The Other Side of Me

I don't know if the news about a court rule banning porn websites is true, but this will eventually happen someday pretty soon seeing who rules right now! You'd think this is not important, but it is! This of course is a step in banning lots of other things; Naguib Mahfouz's Literature, political websites, religious websites that say an opinion that is different from the one the rulers say, maybe even chatrooms or social networks if it goes that far. But although this is a disaster that shouldn't be happening under any circumstance, and will definitely solve NOTHING, this is not what this post is about. So what happens if they ban porn websites? Will the horny boys stop being horny? NO! They'll either open the damn websites using proxy servers, or go find more girls to sexually harass, or even rape in the street for that matter! So who loses from that law? Women, it's always women.... I'm so sick and tired of living in this very "only for men" s...

So since I'm sick today and can't think straight, here are some videos that I used to listen to before the revolution and they matched so much with everything happening around us. Unfortunately, they still do. So here are some dedications to some people. It's as if these songs were made especially for those people =). That's a very very special gift to the very very special Muslim Brotherhood and Salafis =). It's like Salah Jahin has written it especially for them. And Kamal El Taweel has chosen this very sarcastic music especially for them. Soad Hosny? Well, the way she acts with both her body and voice says it all. If you haven't, watch Shafe'efa w Metwally, it's a very very good movie, timeless. This one is dedicated to حزب الكنبة with them watching everything happening to their country and deciding to hide in the comfort of their sofas, please wake up. Your country needs you. This song said it all before the revolution, and I thought tha...

Yesterday while I wrote this post , I was having an awful discussion with a person I don't know about Salfis. I was against them because of their proposals against all the marital laws and women in general, among other things. And I had no intention of accepting their opinions about these things no matter what. The other person kept telling me how these laws are that of the old regime and that they're awful and everything, then he started to pray that God opens my eyes to the truth of how Salafis are the best people in the world. And I said that this is his own opinion and he's free to think so, but I'm never accepting it. Then I finished my post and the guy read it and started copying my words. At that moment, I felt like the biggest hypocrite in the world; I write something on my blog and tweet it's complete opposite on Twitter, what does that make me? But then I remembered, this isn't what I wrote about. The laws the Salafis are trying to change are my ...

I have started my past couple of posts about Tahrir with these words: "the revolution is back". I won't do so this time though, because the revolution has never left us, it has always stayed in our hearts, and always will. Today I became sure that this generation of ours will never accept that somebody steals our revolution. I became sure that no matter what happens, there's noway we're giving up on Egypt. The way we chanted today at the top of our lungs made me sure that we'll always be there, that we'll always be stronger. The way "el sha3b yoreed esqat el mosheer" (the people demand overthrowing the field marshal) moved the square reminded of January days. I'm now sure that no one can stop this revolution from winning. The numbers weren't that much at first, but since the minute I set foot there the numbers kept increasing. Every few minutes the stage announced the arrival of another rally. As the sun went down, numbers have reall...

I don't know why, but I thought that on the day after resignation I'd see different Egyptians just like I saw a Mubarak-free Egypt. Maybe because of the neighborhood committees, because I saw with my own eyes men and a few women of all ages coordinating together to guard their neighborhood. Because I saw my neighbors, security guards, doormen, parking guards all sitting together equally as if they were all friends. Because I saw everyone doing their best to guard their neighborhood. Because I heard the mosque asking the neighbors to turn on their balcony lights, and saw all flats turning their lights. Because I saw cups and plates of tea and cake going down from all flats as a sign of appreciation and support. Because I felt that I was in safe hands, because I have never felt safer than with my neighbors protecting me.   Maybe because when I went to Tahrir, this sacred place, I saw another Egypt, I saw different Egyptians, yet they're the same people I used to see, and...

I'm haunted by your ghost, it won't leave me alone. For many years you've brought the worst of me, you've shown my awful face. You've made me forget all the good in me, you've made the people I love hate me. You've made me hate myslef.  You've taken me to live in a nightmare, and told me that life is at its best. You've made everyone give up on me. You've brainwashed them, you've brainwashed me. But deep inside of me, I never really believed you, but what am I to do? What was I to do when it was only me who didn't want to give up on life. What was I to do when I was the only one who still believed? But things changed, and they decided not to give up on me, they decided to believe. And after all that happened you still won't leave me alone, you've sent me all your demons. They're still haunting me. They still want to take over my soul. You won't give up, will you? Whatever you do, it's a war now, it's us against yo...

And again, our revolution is back, and is as strong as it has always been. Today was a lot more than I expected. SCAF, as they have always done, tried to scare people, but the turnout was a lot more than I expected. I can't say that we reached a million at some point of time in Tahrir, but there were always rallies moving in and out of Tahrir, so I think the number of people who protested today in the streets of Cairo might have reached a million. Both Ultras Ahlawy and Ultras White Knights were the superstars of today's protest. They were loud and strong, chanting at the top of their lungs in huge numbers. They weren't only there for their friends who were arrested a few days ago. They chanted for the country, for freedom, they sang their Tahrir songs. They went to the ministry of interior a few times, chanted and sang the worst of swearwords that can be imagined. They even drew graffiti of all the cursing on the wall. I can't say I enjoyed the cursing, but after ...

When I go to Tahrir I feel this energy floating everywhere, I get this feeling that I'm in the right place, doing the right thing. I feel that I'm putting my time and power in the greatest cause I can ever have. I feel God watching over me and approving. I feel completely selfless. If feel that dignity is priceless. The minute I get in Tahrir a smile is put on my face, even without me noticing. It's a different kind of smile, a smile of positivity, of knowing your fight is right. I smile because in Tahrir I turn into another person, into a better person. In there, I'm a person who won't give up the fight, in there, failing is unacceptable to me. I smile because I never feel safer, I never feel more welcomed, I never feel more appreciated. I smile because in there I see the people I meet everyday being real Egyptians and loving it. When in Tahrir, I don't only believe, but I know that as long as we're alive there will always be hope. Before Mubarak had resig...

I feel like I'm hiding, hiding from my duty. Hiding because I'm not doing enough, hiding in complaining about all my silly problems, hiding in saying that life shouldn't be always about politics. Hiding because I'm not thinking of what to do. Hiding because I can see that things are getting messy, hiding because I'm worried, hiding because I can't see that beam of light that I know is there. Hiding because I'm being too lazy to do anything else. I'm hiding and I feel so bad about it. I'm hiding and I refuse to believe that I am. I'm hiding and not being strong enough to face things, to change things. I'm hiding because I'm ashamed of myself. I know I'm not the only one, I'm not the only person who took part in this revolution and now feels that they're not doing enough. I won't say why I feel that I'm not doing enough, I only wish to remind you of why we revolted. I only wish to remind of people who gave their lives f...

A little less than four months ago, a mother and a father lost their son or daughter, and with them, they lost a part of their soul. Somewhere in this country, a little less than four months ago, kids had to live without their daddy, they'll have to grow up without having him around. A wife will have to live without the love and care of her husband. A husband will have to live without the love and tenderness of his wife. A friend, a brother, a sister, a lover, many have suffered the loss of someone special. They had to lose them to give every single person who's still alive a better future. These people had to die so we can hold our heads up high. They died to make us proud. But are we making them proud? Or are we having their families regret the day they let them go lose their lives for us? On February 2nd, that black Wednesday (mawk3et el gamal), I met a man I don't know in Tahrir, he introduced himself as a retired army officer. He asked: "are you worried that the ...

I'm trying so hard to remember the ten days between the day Tunisians brought down Ben Ali and the day our revolution has been born. I've blacked out most of the incidents that happened at that time, I only remember very few things. But just a few days earlier, with the first hour of this year, I remember the church bombing, how innocent souls were killed. Christians were sure that this bombing was done by Muslims, nevertheless, there were no words against Muslims at all, they knew they were terrorists, speaking falsely in the name of Islam and Muslims, they knew that Muslims were against what happened and were mourning the death of innocent Egyptians as much as they were. Seven days later, we celebrated Christmas together, Muslims and Christians, we united on one thing and celebrated Christmas. We proved, to ourselves rather than to anyone else, that we can be united, that we care for each other, that we both want a better Egypt, a safe Egypt for everyone, the Egypt we can al...

Remember those 18 days? Remember when you walked in the street and felt safe among millions? Remember being in one place with four million and not feel worried about being harassed or pick pocketed? Remember how powerful you felt? Remember the energy that filled the place? Remember how optimistic you were? Remember how disciplined you were? Remember how organized you were? Remember how civilized you were? Remember how clean you were? Remember how positive you were? Remember how resilient you felt? Remember feeling like the whole world can't stop you? Remember when your belief was so strong for anyone to break?  Remember eating half your meal and saving the other half for someone you don't even know? Remember when everyone was equal? Remember when you were wise enough to think before you believe?  Remember how it felt to wave your flag up in the air? Remember how hard you chanted until your throat hurt, but you didn't even care? Remember how different singing the Nation...

I know we don't live alone, and I know we can't hide from what is happening around us. I know we should always show support and solidarity in what we believe in. And I support Palestine and I believe that we, their next door neighbors, should do everything we can to help free them. But the question is, are we now strong enough to support them? And I don't mean strong enough to face the Israeli army, because I believe we're still kind of far from this point. Israel wouldn't want to start another war right now, especially with Egypt, they'd rather wait and see if we can still be friends. They already have Palestine and Syria to worry about. By strong enough I mean are we united enough? Is our government strong enough to support us? Is our country organized enough to have us forget about it, even for a minute, and focus on other things? Because if we are not strong enough then it's acting, it is something symbolic. This could be good too, but when our countr...

I believe that no one should choose who to vote for before there's a full, official electoral program. But one can have an initial idea, and mine is for El Baradei. Here are some of the reasons why I think El Baradei might be the best candidate to be president in the following few years: He brought hope back into our lives when he came last year; spreading this hope will help everyone move forward with the country. He has never tried to be a leader, instead he encourages people to work for a better Egypt. How is this good? Having a leader would mean following one person on doing what's best for the country from his idea, but having a president that encourages people to work for the country will result in people renovating it in many different ways and in all fields, and that's what we want right now. He's not charismatic, and this is very very important right now. The next few years will be the time to build a strong democratic life in Egypt that will make sure we do...

Fighting with everyone isn't either....  I'm against stereotyping, against defining people according to their looks or clothes. I'm against arresting someone for protesting. But I'm also against giving them the chance to do so. I'm against protesting when it's going to make the revolution lose the people's support. Because people are the most important thing, a lot more important than the fight with the SCAF. So if this fight is going to make the revolution lose its people then no one should fight it. I'm against thinking of protesting and never of playing politics, because some things can be solved with politics, and without losing any supporters. If the revolution loses its people then the revolution is going to die. Our revolution was victorious because the whole country revolted, not only youth activists, not only opposition groups, not only middle class, not only Muslims, not only men, not only Cairo and Alexandria. Our revolution was able to over...

I'm finding many similarities between our revolution and many different things that I'm starting to think that this is just the laws of nature and our revolution wasn't epic and unprecedented or anything. OK, I'm joking of course, it is epic and unprecedented, but something reminded me of Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino yesterday and the number of similarities between this movie and our revolution is unbelievable.  If you have seen the movie, then please skip the next paragraph, if you haven't seen it and would like to know what I'm talking about, then read on. If you haven't seen it and plan on seeing it, then here is a SPOILER ALERT don't read this post at all until maybe after you've watched it. Walt (Clint Eastwood)  took part in the war against Korea earlier in his life and then went to live in a Korean neighborhood in USA. The movie starts with Walt's wife's memorial service, his son lives in another state and sees him as old and use...

What happened yesterday in Tahrir was a plan to divide between the SCAF and the people. There are many talks about how this was planned by Zakareya Azmy's men, and I believe them, why? Because this has happened a few days after he was arrested, and because we all know that how slow the SCAF was in taking action is because they're too scared of the regime's gang because they too have stolen our money and everything. So once the SCAF had to take an extra step forward, the gang has also taken a an extra step and tried to do a military coup, and of course lead to a division between the army and the people. Well, this has partly failed, so now to the next step... If people won't get too busy fighting with the army and the army can't mess anything up, then they can try something else. If Mubarak is now ready and hid all his money, then it's time to try to gain the people's sympathy. This had to happen, because now the army has also gotten angry and Mubarak's ...

Crawling Friday, February 11th, 2011, later turned into Resignation Friday (11.02.2011, yes that's how cool our revolution is). I don't know where to start, should I start from the moment Omar Soliman announced Mubarak's resignation? Should I start from how my day started today? Should I start from the day the January 25th event was created? Should I start from the moment that I believed we can do it? Should I start from the moment Tunisians were able to overthrow Ben Ali? Should I start from the moment I started writing my Egypt: Now and Then series (that I never got to finish), wondering if Egyptians will ever revolt? I have no idea where to start, or how to start. But since today's post is the most important, and since I witnessed a lot more than some have, I'll try to keep this organized as possible. I woke to find a protest by Maspero, another by the presidential palace, another in Tahrir, and another by the parliament. And this is only Cairo, there were huge...

Let me first make one thing clear; for me, dispersing a sit-in brutally for whatever reason is unacceptable. Turning a peaceful sit-in into a war zone can never be right. The way yesterday's sit-in was dispersed can never be right, even if they did it after the curfew. And we all know that this three hour curfew is only there to give them the ability to disperse sit-ins. And it's wrong even if there were thugs among the protesters. But from my very humble point of you, (and yes I'm someone who spent my night comfortably at home, but this doesn't mean I'm not allowed to say what I think and judge from what I read from eye witnesses), the army is not the only one who did something wrong. This army officers story sounded all wrong from the very first day. What exactly was their plan anyway? Why did they join yesterday's protest? How come they made videos and let everyone know who they are? They say they sacrificed their lives and future for Egypt, but what exactl...