Feb 11, 2011

EGYPT IS FREE!!!!!!

We Are Free...We Are Free. Turn on your television and see..

You do not have to be physically here, for all over the world tonight you can hear

that Egypt has risen again to stand tall, with an achievement that makes our pyramids look small

And a younger generation that shed its blood and dared for once to damn the flood

of injustices forever endured, of tyrany and hardship left uncured

So Egypt tonight you deserve to rejoice, your children stood up and made a choice

To make Freedom more than just a word and let their voices at last be heard

and promise to serve you from now on, with heads held high and resolutions strong

and backs that will bear and hours that'll be spent, to deserve this gift that heaven sent

I promise to serve you tireless and true, and to have faith in the law of the few

where some inspire and some will lead. and some will excell with God's speed

and all of us will be enthralled ...that we were here to see it all.


People of Tahrir Square Thank:

The Martyrs and Their Families

The Martyr Khaled Saeed and His Family

Wael Ghoneim and His Group

Mark Zuckerburg and Facebook

The Proud and Relentless People of the Revolution!

Feb 10, 2011

Fresh From the Square

 Entry 38:
10 Feb 2011, 12:00 am

This is a summary of what is happening on the ground now. After Mubarak announced that he will not be stepping down but will be giving responsibility to his VP. Crowds were disappointed from speech (please try to view it online), but did not appear violent as was reported on CNN international.

Crowds that were seen leaving were not necessarily going to the TV Broadcast building to storm it or to the presidential palace as was reported by some channels
.
From more than three different sources on the ground, I was told that people are disappointed but not violent. There are those who say they will still spend the night in the square. The general direction is to stay in the square, pray the Friday prayers there tomorrow and then move the protests to the presidential palace after prayers. "Bokra El 3asr 7anroo7 El Qasr" which means: "Tomorrow afternoon...to the palace".

The protestors are PEACEFUL this is the most important message to relay tonight. They are not intending any violence. They are resuming their chanting and are clearly disappointed but that is the extent of their reaction.

 It is my personal opinion as well, that they still have a lot of thinking to do through the night, like normal people, which makes their decisions about tomorrow unconfirmed.

I repeat: they are not leaving the square ‘en masse’ in a flurry to go do any kind of reactionary demonstrations anywhere. If some people are, they do not represent the majority or the organized entities that have been inhabiting the square for the past 17 days.

God Bless.

Note: These reports are given by phone, live from
Tahrir Square
by the protestors themselves.

Feb 9, 2011

And They Fall Into Place...

Entry 37:

February 9, 2010 11:30 pm

In the last 48 hours a vital piece of the puzzle fell into place for 99.9% of the Egyptian population who weren’t sure which specs of ice had started the snow ball. There were millions in the square. But no one could tell you who told them to go there.

 Some had actually received a “Facebook” invitation with a logo of an angry protestor on it and the announcement that there will be a “Day of Anger” on Tuesday the 25th  of January. I was one of those who had an active facebook account and received it.

However, most people came because someone informed them that there was a protest forming. Still, up until the events I will mention below, the majority of Egyptians had no clue how they ended up in one of the biggest revolutions in history. A revolution that appeared to have started with the wealthy and not with those who had nothing to lose and the most to gain as has been the majority of revolutions in history.

We all knew that protestors had been killed, beaten and some of them, together with numerous reporters, had been arrested or declared “missing”.

Among those missing, was a young man called Wael Ghoneim. We kept hearing of him here and there, mainly because he was an esteemed employee in the renowned “Google” Middle East Division. We heard his mother and father, his wife and his company were looking for him. We prayed for them.

Then, in what is the equivalent of America’s “60 Minutes” program to Egyptians, “The Ten O’Clock Show” (10:00 pm that is) announced that Wael Ghoneim was found. He had been held by Egyptian intelligence for 11 days for allegedly instigating the events that took place on the 25th of January, namely the very first protest.

In an interview with this popular Egyptian TV show, he appeared on national television looking haggard and exhausted and broke into tears several times during the show. He explained how he was kidnapped in the street, blindfolded for the entirety of his captivity and repeatedly questioned about the events that lead to the protests. Ghoneim insisted, that apart from them keeping him without informing his family, he was never mistreated by those who held him there.

Then he told the simple story about a group of young Egyptians who started a facebook page for “Khaled Saeed” a 28 year old Egyptian beaten to death and dragged through the streets of Alexandria on June 6, 2010. He was trying to leak a tape of a group of Egyptian officers splitting up drugs after a drug bust.

“We Are All Khaled Saeed” was the name of the facebook page and it called for demonstrations.  Small demonstrations did take place shortly after, on occasions marking different stages of the investigation into his death that always exonerated the police.

The police blatantly faked a coroner’s report and a trial claiming that Khaled had committed suicide meaning that he basically beat himself into a pulp. In fact, they did everything to show Egyptian people that they killed him, the pictures proved it and there was nothing the Egyptian people could do about it.

Saeed was definitely not the first Egyptian to die in Egypt in this manner. The numbers are probably in the scary thousands. But somehow God chose him to be the “tipping point”.

Wael Ghoneim and his group, were constantly fueled by this trauma to their sheltered lifestyle. These were wealthy individuals, touched by a story that summarized the cruelty of the Egyptian ruling system. They did not know what “hardship” was. However, this story gave a pretty close account of it.

They definitely knew that the country was not theirs. They had no more rights in it than the poor or even destitute did. They had a feeling that maybe this was the time for them to change it.

Shortly after their failure to create a major impact over Khaled’s tragedy, inspired by Tunisia, they started a page to invite people to protest on the 25th of January which is “Police Day” in Egypt. The main people on the mailing list were those that had joined the “We Are All Khaled Saeed” page, the rest were contacts of contacts. So the news spread in a “butterfly effect” in the true spirit of Facebook

That is how it started. Now the square is a living entity of its own. Inhabited by a variety of Egyptian personifications of injustice in human form. Every face has a story and a reason to be there, that prevents it from ever going home.

There is a culture and order to the square. There is a check point system, a food and water system and makeshift accommodations.  There is artwork on display and podiums for poetry and “positive energy” in abundance. A sober equivalent to “Woodstock”, it is a site as worthy in its touristic value as the pyramids themselves.

Now that there are no police nor “thugs” on horses and camelback attacking, regular Egyptians come in droves to pay homage to the resident protestors.

The doubts and fears of the last entry have temporarily been quelled by the moving unifying speech of the young Wael Ghoneim. For he did what the president failed to feel let alone realize the wisdom of faking. Ghoneim broke into uncontrollable sobs at the mere sight of the pictures of those who lost their lives participating in something he and his friends had put together with a few strokes of a computer keyboard.

He even apologized for the lives of police and any Egyptians who lost their lives since the protests began. He apologized for the deaths, but pointed the finger of responsibility towards the president for not allowing the protestors to ask for their most basic rights in peace.

I visited the square yesterday. For the first time, as a mother of two young children, I felt it safe to be present where all the phone calls I received originated. I felt like a cheater for only setting foot there when the bullets had stopped. I felt like a tourist watching a wedding when I was never family or friend to the bride or groom.

I thanked God that my husband had participated in the days of violence and said a silent prayer hoping that that gave me some right to smile at these brave people and claim that I am one of them.

I have never been prouder to be an Egyptian. I have never been so thankful to be present at such a time in humanity’s timeline. I pray that the very lack of leadership that made this revolution so unique, does not lead to its demise.

I pray for a unifying leader and voice. I pray for the tools to facilitate this nation’s evolvement. And I pray that the outside world’s personal interests do not interfere. I pray that Khaled Saeed rests in peace and knows that his death was not in vain. I pray that his parents find some comfort in this. I pray that his image reminds us of what is at risk if we give up this fight.

In honor of him and all those tortured to death on Egyptian soil that remain un-avenged, I will post the first pictures ever on this blog. I am posting his image in health and after his death. Despite the gore and tragedy of this image, it is as important as anything I have reported so far about these historic events. God bless and rest his soul.

I will keep writing this blog as long as there are people in
Tahrir Square
.

God Bless.




PLEASE READ ENTRY 10 or THE FIRST ENTRY OF THIS BLOG FOR BACKGROUND


Feb 7, 2011

Be Patient Egypt

Entry 36:

11:15 pm Feb 7 2011-02-07

I have been silent for two days. That does not mean there were no calls from 'Tahrir'. I couldn’t pull the information close enough to stitch together a picture we could publish. My heart was in the square and outside of it where efforts were being made to support Egypt and what it is going through. But the task began to weigh on me for reasons I will mention below.

People in the field would say “I am living the absolute best time of my life”. They’d say this before they set out to their homes to take showers and short breaks and go back. However, upon touching base what happened to me, happened to them. They realized that, after what is less than two weeks, Egypt has already started to split up in opinion.

Massive campaigns by the media, and by people who had stakes to lose if the protestors continued, started to create dents in the image internally and in the spirit. Egyptians began to believe the “hype” that what they lose by the protestors holding their ground, could not and would not be made up for decades to come. Stories about the movement being from abroad and having a “private agenda” started to circulate and the movement took hit after hit.

While Europe and the United States hailed the Egyptians and their fight heroic, citizens at home called each other “traitors”. The ‘cause’ got confused and support was often taken from the very people who once built it. What was going on? So depressing, I could not bring myself to write.

I feared for my fellow protestors in the field. I feared that if I wrote positive things about the square, its organization and its wonderful spirit, that people would get angry at them. I feared that the prayers for them and those who lost their lives would stop.

I feel like I personally took a hit. Let me try to explain to those who will listen what is happening to us. One must understand, that revolutions, such as this one, catch you mid-stride while your life is still at its regular momentum.

 For example, prior to this event, as an American/Egyptian or Egyptian/American (there is no way to decide the order on that one), I had plans to be in the States by July. There is no way to look at that decision in the same way now. Do I stick to my plans? Do I even want to?

 A friend had lost her son due to complications of the swine flu a mere few days before the popular uprising. Her grieving process has been shaped by the extraordinary events that occurred. In a way she was robbed of the attention and support she would have taken normally, but in another she was somewhat distracted.

Children were preparing for exams; people were fighting with an already struggling economy. The sick and the elderly were struggling with their treatments and afflictions.

Then there was Tunis.

A contagious sentiment that echoed one present in most Arab hearts and minds travelled to a generation of Egyptians that were dealing with negative information overload. Stories with images, constantly circled the net, about the government, its stealing, killings and torture and the lack of channels for reprehension. Suddenly it sparked a sudden need to speak out.

The universe aligned itself as they say. For a mere few years ago, a twenty-something year old young man in America would invent Facebook not knowing that it would be a vital tool that would fight an oppression that spanned decades across many Arab nations. The domino effect of that was a group of young Egyptians using this tool to communicate a nationalistic sentiment that multiplied with every click of the mouse.

So your stride comes to a stop. The normal routine halted indefinitely. You have to think about “curfews”, a shortage of food, water, diapers, sanitary napkins etc…You can no longer send your kids to school and you do not know if you still have a salary or when banks will open. Credit cards are rendered useless and you pool the cash at home from family members.

First a sense of euphoria ensues. A victorious feeling that we are finally at that point where we are witnessing exciting things starting to happen. We gawk in disbelief as the government actually attempts to shuffle their cards.

The days go by and the intensity increases and with it the shortages and people start to feel like it is time to cut our losses. The sense that we should be “grateful” for what we got so far, starts to dance around like an imaginary gnome and tap people on the head. They begin to split apart in opinion and attack each other.

The initial camaraderie is replaced with distrust. We fight for the original feeling that had us initially smiling giddily to fellow citizens, we did not know, on the street. It seems misplaced. We weep. And we take the weeping to the square where the unity of sentiment nurses us.

Do not give up on those of us still in the square. For us, it is still the 25th of January. The death of our friends is fresh in our minds and is a fresh, gaping wound in parents’ hearts. We have not attained any of what they fought and died for. They would not have given their lives for a mere “adjustment” from the government.  

We realize that this is an era of Egypt where people are not well versed in the science of resistance. We realize the economic and emotional losses. We are not blind.

The NGOs that participated in this movement already came together and are creating real solutions to ensuing poverty-related issues. We are doing our best to coordinate efforts to educate everyone on political process and dealing with economic depressions. We ourselves are learning this information first to enable ourselves to impart it. We are honoring the dead.

Be patient Egypt. Be patient. Be patient. We are your children and we are doing what is unprecedented, which by nature is misunderstood. The “benefit of the doubt” is the very least of our rights with what we have achieved so far locally and globally.

In the square, there is still no access to toilets. It rained on us for two days and our meager beddings are wet. We miss our family life and are in no way “prepared” for an existence like this.

But we are solid in our intentions.

Egypt first.

Egypt first.

 A system that works.

Promises we can trust.

Honoring the martyrs by staying the course.

The economy will rise because we will work hard as a unit to bring it back. Tourists will come in droves because “The Egyptian” has become a symbol of freedom and his land worth visiting. Streets are already “mysteriously” getting cleaner. Children can’t wait to go back to school and do something.

There is a “force”. Please tell me you can feel it.

Please tell me you can sense our nationalism has been re-born over night.

Please tell me that you know that protests are still taking place all over Egypt, and not just in this Liberation Square.

Please tell those still in protest, that though some of you may not fully understand their demands now, you will stand by them as they fought for you and your children.

That is only fair.

Be patient Egypt. We will win it all back together.

God Bless.

Feb 5, 2011

The Decision Is To Stay...

Entry 35

It is 11:30 pm

The decision was made today by the beautiful variety of Egyptians, that are the essence of Liberation Square,
to stay the course. To those of you abroad, who only hear of the “nobleness” of the cause, let me tell you that a lot of Egyptian hearts will drop because of this decision.

The greater Egyptian community, like any community comprised of different people with different opinions, will continue to divide as of tomorrow morning. When those who did not read this blog realize that there will be no exiting of the square, nor did the army succeed in making that happen, a lot of debates will be taking place across this ancient land as the day lingers on with the protestors in their place. 

But let us explain how these decisions are made. It is not a mere carnival in the square, though it may seem so to the passer by, who only spends an hour or two in the crowd. There are actual deliberations that take place. For example, they created a committee of 60 youth that engage in meetings about strategy. Of these sixty, 20 can engage in negotiations on behalf of the square and the remaining forty’s job is to ensure that the decisions reflect the majority opinion of those engaging in the demonstration/strike.

Accordingly the decision made today was to stay in the square for a minimum of another week, with an extended message to people at home to make Sunday, Tuesday and Friday “March of Million” or “Millioniya” days.

What is the point? The only negotiating chip that they have is their presence in the Square. The current regime sees it, but more importantly the world sees it and follows it. They were never taken seriously in their 7 requests that were first mentioned in entry 31 and posted on a vast number of signs in the square on the 4th of February, including a large sign in the middle of the square that remains clearly visible till this very moment.

Here they are again if you missed them:

1.      Mubarak Leaves The Presidency
2.      The End of The 30 Yr Emergency Law Status Instated since President Saddat’s Assassination.
3.      A New “Gam3eya Ta’seesiya” (I do not know the translation to that one but will try to obtain it)
4.      A New Transitional Government that is Independent from the National Democratic Party
5.      Disassembling the “Shoora” council and the “People’s Assembly” because they were based on fraudulent elections. 
6.      A court martial trial for those responsible for the deaths that started from the 26th of January up until last night.
7.      A court martial trial for the crony capitalists and corrupt officials who profited illegally from any corrupt systems that were in place.

 So the decision to stay stands, until the requests are, at a minimum, discussed or mentioned in any of officials’ statements in addition to the offering of some concrete solutions.

Furthermore the heads of NGOs as well as leaders of the civic community held a meeting today and placed plans for directing their efforts towards relief initiatives across the board to assist in Egypt’s economic concerns. These include food packages for the poor and creating awareness campaigns that educate the public about how to survive tumultuous political climates economically, socially and psychologically.

They also set plans to begin creating funds and small documentaries for and about those who have lost their lives so far, as comfort and assistance to the families of the victims.

If you are a supporter and wonder what the square was like tonight, you will be glad to know that the atmosphere of peace prevailed for another day today. There were many who took to the stages and recited inspiring poetry or discussed the possibilities of a brighter future ahead.

There were no shortages of food and water as there are multiple systems in place for the distribution of food and hydration for the crowds by the protestors themselves as well as volunteers from the community that come in for that specific purpose and then leave.

And though yesterday was quite cold and the ground and beddings are wet tonight from the light rain fall that lasted all day, we sleep soundly with our “causes” beneath our heads as pillows.

So if you know of people who are having a hard time obtaining food, water or shelter in these challenging economic times. Tell them to join us in the square where the “real” Egyptians will take care of you till they can provide you with a government that will.

If you feel like the revolution has frustrated you by keeping you home and you feel trapped and stressed and out of place…join our family here on the ground. In this square no one is allowed to chant about his/her affiliation to a certain group or committee, nor praise their own role in this effort or claim to be leading it. In this group it is all about creating a winning team that has a “correct” system to help it function.

Think about it. From here on out the possibilities are endless. We will fix our government. Create one that will represent the colorful tapestry that is the Egyptian community. We will clean our streets and guard our monuments. We can make our sites as clean and organized as Disney Land and we have so much more to offer.

We can offer the best hospitality and the most creative methodologies in education and the arts. The sky, and our own willingness to venture outside of these prison bars, is the limit.

If you differ in opinion with our decision and believe that we have achieved enough for you and you are satisfied. Try to give us the benefit of the doubt and stay the course with us, maybe we will get you more.

We pray for Egypt, its prosperity and the safety of its children Allahuma Ameen.

God Bless

Silent Night

Entry 34

It is 5'0clock pm February 5th. We had a quiet and silent night. We spent it thinking and planning. Regardless what anyone thinks...we are not a mob of angry teens with off-the-wall demands. We are leaders of the first honest to goodness movement that this country has seen since we expelled the British.

We are not strangers to hardship. And we will not squander this honor and responsibility that God has bestowed upon us. We have been silent all morning because deliberations have been taking place. We are burdened by the current regime's refusal to let the symbolic abdication of it 30 yr dictator take place.

The most important thing we would like to share today is that we are deliberating and thinking what is best. And there are absolutely NO FOREIGN ELEMENTS OR INDIVIDUALS among us.

Liberation Square has been our home this last week. We know every person in every room. There are no strangers in this house. Only Egypt in our hearts.

God Bless

Feb 4, 2011

If You Were Confused Before...

Entry 33

11:14 pm Cairo Time, the last hour of February the 4th and Mubarak is still the president. At this point though the square is still packed to the gills, the spirit is confused though not yet waning.

Circles are gathered around small stages with microphones, as speakers take turns reiterating demands and reminding people why they are there and what are the terms for them to leave. The notion, that there are no acceptable negotiations that include the president completing his term, seems to be prevalent though not guaranteed. People are tired and a large number of the protestors are being pestered by family members to give up the fight and return to safety.

In addition to personal pressures, segments of the population have begun to criticize the protest and its goals, claiming that it is wreaking havoc on the Egyptian economy and it is keeping Egypt’s schools closed and placing the country’s children under house arrest. They say it has hiked up the crime rate and created a shortage of food for the poor.

Yet the president remains and claims that his departure is what may create chaos. He refuses to give the citizens the satisfaction of admitting that all the aforementioned ills, are the result of the forced screeching halt that Egyptian youth suddenly decided to enforce on this runaway train that dared to call itself a democracy.

No apologies or condolences were offered to the protestors and their families for those who lost their lives in this divorce of ideologies, by any government official let alone the president. The deaths are simply not mentioned in official speeches. No promises have been made that the protestors and their families will remain safe and unprosecuted when they go home.   

So like the title implies, if you are an Egyptian, and you were confused before about where to go from here, then you are, for lack of any better word, screwed now.

It has already been confirmed that a number of the protestors who headed home today to rest, are unaccounted for. They are missing. These are not TV scare tactics. I am just stating the facts delivered to me by those in the square who are concerned about friends who should be home by now and are not. We will update you on this situation tomorrow.

As of yet there is no clear vision of when we decide the square needs to be cleared regardless of the revolution’s demands. But there is a sense that if you give up on Mubarak leaving now, then you have betrayed the revolution and those who died for it.

Now, packed into the warmth of the square and the safe haven it creates for like-minded individuals who are anti-Mubarak and pro-revolution, protestors feel safe. They deter each other from leaving before noon tomorrow so they can protect each other from attacks or arrests. They sing and pray and phone people at home.
Now and then, the thought of the relative simplicity and predictability of their lives two weeks ago may creep to the surface, but they push it way down inside their minds lest it weaken their resolve.  

There is no way to compare those of us who are home hearing the buzz of the fridge and a loved one fidgeting in the kitchen, to those on the asphalt tonight.

So again, pray for them.

Pray for God to provide them with the wisdom to utilize their achievement thus far. Pray for the world to stand up and help them and for humanity to take center stage in this struggle.

God Bless.

 PLEASE READ ENTRY 17 or Entry 10 or THE FIRST ENTRY OF THIS BLOG FOR BACKGROUND

Let Us Unite in Prayer

As night falls on Egypt and what could be a historical moment for Egypt and the world comes near...we ask you wherever you are in the world, Moslem, Christian and Jewish regardless of faith or culture, to concetrate your prayers and positive energy towards the brave people of Egypt.

They sit on the streets tonight, in numbers that are close to the entire population of some countries, and ask for the most basic human right.

The right to chose one's own fate. Let us test the theory of the power of collaborative prayer and pray for a peaceful ending to this chapter in Egypt's history.

After "Isha" (Moslem nightly prayers at 7:00 pm Cairo time), let the "do3aa" (indiviual prayers to God) begin.

Let us move this mountain with our hearts.

Situation is Stable

Entry 32:

6:09 pm Cairo Time Feb4 2011

It has been more than two hours since the last entry and all the calls said the same thing. People are chanting and singing and discussing the 7 demands on display. Spirits are high and as the sun sets there is a sense of achievement that the day light passed without violence.

A protestor who had brought his wife with him today opted to take her home before nightfall indicating that there is no need to let our guards down yet. He will return on his own. Generally though, no one appears to be going home.

From past experience, they seem to linger till dawn. If you are at home, and you have been glued to the set since this morning, now is the time to give yourselves and your children a break. Say a prayer for those in the square and check up with us in an hour.
It is now all about the wait and see.

Thankfully today because of the sheer number of those supporting us, food and medicine was allowed in. Stomachs are full and wounds are bandaged and the wait for a reward for past efforts begins.

PLEASE READ ENTRY 17 or Entry 10 or THE FIRST ENTRY OF THIS BLOG FOR BACKGROUND

7 Demands

Entry 31
3:30 pm Cairo time

A caller just called in and said that the peaceful demonstrations remain undisturbed and the following 7 demands can be seen on a vast number of signs displayed:

  1. Mubarak Leaves The Presidency
  2. The End of The 30 Yr Emergency Law Status Instated since President Saddat’s Assassination.
  3. A New “Gam3eya Ta’seesiya” (I do not know the translation to that one but will try to obtain it)
  4. A New Transitional Government that is Independent from the National Democratic Party
  5. Disassembling the “Shoora” council and the “People’s Assembly” because they were based on fraudulent elections.  
  6. A court martial trial for those responsible for the deaths that started from the 26th of January up until last night.
  7. A court martial trial for the crony capitalists and corrupt officials who profited illegally from any corrupt systems that were in place

The Blessed Square of Liberation

Entry 30

Feb 4 2011, 2:05 pm

Small, make-shift clinics, servicing the wounded from yesterday out of the backs of a number of parked ambulances across the square. The square is packed to the point of no place to stand. The Spirit is high and the violence is no where to be found.

People from all walks of life are here. There is no one with private interests as that is impossible with the variety available here today. No one can negotiate on our behalf because there is no one group, religion nor political interest that can collectively describe us. The only common denominator is that Mubarak’s departure signifies the commitment to change and therefore it must be delivered.

There will be no violence today if things remain like this. This proves that there is no chaos because of the movement. Only chaos when Mubarak’s regime tried to attack the movement. Therefore the message to Mubarak is, you bring about the chaos by trying to control and end this. You can bring about the peace by stepping down.

We disagree among us about the steps that should be taken after Mubarak stands down. But that is a normal part of the process and we will learn as we grow.

Let us grow. Let us experience this. Let us win as our reward and as recognition to those who gave their lives. Let us honor them by committing to work hard and give up our “interests” and our pride.

Mubarak, you have been at the helm of the ship for 30 years. You must have some feeling for your people. Grant us the merit of earning this for ourselves. Give up and give us peace in the process.

The Blessed Prayers Are Over and We Have Begun

Entry 29

4 February 2011, 1:20 pm

The square is now at its maximum even before the expected people who are expected to be coming in shortly, from different parts of Cairo, after Friday prayers. The protestors did the Friday prayers in separate groups of 100 or more because there were few microphones available making it difficult to group the entire square in united prayers.

All entrances to the square are controlled by heavy army check points that ensure that all those entering into the square are unarmed. The singing and chanting has already begun and the chants have gotten creative. There is no violence as of yet.

Translating the chants is difficult but I will transcribe here for those who understand Arabic:

“7aloo ya 7aloo, Mubarak Sha3boo 7aloo” and “Ya Balad Ya Balad, Sha3bik El 7or Biyitwalad”

Roughly the first chant changes a popular Ramadan song into a rhyme about Mubarak being removed by his people. The second says “Oh country, Oh country, Your free citizens are being born”

The demands are simple. He leaves, we leave.

Again, the writer of this blog has not seen television channels covering the situation since this blog has started on the 2nd of February. This measure was taken to ensure that the accounts are purely those of witnesses on the ground without a “Middle Man’s” analysis or bias. Like a sequestered Jury, without the judgment, what you see here is only eye witness accounts

PLEASE READ ENTRY 17 or Entry 10 or THE FIRST ENTRY OF THIS BLOG FOR BACKGROUND
.

Before We Begin

Entry 28

12:00 pm Cairo Time

An estimated 50,000 already in the square before Friday Prayers. That is not counting people in neighboring areas. This is a big head start if you consider that the “March of the Million” or the “Friday of Anger” did not have protestors already on the ground in this massive number.

We are confident that we will exceed the million with ease. People on the ground are dedicated to making it peaceful despite signs that “thugs” from the NDP are planning some acts of violence. They urged us to remember that the protestors are unarmed. Even the guns they take hold of from the “thugs” are given to the army.

Again, if you join them, regardless of your opinion, you protect them and stand by them. Remember they brought us this far and deserve our protection.

“Silmia Silmia”” which means “Peaceful” “Peaceful” that is our intention and our goal and we hope Mubarak’s goal as well. If he steps down, we will go home.

There is no conspiracy, no foreign elements, no private agendas and no specific leadership. This is a grouping of youth turning things around and making it better for the future.

God Willing It Will End Today. God Willing It Will End Today.

God Bless
PLEASE READ ENTRY 17 or Entry 10 or THE FIRST ENTRY OF THIS BLOG FOR BACKGROUND


Feb 3, 2011

1:00 am 4th of February

Entry 27
1:00 am Feb 4th 2011-02-03

Ok so an air of calm has set over the square. Sporadic singing and chanting can be heard every once in a while, but a general calm nonetheless. The number of people in the square is so vast that there is no place for people to sleep, but they are trying to rest as best they can.

If you are reading this and you are from the West, then know that as you go about your day, thousands of Egyptians lie on the streets in discomfort on their road to liberty.

The following names were cited in the street meetings as potential candidates for a new government:

  1. Mohamed El Kodeiry
  2. Osama Ghazal Harb
  3. Dr. Mohamed El Beltagy
  4. Mohamed El Baradei
  5. Ayman Nour
  6. Magdy Hussein
  7. Gamal Zahran
  8. Hamdeen Sabahy

The protestor that phoned this in said there were two more names that he could not remember. He sounded exhausted but relieved that there was no active violence.

He said there is no comparison between tonight and last night in terms of violence and fighting. For that we are thankful.

I will sleep unless a call awakes me. My phone is by my side. We sleep three families in a house since the unrest, so my children are by my side as well.

God Bless.

PLEASE READ ENTRY 17 or Entry 10 or THE FIRST ENTRY OF THIS BLOG FOR BACKGROUND

The Spirit?

Entry 25
10:00 pm Cairo time

The Phone calls are slower because the violent action is less. That is a good thing I guess. But if you were to speak with those on the ground tonight, after Omar Soliman’s (VP) speech you would feel the hope mixed with confusion. They want to do what is right. But that comes in and out of focus as time moves on. Chants have moved from, “Down with The Regime”, to “Down With Mubarak”, to “Lets Court-martial Mubarak”.  

They have not slept or eaten well, they have been exposed to insurmountable elements of stress. They have experienced the panic, fear and distrust that often accompany war zone situations. They are carrying a heavy heavy load of accountability to those they watched die last night and since the 25th of January. They are holding meetings via a stage with a microphone that reaches half of the square and are trying, like those at home, to come up with the steps from where they are to normal daily life. They do not have the luxury to think in the same manner that someone on a couch at home would, but at the same time they are not “tainted” by all these channels everyone is glued to and inhaling. They have discussed a parallel parliament an come up with a list of ten names that they feel can enter a new representative government (we will supply this list within the hour God Willing).


However, contrary to the rumors about this being an outside job, these are our brothers and sisters out there…please believe there are no outside elements. These are a group of Egyptians that started something and now they are at a stale mate and have no recourse but to move forward. It is an impossibility to convince them to go home. And the only way to protect them, right or wrong, is to stand with them.

It is undeniable that they have brought us to where we are now. Who would have ever believed this was possible last week? Who would have thought that Egypt would move forward politically with so much changes yet lose so much in the process? Who would have thought that we would earn the respect of the world in 6 days.  We beg you to remember that it may take more than weeks to fix a situation that has gone on for thirty years. We ask your patience.

6 sets of 24 hour periods brought us to where we are today. Opinions are divided and generational gaps are apparent more than ever when it comes to opinions about what should be done.

But please remember.

Those are our brothers and sisters out there tonight for us. The government never stayed up a night for us nor placed itself in any situation of discomfort for us in the past 30 years and every Egyptian knows this.

It is this blogger job to relay the events and sentiments on the ground, without the analysis. Live it with them and think without getting emotional on how you can help.

The fighting till now is only in the area of the Egyptian Museum and it takes place in the form of advancing and retreating between both parties involved with sticks and stones. No live fire yet.

Protestors and Pro-Mubarak factions also advance and retreat onto the sixth of October bridge, each side gaining some ground and then losing it. There is a sense that people are saving their energies for tomorrow. The protestors are also saying that there is a lot less violence today because of the sheer number of people in the square.

The last caller begged me to spread the word that the higher the number tomorrow, the less the likelihood of violence. So think about it and your comments are welcome.

It is noteworthy that more than an hour ago international correspondents situated in Semeramis Hotel were removed by force by police members.

Since this blog started yesterday at 6:00 pm close to one thousand people have visited it, but none have posted any comments, nor added themselves as “followers”. Tell us what you think. Help us think. Avoid the “noise” from the TV channels and analyze the situation by thinking about your children’s lives post these events.

God Bless.

PLEASE READ ENTRY 17 or Entry 10 or THE FIRST ENTRY OF THIS BLOG FOR BACKGROUND


Correction..Threats for Arrest not Confirmed

People who watched Omar Soliman's speech said though it does not address issues on the  Square it did not imply the arrest of those present in the square. We apologize for the inaccuracy of the previous post.

Threats for Our Arrest

Entry 24

Vice President Omar Soliman has announced on Egyptian Television that he will begin arresting the peaceful protestors in
Tahrir Square
shortly. We are watching TV and will stay where we are. Pray for us and please alert medias in America and Europe.

God Bless and Pray for Us.

People Stabbed in Square

Entry 23:

5:20 pm Cairo Time

BREAKING NEWS

A faction of plain clothes people are sneaking in as Anti-Mubarak protestors but they have hidden knives and have been seen sporadically stabbing protestors and running.

The chants are still strong and high…one of the things happening that most protestors are sad about is that “thugs” that are captured by protestors and held captive are often beat up by protestors who were unable to control their anger towards them over injuries and deaths occurring. This is not the behavior we wished to promote. We are trying to encourage people to hold their tempers and give the “thugs” to police.

The caller that just called in right now said he was walking along the Egyptian Museum’s side wall and he can see a heavy exchange of rock throwing going on between two parties.

The army has left most of the entrances of the square to be controlled by the people themselves according to which side is in control in which area.

If you are reading this and you have any influence, know that you can save lives today if you help influence events to meet this simple demand. Let Mubarak give up the remaining months, as a show of his knowledge of where he went wrong by preventing us from being a true democracy, and we will ALL GO HOME IMMEDIATELY.

We will cooperate with Mr. Omar Soliman entirely if this need is met.

PLEASE READ ENTRY 17 or Entry 10 or THE FIRST ENTRY OF THIS BLOG FOR BACKGROUND

5:00 Oclock PM in The Square

Entry 22

5:00 pm Cairo Time

This is the first phone call to relay in the last four hours. They are telling me that the reason they are not answering the phone is because they were busy undertaking the complex task of trying to smuggle food and medicine in to the protestors. People in plain clothes carrying heavy stick are guarding the entrances to the square so that protestors that remained there over night cannot be fed or treated.

Some food and medicine were smuggled in but the majority of people you see on TV have been fed very little and have no access to medical relief.           

Thousands and thousands of protestors fill the square  and have organized themselves in series of circles. Some are singing and some have been chanting anti-Mubarak slogans since this morning.

Spirits are up even though there are a confirmed number of dead from last night of 14 people who were killed by none other than live bullets. Several callers have confirmed the use of live bullets in what simulates common drive-by shootings.

There is no violent contact occurring at the moment apart from heavy stone throwing in one area by the Egyptian Museum.

If you are reading this and you have any influence, know that you can save lives today if you help influence events to meet this simple demand. Let Mubarak give up the remaining months, as a show of his knowledge of where he went wrong by preventing us from being a true democracy, and we will ALL GO HOME IMMEDIATELY.

We will cooperate with Mr. Omar Soliman entirely if this need is met.

PLEASE READ ENTRY 17 or Entry 10 or THE FIRST ENTRY OF THIS BLOG FOR BACKGROUND

Silence From My End

Entry 21

Silence on the square from my end since 11:13 am. I have three contacts for today that rotate and all three aren't answering. One even canceled on me. I hope they are all well. I will be forced to go offline for a few hours and then will be back blogging all day and night till Dawn.

PLEASE READ ENTRY 17 or 10 or THE FIRST ENTRY OF THIS BLOG FOR BACKGROUND

Synopsis of last Night's Events After 2:30 am

Feb 3rd 11:13 am Cairo Time

An Update about last night after our 2:30 entry. Protestors fought the government hired “thugs” out of Tahrir and followed them onto October bridge to ensure that they stop shooting from above and attempting to harm the museum.

By 3:am all fighting had stopped but to ensure terror remains and the protestors can’t rest or sleep, periodic drive-by shooting at people in the square. The morning was peppered by these shootings as well.

The media is correct about food and water being restricted in the area by people in plain clothes carrying weapons. The army does neither assist nor resist these sanctioning tactics. Some higher rank officers may assist or advise protestors to go to alternate routes so they can bring food in.

The caller this morning said he personally witnessed six bodies which brings doubt to official death count of last night. He added that on his way to last night’s protests he witnessed people profiting from selling Mubarak pics to both sides for 50 Egyptian pounds per person. He was also approached by poor people trying to deter him from going to protests because the demonstrations were raising the cost of food to the poor.

PLEASE READ ENTRY 17 or 10 or THE FIRST ENTRY OF THIS BLOG FOR BACKGROUND

Feb 2, 2011

Morning Update

Feb. 3rd 9:48 am Cairo time

The phone calls slowed down last night, dozed off from exhaustion after 8 hours of blogging. Now everyone in the Square is busy finding food and drink to begin again today. Many of the protestors that went home or were in hospitals tending to the wounded are on their way back. Again, there demands are as of yesterday for the President to step down and the VP take over till elections. Stay tuned. Please Spread and try to spread to our friends in Europe awake now.

More than the 5 reported by the media must be dead because everyone there has seen a different description of dead bodies, implying that there are more than 5 bodies seen yesterday.

If you are reading this and you have any influence, know that you can save lives today if you help influence events to meet this simple demand. Let him give up the remaining months as a show of where he went wrong by preventing us from being a true democracy and we will ALL GO HOME IMMEDIATELY.

We will cooperate with Mr. Omar Soliman entirely if this need is met.

PLEASE READ ENTRY 17 or 10 or THE FIRST ENTRY OF THIS BLOG FOR BACKGROUND


Update on possible attacks by bombing at bomb from "thugs"

Protestors scanned roof tops for us to see if any gas cylinders have been stored on rooftops and so far nothing like that has been seen. The protestors also add that putting them on the roof without witnesses would be difficult unless they were dropped by air. We will wait and see but hopefully this rumor, started by "Dream Channel" is not true.
Entry 18
2:18 am February 3rd 2011-02-02
I fell asleep and woke up, to a man calling in. He said that the fighting itself is at a minimum. If one takes shots of the square now, one may think it is empty. But in reality about 50, 000 people appear to be in the surrounding areas and controlling entrances to the square so that no new “thugs” enter.
People are taking shifts sleeping. Some women are sleeping in tents, but most are ill-equipped on asphalt or grass and few are actually getting sleep.
Protestors are at entrances of square not square itself …number 50 to 60 000 remain.

One of the prominent scenes reported today is that a tank with license number 1326 and standing at the entrance of
Talaat Harb street
, had an army officer standing with his gun in his mouth and tears streaming down his face. He appeared to be beseeching his commanding officer to help the protestors and eventually the commanding officer complied. It is reported that that tank was among the very first that started to help disperse the “thugs”. Anti-Mubarak protestors later were seen embracing the noble individual who took these bold steps on behalf of the Egyptian army.

AS of present most “thugs” appear to be behind 6th of October bridge and remain in a cycle of charge and retreat throughout the night.
News of fresh protestors coming in to relieve those present is trickling in. For example news of El Sheikh Safwat Hijazi adding a group of 10,000 was said to be true as well as groups led byDr. Essam El Erian and Dr. Beltagy.

This specific caller said he witnessed “khartoushes” that are canisters filled with shrapnel fired into crowds. He is a Doctor and said that a young 20-year-old man rushed to him with his 50-something-year old father who had one gun shot wound to the neck and they soon all came to the realization that the man had already died.

This specific caller said he estimated 600 deaths since he joined the demonstrations three days ago. His voice sounds tired and he is reporting complications with his eye sight from the tear gas.

He sent out a message to the army to please help them by joining them and obliterating the thugs from Downtown Cairo.

PLEASE READ ENTRY 17 or 10 or THE FIRST ENTRY OF THIS BLOG FOR BACKGROUND

Entry 17

12:49 am Cairo Time 3rd of Feb

Contacts in the square inform me that cell phone batteries are running out. I am apprehensive about who should be given my number so I can continue to get updates, but I authorize giving it to contacts of my contacts, trusting they will make decisions that do not jeopardize me.

I am reposting entry 1 below for background of those just joining the blog
Once again, the writer of this blog is sequestering herself from TV and analysis to be true to the message of those in
Tahrir Square
right now:
Entry 1:

This blog is set up by an American Egyptian supporter of the Egyptian Liberation
demonstrations. It has been set up to directly voice what is happening on the ground without the bias of satellite channels who may have their own interests or biases to one side or the other.

We really want this to be the voice of humanity speaking on behalf of Egyptian youth. We are not claiming that we have a strategy that is beyond fault. But we have entered this fight with the sole purpose of righting the wrong of having an oppressive leader that has placed himself in the presidency with no legitimacy.

On the 25th of January 2011 we begun our peaceful protests to end his regime and as our numbers swelled and we appeared close to getting our point across, the president held tight to his throne as is reflected by his latest speech. We went on a roller coaster ride with the police attacking and then retreating, the army coming in and protecting us and then retreating and now as it stands today plain clothes officers and hired individuals have stormed
Tahrir Square
and are clubbing us and shooting at us and we are being killed even as you read these words.

I write this blog with protestors calling and updating me on the phone. It is a horror hearing the screams and violence in the background. We want the world to know that we are being attacked. This is an SOS to anyone who will listen. Our ages range from late teens all the way to those in their fifties. We are educated and unarmed and we are simply saying we reject the current regime.

We are being criticized for not backing down after yesterday’s speech where he claimed the following:
  1. He will not run again for elections (the least we expect of him being 82 and a complete tyrant)
  2. He will work on the constitution and on disassembling the parliament (we are not sure what to make of this since there is a spirit of mistrust between us and we don’t believe him)
  3. He will spend the remainder of his term finding those who “exposed the country to unrest and have them brought to justice” (This means he will start killing and arresting the youth who are in the protests which started the minute his speech ended and is still going on )
  4. He will “die on Egyptian soil” (meaning he will not give up till he is dead)
  5. He will “enforce the peace” (again meaning he will kill the opposition

A faction of the Egyptian population believe his promises and think our demand have been met. Let me explain what happened on that part. Initially if he had come out and given the exact speech immediately after the 25th o0f January we would have accepted his promises and waited to see where he would go from there.

But then he started reshuffling his men around and refusing to admit he wouldn’t run again or give the throne to his closes friends or sons. So we protested some more. And as the protests continued we started getting killed.

Now understand we are regular citizens, most of us have never seen guns or any kind of warfare before. All of a sudden we were seeing our friends die in front of us and we see the country crumbling economically and security wise and our parents are begging us to come home to save them from unidentified “thugs” attacking apartment buildings and houses. The internet was off the cell phone were off…there was looting and chaos in the streets…we started to panic…do we stay home and leave the only accomplishment we had which was the strength of our numbers or do we trust that this thief called Mubarak will not start arresting and torturing us after we back down and go home and the world has lost interest???

SO we stayed there peacefully. We even had organized a soccer tournament. But we were never given the chance …we were clubbed the minute his speech was over. Now they are coming in on horses and camels and taking us down.

I will keep updating and I am trying to get images as well by protestors running into buildings in the square and sending me the images…

Please stay with us. God Bless.


12:20 am Feb 3rd 2011

Entry 16:

It is 12:20 am Feb the 3rd officially. A whole tense hour past since last entry. People are tired and calling in less. The latest is that there is no more direct contact with the very few “thugs” still around apart from throwing rocks back and forth from both sides. The rough tally is 3000 people injured and there are 20 ambulances surrounding the square.

The captive “thugs” have cited as much as 5000 Egyptian pounds of pay off for their participation. Protestors are starting to leave because of normal “human” reasons such as back aches, head aches and the need to hug their children and loved ones. I am tired but plan to stay up all night as long as phone calls are coming in. I am tired and afraid that maybe the calls are traceable. I, like everyone else, do not know what the president has planned. But we will stay the course.

If you would like to end it all today… It is unanimous for everyone on the ground that if he steps down and leaves things to Vice President as transition until elections, we will go home. This blog promises on behalf of protestors that everyone will go home and stay home if this compromise is met. Be a hero Mubarak and do it for the youth of Egypt.

You are so close to meeting with God soon and you have so much to answer for. Please reconsider and do it for us. We will know that that you were being honest and you truly love Egypt and its children.
PLEASE READ ENTRY 10 or THE FIRST ENTRY OF THIS BLOG FOR BACKGROUND
Entry 11: 20 pm Cairo Time

We have taken over the square all the way to Abd El Moneim Riyad street meaning that there are no “thugs” in the square…we don’t know what the media is reporting but the youth are now in control of 90% of protest grounds.

Please get the message out!!!!!!!

PLEASE READ ENTRY 10 or THE FIRST ENTRY OF THIS BLOG FOR BACKGROUND

Entry 14:
11:04 pm Cairo Time

The army finally helped!! It helped disperse “thugs” and helped pro-Mubarak protestors take over two of two of the vehicles they were riding. Again, remember that the writer of this blog has watched no television since 6:00 pm Cairo time when this blog started, so as not to bias the account of what is happening.

 We are now driving them down Tahrir square pushing “thugs” all the way out of
Tahrir Square
in the direction of the Egyptian Museum. People still marching to the beat of their own army march, banging created by banging pipes on street lights and anything they can find. The sound over the phone is inspiring!

A female protestor tried banging on the doors of a shop and other protestors ordered her not to lest she damage it in any way.

God Bless the protestors and to those that are angry with them and want them to go home, please remember that it is their spirit that brought progress so far.

We could be winning but it will mean nothing if you don’t spread the word. Please tell everyone you know as well as inform the media of the address of this blog.

PLEASE READ ENTRY 10 or THE FIRST ENTRY OF THIS BLOG FOR BACKGROUND
Entry 13
10:56 pm Cairo time

Army fires into the air in an attempt to disperse protests before midnight. New signs being held repeating slogans such as “Game Over Mubarak” and many many signs calling to the West for support.

The people who call seem to be catching their second wind and one can sense an air of accomplishment as attacks on them seem to lessen a little. I could hear loud chanting against Mubarak in the Back ground of all calls.

Will be up all night reporting hoping that international media catches this blog…long live the Egyptians’ fight for liberty. Please Join us!

Again, if he steps down and leaves things to Vice President as transition until elections, we will go home.

PLEASE READ ENTRY 10 or THE FIRST ENTRY OF THIS BLOG FOR BACKGROUND