thousands of innocents who were sitting, standing or walking in the wrong place at the wrong time, in addition to journalists, Muslim Brothers and other “state enemies” are locked up as well. The activists are accused to have demonstrated without prior permission, to have called for protests or – even worse – to have damaged state property or to have attacked the police. The one who speaks up is at risk of finding himself in the hands of the police. During the retrial of Khaled Said’s murder, a poet was conducted away by the police; some protestors held signs demanding justice (for Khaled Said) in front of the court house. When the police arrested some of them, the poet asked a police officer “why do you arrest them?”? Now, he too, is jailed (Masr El-Youm, 7.1.2014).

Millions of pounds are spent on banners hung up all over the country, inviting the people to say “Yes” on tomorrow’s referendum over the revised constitution. Yet, the handful of people that distributed flyers calling to vote against the constitution was arrested. The regime is scared of those who disagree. Not to mention the fact that with the wasted money many people in need could have benefitted. The money is wasted because the constitution will be accepted anyway. Or does anybody doubt it?

I was warned by an acquaintance: I should take care where I comment. Indeed, I was virtually attacked and insulted when I expressed my doubts over the substance of the news. According to the mishmash that has been spread by the media for months, the police constantly discovers planned bomb attacks, spies terror cells, kills terrorists, prevents a 12 year old from blowing himself up, and detects hidden bombs. Not all of this can be true. First, I did not even understand the reason for being branded. However reality is: who is not backing the present (and old) regime, i.e. who does not rejoice with the majority, is either a MB supporter or a spy funded from abroad. Anyway, he/she is a hypocrite and someone who hasn’t got a clue about Egypt. I don’t, that’s true; but I watch and listen. And then, I think and this is anyway already too much.

The majority in particular does not want to think, but to follow a hero who guides them to paradise – in Egypt this means stability, security and away from the misery. Whoever promises this will be hailed as a hero and unquestioningly followed. Thereby, they fall from one trap into another. The one, who dislikes it, is an opponent who has to be locked up so that he/she never ever comes up again with the idea of inciting uproar.

I wonder: how strong is such a regime that is scared of its own people? Meanwhile, the minority waits and keeps silent. Sooner or later, this will change again and the majority will realise that it had fallen into a trap. After the uproar is before the uproar - despite repression and violence.

Deutsch

Witch hunt open

(posted on my German blog on 26 December 2013)

The witch hunt has been publicly declared open. Fingers were pointed at the MBs by the government and by the public after the attack on the police headquarter in Mansoura. However, no evidences are given and the MB have distanced themselves from the attack (it’s another question, if they speak the truth) and although the group Ansar Beit El-Maqdis confessed the assault.

The people from Mansoura could not contain their anger and furiously destroyed shops, buildings and other Muslim Brothers’ properties.

The MB were declared a terror organisation and everyone that belongs to that group may be arrested. Yet: how can one recognise a Muslim Brother? They are organised like a secret society and it consists of inner and outer circles whose members are privy to its secrets according to the grade of their affiliation. Then, there are sympathisers. Numbers are unknown, only estimates circulate: several million supporters – which can be understood given the Brotherhood’s charitable activity – and several hundreds of thousands of members.

That means, they cannot be recognised. All those millions of followers and those who are grateful for cheap food, free schools and 50 pound notes for their votes: are they terrorists?

Everybody who looks or behaves like a „Muslim Brother“ can be hunted. Equally, as Christians are still being chased and their belongings being pillaged. Equally, as it happened to the Jews in Europe.

It’s enough to make you weep. This witch hunt will spread more hate; it will result in more casualties who have to be revenged, and in more grief for the plagued Egyptians. The bombing will not stop because of this, on the contrary. What on earth do the government, respectively El-Sissy and his colleagues think?

The “war against terrorism” is extensive and meanwhile, the repression includes also those activists, who stood behind the uproar of 25 January 2011. They have just been sentenced to several years in jail.

Does the world soon have to observe, how Egyptians slaughter each other? Only four weeks to go to the third anniversary of 25 January. When is the next uproar?

Deutsch

Morsi overthrown

What a people, what a youth!

First, they collect 22 million signatures.
Then, they bring 30 million people out on the streets to demonstrate against their president.
And finally, they get rid of two presidents within less than 2,5 years.

I don’t want to believe in a coup. The country is too broken and down. Each party, every politician and every citizen has learned a bitter lesson during the past 29 months. In addition, Egyptians are assured that their voice counts, that they can achieve a goal as long as they unite.

I’m so happy for this population that has to suffer so much… I can’t put it into words… Finally, they may start to build their country the way they wish it.

May they be successful.

30 June 2013: Something is brewing

تمرد „Rebel“ http://tamarod.com/index.php?page=english is the name for a campaign that is collecting signatures for early presidential elections. The campaign is being supported across the Egyptian population, across all kind of parties and associations and now even by the police. The goal to get 15 million signatures was achieved some weeks ago. They continue, at the moment they got 20 Million checked, true signatures from living persons, not from dead ones (as on the occasion of the elections).

Since a couple of days, there are selective demonstrations in the name of this campaign and the 30 June shall be the temporary climax. The initiators are preparing a road map for political measures.

The atmosphere is tense, many people are afraid. Afraid of violence, of bloody clashes and more deaths. They are also afraid of the country being split up further, falling deeper into the abyss and chaos. The Muslim Brothers allegedly have rented dozens of flats at strategic locations in Cairo to place snipers. We had this before. The MB militia is promising blood baths and massacres if “their” president should have to resign. We had this before, too. For several months already, tourists are coming to the Red Sea only; tourism in the Nile valley is almost inexistent. Hence, we’ve seen this before.

However, Morsi and his fabulous government offer almost day by day new, incredible and hair rising surprises; they all have something in common however bewildering they may seem at the first instance: they mess up everything and destroy the country’s reputation.

How come that

• Egypt allows itself to be cut off from the Nile water from Ethiopia?
• Egypt breaks off diplomatic relations with Syria? Both countries were once united in the “United Arab Republic” (1958-1961) and friends.
• Morsi is travelling to different countries in order to beg for money? Notably into countries such as Russia which is supporting Syria’s Assad regime?
• A member of the Gam’a Al Islamaya is appointed governor of Luxor; the group is responsible for the 1997 attacks on tourists?
• Egypt exports electric power to Israel and Jordan while the people of Egypt suffer from shortages and daily power cuts that last for hours?
• Egyptians kill each other and lynchlaw is spreading fast?
• crime has exploded exponentially?
• and so much more!

There are answers. Read for example http://mbinenglish.wordpress.com/. This site publishes translated articles from the Brotherhoods; articles that are published in Arabic only. The original texts call for sectarian incitements and killings. They stir up hatred against the initiators of the Rebel campaign, activists, Copts and differently minded; and they spread false news.

The MB militia is always involved in bloody clashes with the protesters. So-called “mass rallies” are built up of poor people from the country side; they are taken to Cairo by bus and receive a couple of hundred pounds and food for their show. Corruption, power, money and greed. Imagine, an inquiry panel of the EU has realized that funds provided to fight corruption have disappeared! They are more naïve than me!

Everything that happened since 25 January 2011 can be put in one sentence:

Criminals that escaped from prisons thanks to Hamas have taken over.

They are ruling the country respectively were able to destroy more within two years than Mubarak destroyed within 30 years. Their single goal is: to take over all important positions in the state, to sow hardship and chaos and to divide people. In order to reach this goal they do not hesitate to distort the constitution at their own discretion, to forge elections, to enact laws, to censor the media, to accuse differently minded of blasphemy and to sentence them, to lie, to torture and to kill.

They will suffocate from their greed. The sooner the better.

The Egyptians are fed up. A friend has just called me, coming back from a two weeks holiday in Alexandria. Alexandria was the stronghold of the Salafis and pro Muslim Brothers. That’s finished. Even those who were MB friendly, are fed up of Morsi and his Brothers, of the lies, of the crime and the worsening economic situation Every taxi driver to whom I talk is railing about the MB. Nobody wants them anymore.

Only the USA still likes them. When I read Anne Patterson’s statement supporting Morsi and his government, I first thought about false news. But no: the MB continue being supported by the USA, this is why they suddenly broke off diplomatic relations with Syria. I’m just curious, if the US will change their mind once more as quickly as they did with Mubarak.

I trust in the Egyptian people and I have confidence for the coming days and weeks, even if I haven’t discovered a charismatic leader yet. There will be more grief, blood and casualties, but the people will not give up. The MB will fight as long as they can, but their days are numbered – they just don’t know it yet, they are afraid of it. They have got two advantages: arms and USA’s support.

Port Said for the second time

More than 70 football fans died last year in Port Said’s stadium. They were pushed down from the gallery (!), stabbed with knives, and found exits barred and were trampled over.

On Saturday, the „culprits“ were convicted: 21 people got death sentence. They’re football fans, young people. The real masterminds of the massacre were not sentenced. This is why people in Port Said took to the streets and demonstrated. They tried to free their relatives from prison. They torched municipality buildings, and they tried to get under control the power station and other strategic objects. Police ran away and the Army was deployed.

Who are „they“? Are they football fans? Are they again paid thugs that mingle with demonstrators? Are they again paid thugs in uniforms of the Central Security Forces who do the dirty jobs?

Yesterday, dozens of people lost their lives and today, during the funeral procession, more people died.

It’s awful. The readiness to use violence is horrible. Yet, the one who watches the videos in the internet discovers more atrocities: There are snipers standing on roof tops aiming at people! There are CSF members running through streets damaging parked cars of civilians! People are shot from near behind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yrd_BVAzkic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6XHeFtN4Zw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2jU0HkHAFj0

Who are „they“? Who is behind these killings?

Why does the government allow this? Or maybe I should rephrase the question: why is the government doing this? Is it its goal to sow more turmoil and chaos in order to facilitate a military coup? What are the MB’s rewards from such a scenario? Whose reward is it anyway?

Or has the „Murshid“ (ruler of the Muslim Brothers) lost control and there is another power behind those terrible crimes? Moursy however, was brilliant: he offered his condolences late after midnight by Twitter (sic!)!!!!

In spite of all the atrocities: the method is not new. Many times was it seen, many times civilians got executed or shot into their eye. Again and again although everybody knows meanwhile that people film these scenes and publish them in internet. Evidences exist in great numbers. Some of these witnesses were detained today while filming from balconies and roof tops. They have to fear the worst: hour long interrogations, torture, rape, detainment without accusation, no lawyer admitted.

Egypt’s leaders have their people killed in front of the world. In order to come to grips with the situation, once more the emergency law has been proclaimed (anybody can be detained anytime without any reason) and a curfew has been imposed. History repeats itself. Unfortunately.

Update:
Photos show the bearded next to the snipers, next to the police… It has been assumed for a long time that the Muslim Brothers are behind the camel battle and other massacres…

25 January 2013 – 2nd anniversary

From far away, I’m anxiously waiting for the 25 January. A demonstration from three different meeting points will be held in Hurghada, in the rest of Egypt anyway. Activists invoke for demonstrations. But will this be sufficient?

Wouldn’t it be better they’d go out into the villages, into the poor districts and quarters and finally tell the people there what it is all about? Wouldn’t it be better to listen to those people out there and take their everyday problems seriously? It’s still the Muslim Brothers and the Salafists that approach the people and “pester” them. The activists, the seculars, yes, the complete opposition hides behind Twitter, Facebook and TV instead of addressing the people in Cairo’s slums, in the Delta’s shanty towns and in Upper Egypt.

The opposition has a golden chance: the people are tired and fed up of the Muslim Brotherhoods‘ lies and of the worsening living conditions. Yet, instead of uniting and building up a heavy weight opposition to the Islamists ahead of the parliamentary elections, they quarrel… Are they so egoistic? Or do they still not understand where Egypt is standing? What a keen disappointment!

If there won’t be any surprise by the workers, the poor or the Ahly Ultras, 25 January 2013 will just be a ceremony, nothing more.

Change has to come from inside, not from Twitter, Internet or TV. When is the day?

Deadly train crash – one of so many

“Have you heard the news?” my student asked with a serious look. No, I answered, I haven’t had the time yet to read the news. “There was again a train accident. Children in a school bus, more than 50 dead!”

This accident happened on 17 November, a couple of days before Moursy brokered the cease fire between Hamas and Israel and then announced his constituency decree. The school bus crossed an unsecured railroad crossing and was caught by the approaching train. The barrier was up, the security guard was not at his place. Last Monday, another train accident happened, this time with conscripts from Upper Egypt and for sure, it won’t be the last one.

The terrible accident in Assyut back in November reflects Egypt’s state of affairs in many fields and this is why I want to write about it here.

The six to eight year old children were squeezed in an overcrowded bus on their way to an Islam school where they never arrived. There are families who lost all their children in this accident; in the town of Mandara there is no family that was not hit by this disaster since a typical Egyptian family is big…

The attendant’s hut is tiny and uncomfortable; there he receives information about coming trains in order close the barrier. He frequently leaves the narrow stuffy place and has a chat and a smoke with his colleagues nearby. Over there, he neither hears the important phone calls nor overlookds the rails; hence, the barrier remains open in spite of coming trains. Many very sad accidents repeatedly happened here. Again and again, the people have demonstrated and demanded the removal of this dangerous train crossing. Yet, in vain.

On 17 November they searched in the ruins of the squashed bus for the remains of their children: a scrap of fabric, an exercise book, a shoe, a drawing, a school bag. The ambulance arrived poorly equipped at the place of accident: they collected the remains of the children’s bodies and put them into garbage bags that had to be emptied beforehand. Those still alive were brought to the local hospital in Manfalout where not even the most urgent equipment was available. So the children were transported to the University hospital in Assyut. But there as well, the hospital staff was unable to cope with the situation and could hardly administer first aid due to the lack of dressing and medications. A young doctor once told me how these public hospitals are managed: young graduates have to practise there for 300 pounds without supervision or help of senior doctors. Those are up to something else: they work in private clinics because the salary is better. Yet, I’ll write about this another time.

Only hours later did the police arrive at the place of accident. As always, it was promised that there would be an investigation and the violators be punished. As always, ministers promised to eradicate this unacceptable situation. As always, Moursy (sorry, I just can’t call him “President”) promised to indemnify the troubled families. Following last week’s accident, it was even promised to renovate 900 railway crossings all over Egypt. Immediately!

Three days later, almost another train accident happened in Mandara, when a train passed the open railway crossing… I’m sure that the situation remains unchanged.

Some culprits have been found. Negligence of the railway authority, no maintenance or renewal of the rails for more than 10 years, 15 rail workers were brought to court. I doubt that they are the real culprits.

By chance I’ve read today in “Egypt Independent“ that only a quarter of the allocated budget of USD 270 Mio. in 2009 and USD 330 Mio. In 2011 was used for railway maintenance. According to the Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights, the bigger share was squandered by members of the government. [sic!]

330‘000‘000 USD Dollars is a pretty penny. The families that lost a child in this horrible accident were initially offered 1’000 pounds (around 150 USD) as indemnity and it was later increased to 50’000 pounds. I dare doubt that any of them will ever see a penny. They can’t revive their children and they can’t turn their back on this scruffy state with this little money.

Negligence, failure, wealth grab = corruption. This is Egypt in every field: health, infrastructure, education, environment and so on. Egypt is a wealthy country. Yet only few get their share.

And the Western governments continue to send their money…

Muslim Brothers are liars

While having breakfast, I see this picture on facebook (from the group 6th April Hurghada) and I have to laugh:

The white board on the right says "Muslim Brothers are liars". The location: directly on the other side of the street of the Muslim Brother's office (second balcony, in the middle), in Nassr street, a much frequented main road between Hurghada and Dahar! Those who set up the sign prove wit and humour.

I wish everybody a happy Monday! 

Why don’t you get up and fight?

Why don’t you get up and fight for your right? It’s this question that I’ve been asking again and again since my second visit to Egypt.

My first and my second stay in Egypt are worlds apart. Worlds of knowledge, quasi. Upon my first visit, contrary to what I usually do, I came unprepared and ignorant to a country which was completely strange to me. Yet what I observed inside and outside the hotel resort at that time fuelled my intellectual curiosity and I searched answers for the many “whys”. When Saddam Hussein was executed shortly after Christmas 2006, I dearly wanted to know what the Egyptian newspapers wrote and what the people thought. I got into a conversation with a jeweller and he replied: ”Egypt has other problems than Saddam Hussein.” As if he wanted to stress these words, he waved a French passport around. I will never forget that moment; I felt embarrassed and realised that I did not know anything about Egypt.

Hardly had I returned back home, did I stock up on information from internet and the library about the country and its economy. The more I read, the more I wanted to know and the more questions popped up inside me.

Four months later, I went back to Egypt, travelled around, asked and watched. I asked everybody that came across my way and to whom I could make myself understood, I let them talk and listened patiently. I heard amazing, distressing, unbelievable and incomprehensible things. It was about broken relations, financial distress, work problems, tribes, existing and broken dreams. Of course, I also wanted to know more about politics but many of my interlocutors shirked, whispered or looked asquint to the left and to the right before they answered at all.

„Why don’t you get up, stand up and fight for your rights?“ [Jimmy Cliff]

How can one live in such misery? How can one put up with the daily harassment of the police at each corner of the street, at numerous checkpoints, the dictation and the random arrests? How can one live with a tight censorship and lopsided information of the state media? How can one live day by day with an all pervasive corruption? How can a young person plan his life that leads straight forward into a cul-de-sac and that does not permit any vision? How can an elderly person put up with this cul-de-sac and experience a continual degradation of the living conditions since the 50ies?

One of the answers was: „Because Mubarak holds all the powers: military, police, justice and parliament”. Another one was: “We have opposition; we have got some Muslim Brothers in parliament.” Or: “There is no opposition abroad.” But also: “We have internet, we know how it is outside.”

All this did not satisfy me. I grew up in a liberal country and was brought up and educated with liberal ideas. My mind cannot accept such resignation and passivity.

Thus, I searched for reasons and soon found some:

Egyptians are lazy
I mean: without any initiative, without any idea, without any fighting spirit, passive, indulgent. Don’t they prefer to sit in coffee shops, smoke shisha, watch football games or try to cheat tourists? I wasn’t completely wrong with this answer but it was too superficial.

On the course of further stays in this wide, varied and incomprehensible country, I uncovered lay after lay of the surface and gradually started to understand better. There are many reasons for the seemingly or real passivity.

The political system
Just imagine: the one year old boy who tries his first clumsy steps with his baby legs, sees Mubarak. The same boy who plays football with his comrades day after day on a dry sandy court and most probably dreams of a football career with Ahly, sees the “father of the nation” Mubarak on TV. The teenager, who sends sneaky looks at girls, only knows Mubarak, the “father of the nation”, praising his good deeds on his daily TV speech. The young man who is about to marry his young bride doesn’t know anything else than Mubarak, the National Democratic Party, a rigorous police state and no freedom. The young father, who fights every day to feed his family, hears and sees only Mubarak…

About 50 % of the Egyptian population doesn’t know any other state system than Mubarak’s dictatorship. How should a human being, who has never ever during all his life – 30 or 40 years – experienced anything else should be able to imagine another political system? I don’t mean to say that Egyptians are too stupid to do this, please, do not misunderstand. No! I want to say that the majority of those who are between 30 or 40 years old have never known anything else and therefore, cannot imagine a different political system. The freedom that we in Europe live and take for granted, does not exist in Egypt and is unknown to many.

Education
The Egyptian educational system does not train up independent thinking human beings. Pupils have to learn by heart in order to obtain a certain number of marks. According to the points achieved, different Universities or ways of education can be pursued. Those who don’t get the highest marks, simply study law, teaching or anything else instead of becoming a doctor or an engineer. Children neither learn how to learn nor to use their brain to find for example alternatives, scrutinize facts, to criticise or to analyse. Teachers work for a pittance und therefore usually have another job to make ends meet. Only the one who can afford private lessons or go to a private school can make progress. The others learn by heart, repeat, obey and do what they are told to do. There is no place for personal development, creativity or even revolt.

How should anybody become initiative in such a system?

Culture, tradition and religion
I’m unable to separate these three values; for me, they are entangled, inter-dependent and tightly linked. Same as the religion demands obedience, such does the family that recognizes and respects the father (and later the eldest son) as family patriarch. Everything is done for the family; there is no way against the family (respectively the patriarch) except one risks the thorough and final breach with the family. In a wider circle, it’s the same within the tribes.

Furthermore, Egyptians are pacific and full of zest for life. Revolt is something that others do.

Obedience towards the superior (family, teacher, employer, police, and president) is entrenched and every time when I am a silent onlooker, I get startled. However, this is Egypt.

I cannot say that I „grasp“ now why this people doesn’t get up and fight all together, however, I understand much better. They just have another hard disk in their head that is built, programmed and loaded with different data – this is what I sometimes think.

Nevertheless, there was this uproar, this revolution that continues, that is pasty like cold honey and that comes in half-heartedly. I keep on asking my interlocutor “Why don’t you get up and fight?” and frequently the answer is “What can we do?”

This helpless sentence is a stich into my mind and into my heart as well. It makes me aware that a lot of time still has to go by until something really changes in the land of the Nile. Meanwhile, those who can, emigrate and the others somehow huddle through having faith in Allah to support them.

Constitution referendum finished

Last night, the second part of the referendum about the controversial constitution was finished.

Even before the official results were published, Moursi nominated 90 members for the Shura Council; this should have happened only after the publication of the results. The members of the Shura Council may issue laws as long as no new Parliament has been elected. This is another hint – for me and others – that the result of the voting was known beforehand.

The voting process was as irregular as never seen before in Egypt; although the country has seen plenty of rigged voting results. Yet, all proves of manipulation, vote buying, coercion, intimidation, polling stations opened too late or closed too early, false or missing supervisors are useless. There is no way to claim right and justice because Egypt has become a lawless state: there is only the Muslim Brothers’ despotism.

In this situation, the gossip factory is working overtime: Moursi was very ill, can be read; the Central Bank’s director resigned last night. This resignation however has been denied again. There’s no smoke without fire, a proverb says. Therefore, nothing surprises me anymore. I would not be surprised at all, if Moursi was declared insane and Khairat El Shater would finally take over the rule. He is the initial presidential candidate but was legally enabled to run for the presidency. There is no Vice-President anymore since he resigned two days ago. Then, no surprise if the seat of the Central Bank’s director and other key positions in finance and economy would be taken by Muslim Brothers. What is happening right now only gets the label “legally correct”.

Yet, these are still rumours and my personal speculations. The latter happened to turn out to be wrong as well, for example those that the Military would never allow the MB to come to power. The Military tolerate this because the MB ensure to leave the Military’s benefice untouched. However, will the Military also tolerate the country to tumble further and see their benefice in danger?

Egypt will soon rub its eyes aghast when it realises what is going to happen. The president (I do not say Moursi) has more powers in his hands as Mubarak ever had! Nip it in the bud…

… I think it’s too late.

Muslim Brothers reveal their true face

“We have to give him a chance“, Egyptians said after Moursi’s election as Egypt’s President. They didn’t want to see what was about to come.

During five months, Moursi didn’t do anything for Egypt. He travelled around the world, begging for money, investments and trust. He said that a new area had started in Egypt where democracy and justice prevailed and that soon the people would be better off.

At the end of November he, respectively the Muslim Brothers, stroke. By issuing the constitutional declaration, Moursi empowered himself above law and jurisdiction. Hence, he contradicted a pillar of democracy and rule of way: separation of powers.

Since this time, Egyptians take to the streets: first to protest against this constitutional declaration, then against the Islamic constitution that was hastily knocked together and finally, to demand the bringing down of the Muslim Brother regime.

Meanwhile it is clear for everybody: it is not Moursi who rules but the Muslim Brothers. They govern with tricks, lies, specific disinformation, denunciation and ignoring all constitutional achievements.

On 5th December, Egypt saw brutal violence: Egyptians attacked their fellow countrymen near the Presidential Palace. It was a battle between incited Salafists and Muslim Brothers against opponents. Thanks to eye witness accounts and videos it is known what really happened. Protestors from the opposition were dragged out of the crowd and brought to the Presidential Palace; there they were brutally beaten and tortured. Police watched and did not intervene because they had no orders! The torturers received their orders by phone directly from Badie, the MB boss, and went inside the Palace to receive further orders. Doctors close to the MB refused medical aid (!!!), drivers of ambulances refused to transport the heavily abused to the hospital for medical care. A dentist was filmed while torturing; a suit is filed against him.

When asked why they beat so fiercely, a thug answered, they were told that the protestors were drugged, infidels and agents from abroad! Copts were attacked even worse. There is a video on Youtube showing such a group of thugs while doing their “training” in Cairo; their scaring figures reminded me of photos of the Mutshaheddin in Afghanistan.

The heavily wounded and bleeding protestors were captivated beside the Presidential Palace and handed over to the Police hours later; they had been armed. The prosecutor released all of them because there were no evidences. Yesterday or this morning, the newly appointed (MB) general prosecutor offset the prosecutor to Beni Suef and appointed a MB prosecutor; tonight, this decision was retrieved.

President Moursi didn’t show his face during 48 hours after these violent clashes. However, the MB leaders spoke. They said they had nothing to do with what happened but “confessions” of the captured were proof that they had to be detained and treated that way. They (the MB) also said that they would defend their President and their constitution – as if they were the government!

Ironically, it is thanks to an ex-ambassador that the West (especially the USA) gradually gets to learn about the violent actions; he as well was mangled and tortured; he was released only when his ID revealed that he was a diplomat.

Well-known oppositions, liberals, journalists, politicians and activist figure on a death list.

After tomorrow, a referendum about this controversial draft constitution will be held. Ballot boxes with Yes-votes have already appeared. Many Egyptians are excluded from the voting process because they cannot go to their home-governments.  In addition, Moursi enacted another law to limit the right to vote. The majority of the judges boycott to oversee the referendum – now military has to.

Today, a Copt was sentenced to three years of prison because of blasphemy. His “crime”: he uploaded the primitive video that mocks Prophet Mohammed on his facebook page!

This is Egypt after an uproar that demanded „bread, freedom and justice“ and that toppled its dictator: there is no separation of power, the police takes orders from the Muslim Brothers and the referendum on the constitution is made up to result in a Yes vote.

These are all signs of fascism. Europe is over it. Why do Europe and the USA support the MB by sending Billions of US Dollars and Euros? The daily news and reports, law changes and twists as well as the revelations by activists recall an inner film that I allocated to the past. Yet history indeed seems to repeat itself: fascism, National Socialism.

A friend told me that Egypt has to go through this. The activists will continue their task knowing that the referendum will result in a Yes. Today and tomorrow, information gatherings are being held all over the country where plain people explain to plain people why they should vote No. The activists don’t give up and continue spreading knowledge about justice and injustice, democracy and human rights like a snowball.

Tonight, I asked my taxi driver how business was. He replied that it went not bad as far as tourism was concerned. But referring to Egypt, it was very bad. He said, he was not afraid; this constitution was bad and they needed a new one, religion had nothing to do with it! They wanted to live and eat and he first was a human and not a Muslim. I was surprised about his statement because normally, taxi drivers belong to the less educated. I asked if he was a Muslim Brother and he replied, no, no! His religion was Allah and the one in his heart, but it had to stay out of politics. The snowball rolls…

Cities declare their independence

Several cities, among them Alexandria and Mahalla El-Kobra that has become famous for its strikes and has become an idol because of its steeliness, have declared their independence from a Muslim Brotherhood led Egypt and have chased away their governors tonight.

Hundreds of thousands are in Tahrir square in Cairo and in front of the presidential palace to protest against Moursi and the MB. They have at least achieved the postponement of the referendum.

Egypt is standing up, continuous writing its history on a long, difficult way towards democracy. And the Western media reports… nothing or only on the side. NZZ online, my “source of reference” speaks of “thousands” of protesting Egyptians. What’s the matter? What’s different from January/February 2011?