Mohamed Mursi Supporters in Tahrir 22/06/2012

"Son of the Midan
Mursi
Son of the Midan
Mursi
Son of the Revolutionaries
Mursi
Civilian President
Mursi
Peaceful Revolution
Mursi
Loveliest Youths
Peaceful Revolution
Mursi
Peaceful Revolution
Mursi
Dream of Legitimacy
Mursi
The rights of Martyrs
Mursi

Dream of Legitimacy

Mursi

The rights of Martyrs 

Mursi..."

Hello Grandpa...

Photo / Design by Yasmin Salem. Photo taken on 27 Jan 2012 in Tahrir

Egypt is open to Tourism

Photo taken in Tahrir on 28 January 2012

The "Man of the Moment" on this photo explained to me that the pyramid he was carrying on his head represented tourism and its significance to Egypt.

Translation of slogans on pyramid: 

Egypt above all

Egypt is free

I love Egypt

Translation of words on the miniature obelisks:

Dahab

Pyramids

Taba

Mars Allam

Marching to Tahrir on 25 Jan 2012

LEAVING MOHANDESSIN TO TAHRIR

COME DOWN

ARRIVING IN TAHRIR

What would you do if you were President of Egypt?

A friend asked me yesterday what I'd do if I were in charge of the country. I've always found questions that begin with "what if?"exciting. What if you won the lottery? What if you could live for a thousand years? What if you were president of Egypt?

My reply was, if I was in charge, "The people would be the red line." It's a sentiment I've often heard people chant during marches in Tahrir, reflecting people's desire to see Egypt's citizens treated with respect and dignity. 

My policies would put people at the heart of all its programmes ensuring the main pillars of the revolution were developed. I'd also ensure that the government, democratically elected every term, served the country and not the other way around. To see that happen, I'd start off with a constitution that stated on its cover in bold "الشعب خط احمر" that "The people are the red line." The constitution would be sealed in gold with the aim of always upholding "Freedom, Dignity and Social Justice."

My Egyptian utopia would be overseen democratically by three departments charged with fulfilling the revolution continuously. I'd hire ministers tasked with heading up these departments.

Freedom: A minister of human rights would ensure people's freedoms were safeguarded. We'd see an Egypt where citizens were treated equally no matter what their gender, ethnic, religious or sexual background. All Egyptians would be equal in front of the law. Egyptians would no longer have to live in fear of retribution for expressing their views. Police brutality would no longer be tolerated. Police officers would receive a respectable place in society again thanks to their citizen respecting philosophies. The law would encourage mutual respect.

Dignity: A minister of anti-corruption would be tasked to clean up politics, media, business and the justice system. It would ensure the abuse of power was no longer feasible. The main foundation for that would have to be a fair independent justice system. The clean up would ensure corruption was no longer tolerated offering people equal opportunities and a dignified status as citizens of Egypt.

Social Justice: A minister of development would implement policies and programmes promoting a modern 21st century economy, where jobs, education, healthcare, farming, technology, tourism and the environment were advanced with social justice at the core.

Finally, Tahrir would always serve as a place for reflection and protest ensuring those in power are held accountable.

Best New Year's Eve in Tahrir 2011

Minutes to the countdown as Muslims and Christians celebrated the New Year's Eve in Tahrir in solidarity, sharing love and singing the national anthem, and finally the words: "Bread, Freedom, Social Justice" and "Down with SCAF" as we headed into 2012. As we entered the new year, balloons bearing the colours of Egypt's flag rose into the air as we heard: "Happy new year Tahrir!"

Season's Greetings

It was a tragic day when a country's people shed blood, when women were beaten and humiliated and when a country's history was burnt down to the ashes...by its own people, gone for generations past and future. Let's pray for freedom, change, dignity and social justice for the sake of all that was lost. Let's hope that Egypt's new history will be written in the dawn of democracy and that all that was lost was not lost in vain.  


Season's Greetings with hope for more peace and love in 2012. 

One

Tahrir on December 23, 2011

Egypt's Girls are a Red Line

A heart warming march by women in Tahrir in response to some of the recent violence against protesting women. 

Men formed a protective cordon around the women what seemed like a symbolic gesture to me.

Translation of Women's Chants:

The revolution's daughter is not stripped. Egypt's daughter is not stripped. Egypt's daughter is not stripped. Egypt's girls are a red line. Egypt's girls are a red line. Down with the ruling military. Down with the ruling military. Freedom. Freedom. Freedom.

Why I didn't boycott the elections

Some people decided to boycott the elections, insinuating that voting was equal to selling out Tahrir while giving legitimacy to the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF), the ruling military. While I was torn for a moment, I decided to vote in the end. This post attempts to explain why I decided to vote and why one does not have to come at the expense of the other.


I voted because I wanted to participate in this historic moment. Like many Egyptians, I was excited to take part in this process and I wanted to give my preferred candidate the chance to get into parliament. By voting, I could play a small role in shaping the future of Egypt.


By being inside parliament, you have your ears to the ground. You have access to decision makers and you can monitor what is going on. By excluding yourself from this process, you give all the cards to the opposition. Whoever boycotted the process, boycotted the possibility of influence inside parliament, no matter how limited that influence might be. I understand the process is not perfect and that parliament will lack the power to make much change, but it's a first step towards exercising my right as a citizen. 


The road to democracy is a long journey ahead and where would we be without hope and optimism? Let's recall for a moment that advanced democracies did not get there over night. And they're not ideal examples either. The occupy movement proves it. 


So while the naysayers were boycotting the elections, and dampening the experience of those that decided to vote, I was looking at it differently. For the first time in 60 years, Egyptians were happy to have a say in the future of their country, as they cued for endless hours outside polling stations, optimistically looking towards a new future. And there was a merit in participating. People were consciously engaging with their rights as citizens, a further step towards citizenship in a democracy. 


So while some people look sceptically at those that voted and while those that voted think Tahrir should pack up and go home, I say, why can't the two work together? A healthy democracy should encourage participation in a variety of ways. The street is one way. Parliament is another way. Why does one have to exclude the other? Surely both voices are legitimate. Why can't both voices unite to ensure we don't fall back into old habits, paving the way for new dictatorships along the way?

Tahrir and parliament should work together in an ideal democracy, so that people continue to feel empowered. A friend of mine once said, Tahrir is like a platform that can hold the government accountable. It's also a place where people experience the meaning of democracy. Let's take a moment to remember, we got here thanks to Tahrir.  

Humanity

Although I'd been to Tahrir numerous times over the course of the summer, this time round Tahrir was a different place to contend with. There are certain images that will stay in my mind forever. They're not the kind of graphic images that we have become accustomed to through countless YouTube postings and news reports, but the kind that inspire humanity

The first image was that of the countless volunteer doctors helping the wounded in Tahrir. Working in makeshift hospitals on pavements around the square, they cared for their patients in the dark with little more than flashlights to guide them.

The second memory was that of the volunteer motorcycle drivers, transporting the injured with a high sense of urgency through the crowds from Mohamed Mahmoud Street to the makeshift hospitals.

But one image will last forever. It's the image of those enthusiastic youths, with hearts of lions, prepared to sacrifice their lives for the sake of Egypt's freedom.

The little face of Panda in a window sill

After spending the summer looking for Panda around the city and with a little help, I found out that my Panda treasure hunt was made possible by an artist called Sad Panda (unknown to the artist). Click here to see Sad Panda's work. 

I'd always thought of Panda as an Egyptian revolutionary, saddened by some of the events going on around him.

Artist unconfirmed. Shot taken on 24 September 2011 in El Horriya Cafe 

I was looking through some of my photographs today when I discovered this shot here of Panda that I'd taken over the summer. It's the little face of Panda in the window sill of a cafe called El Horriya in downtown Cairo. The slogan next to Panda's face says: And then what? I'm not a hundred percent sure if this is by Sad Panda, but it resembles some of the artist's work I've come across.

I first discovered Panda in Tahrir on one of the walls of the Mogama3. Smitten by Panda and following a few more sightings, I decided to make it my mission to locate Panda around the city and to document its whereabouts around Cairo. Please get in touch if you've seen any more sightings of Panda. Thank you.

The Cow Calls Out...We're Falling Asleep

Artist unknown. Photo taken on 31st October 2011 on Mohamed Mahmoud Street, near Tahrir Square. 

The Cow calls out:
Ha Ha

 And says: My children
Ha Ha

And children of the stick
Ha Ha

We're  falling asleep
Ha Ha

See No Evil Hear No Evil

Artist unknown. Photo taken on taken on 31st October 2011 in Qasr El Aini Street, near AUC,

No to Emergency Law

Protesters were demanding an end to the recently activated emergency law in a protest called in Tahrir on Sep 16th, 2011.

'No to Emergency'

'No to Emergency'

Boy with Body Paint

Voices speak out for Freedom

"We the people are the thin red line,

We the people are the thin red line,
We are not afraid,

We are not afraid,

We hate the silent voice,

We hate the silent voice,

We are not afraid,

We are not afraid,

We hate the silent voice"

A Peaceful march was held from Tahrir to the Cabient of Ministers on Sep 19, 2011. 

The sign held by crowd reads: No to Emergency, No to Military Trials, No to Law Criminalising Strikes

To those who dare to dream

This song is dedicated to those who dare to dream. Long live Jan 25.

The crowd sings: Bread, Freedom, Social Justice!

Man: Thank you. Thank you youths!

Crowd: Thank you. Thank you youths!

Tahrir Sep 16 2011

Can Egyptians unite to save their own Revolution?

A couple of days before the last millionia (a million protest) took place, I was feeling pessimistic.

With groups popularly known as: We're Sorry Mr. President and the Children of Mubarak taking a confident stand, talk of an ominous counter revolution, a violent clash between Ultra football fans and the police during a match and what seemed to me like more of a shift in public opinion against ever more protesting in Tahrir, it seemed to me that more Egyptians were turning against their own revolution.

A decision by the Supreme Council for Armed Forces (SCAF) that week, banning new satellite licenses and the tightening rules around protesting didn't help. For the first time, I was sceptical that the protest day in Tahrir would really make a difference.

But against all odds, Sep 9 occurred and suddenly hope reappeared on the horizon. It was a day organisers called the day of "Correcting the Path" of the revolution. I interpreted that as a protest to reinvigorate the revolution's aims.

I was away that weekend, but the impression I got from televised interviews was that Tahrir was peaceful. I felt optimistic again.

It was a day I think, that could have swayed some of the doubters back in favour of the revolution. But far from that, it was regrettably a day that ended with a dark cloud over the revolution.

The attack on the Israeli embassy much later that day, successfully derailed the revolution. Whatever the motivation behind the attack, I disagreed with it. Beyond that, the revolution suffered a major setback. The emergency law was reactivated, and a further enquiry into existing satellite channels in Egypt, suggested a further tightening grip on freedom, one of the revolution's main pillars.

People later claimed the attack was a plot to destabilise the revolution. Thanks to the actions of a minority, the majority would have to suffer the consequences.

If the attack on the embassy achieved one thing, it was that it successfully drew attention away from the revolution's aims. Meanwhile more anti-revolution voices could be heard, casting a dark shadow over it.

While all this was going on, I kept wondering and what about the revolution's demands? What about "Bread, Freedom and Social Justice?" And more importantly, would Egyptians find a united way back to save the revolution?

I love Panda

Panda on Mogama3, Tahrir 

This is Panda, discovered in Tahrir on one of the walls of the Mogama3, on the 22nd of July 2011. Smitten by Panda and following a further sighting, I decided to make it my mission to locate  Panda around the city.

Translation of line next to Panda: "El Mushir is making me very sad." El Mushir is Field Marshall Tantawi who now heads up Egypt's ruling military council.

If you have seen Panda, please post a comment with a location, so that I can take more pictures and document its whereabouts around Cairo. Thank you.

Who are you?

Fangari's Famous Finger on El Mogama3

Fangari's Famous Finger, became a showpiece after one of his announcements on behalf of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, in which he raised his finger in warning against disobedience, not realising that the new generation of internet savvy youths, no longer tolerate authoritarian language.

"Who are you?" refers to the notion that the revolutionaries are funded from abroad with subversive plans to destabilise the country.

Translation: Who are you?
Mogama3, Tahrir on 22nd July 2011