Growing tension between the Egyptian regime and the Judges....

Anticipated Tensions on Election Monitoring

AL WAFD - 30/8/2005ANGER AT STATE COUNCIL: UNDERSECRETARY & SECRETARY OF JUDGES CLUB GIVEIN THEIR RESIGNATION IN PROTEST OF DISMISSING 650 JUDGES FROM MONITORING THE ELECTIONS

The crisis between the judges of the State Council and the Presidential Elections Committee aggravated, after dismissing 650 judges from monitoring the elections, and choosing only 572, with the pretext of facilitating the work process. Seniority was not taken into consideration, upon distributing judges on committees. Young judges wer eappointed in main committees and older ones in subsidiary committees. Read in Arabic from Alwafd and elaph.

Warning: More beatings for Egyptians on Election Day

AL AHRAM - 30/8/2005 ORDERS TO POLICE TO PRACTISE OPTIMUM SELF-CONTROLPM Nazif asserted that the coming presidential elections will be a fine historic step towards democracy. He also emphasized that orders were given to police to practise optimum self-control and avoid violence. He confessed various violent incidents falling during the May referendum.

This is a real joke! Should I understand that there will be beatings but the government is trying to say we will be in control and decent with civilians!

Honorable Egyptian Judges:TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR SUPERVISING ELECTIONS

AL MASRY AL YOUM - 29/8/2005- The Judges Club released a statement, including guidelines and clarifications to be abided by throughout the electoral process. These guidelines called the ((Ten Commandments)) were represented in the following:

1- Premises of the secondary committees should be under surveillance,allowing confidential voting and prompt screening of votes;
2- Checking out the phosphoric ink;
3- Voting and screening should be in presence of representatives ofcandidates;
4- Keeping authorized copy of screening results of committees;
5- Checking out identity of voters by means of official documents. Novoting without voting cards;
6- Procedures applied to voters should be also applied to secretaries ofvoting boxes;
7- Recording in committee minutes any shortcomings or infringements;
8- Issuing police reports against any crime committed inside the committee;
9- Facilitating the mission of NGO representatives, who are allowed to follow up the elections;
10- Notifying the Electoral Follow-up & Monitoring Committee formed bythe Judges Club of any observations or remarks.

Support Our Free Honorable Egyptian Judges

I am proud to be an Egyptian because there are other free Egyptians who do not want to resign to slavery and oppression.

I am with you and Thank you.

Read another statement by the Egyptian judges on the fraud of referendum day May 25.

P.S. The image is taken from the Economist

Nuclear Weapons Maneuvers in Egypt

Last November, the U.N atomic watchdog has discovered plutonium particles near an Egyptian nuclear facility and is trying to determine if they are evidence of a secret weapons program or simply the byproduct of peaceful research.

In response to the international community concerns, yesterday the world's nuclear watchdog (IAEA) asked Egypt to sign a treaty banning the testing of nuclear weapons, meaning that the investigations results were negative.

Egypt's foreign minister has turned down the request saying Israel should first join a separate agreement calling for a halt to the spread of atomic bombs.

Israel went through two key wars in its history, the 1967 and 1973 wars, and did not use any nuclear weapons that it has acquired in 1963 if I am right. Above all Israel owns weapons of mass destruction and other complicated biological and nuclear weapons in which I m not the expert to mention.

However, Egypt’s regime secretly helped Iraqi dictator Saddam to develop chemical weapons that was the reason of killing thousands of Innocent Iraqis, Kurds and Iranians.

I am not saying that Israel should keep the right of testing or having nuclear weapons. I am saying that the Egyptian regime is not supposed to justify its secret collaborations with dictatorships to exterminate innocent people, which I call crimes, or secretly testing nuclear weapons by saying Israel should give up first. Egypt should not be in a position to weigh itself with Israel cause the Israeli citizen has the right to choose and he/she is part of the decision-making process in his/her country and me as an Egyptian citizen, I am deprived of choosing. Hence I take the chance to thank the international community represented in IAEA for trying to ensure that the Egyptian regime is not developing nuclear weapons for my own personal safety and other innocents who might be in danger.

And since I have little right here to express myself, I ask the Egyptian regime to sign this treaty cause I do not really trust what they can do with us cause the regime does not consult us.

The good news is that the Egyptian regime has said hundreds of "No" to many things that ended with a "Yes". Let's wait and see.

"Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide." Napoleon Bonaparte

Fair Elections Begin With a Fair Campaign

Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Article 21.(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
(2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.
(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Here is my story: Egyptian elections coverage for elections is slammed by Egyptian NGOs. And, I do not want to go on writing to apply democracy you must have freedom of.... and access to ..... because it is as clear as day.

Mahatma Gandhi said ony day "You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty." And I believe him.

Egyptian Elections Reality TV

I really did not want to write elaborately about the so-called Egyptian election farce for two reasons, first I m not seeing any signs of credibility and the second because I m boycotting. Call me negative..bla bla... I do want to be used to delcare Egypt run by elected dictator. I do not want to be the reason for painting a pinky image about Egypt when my people are ground under all forms of oppression. And, no one is representing me and the whole process is illegal as it is based on fraud.

Anyway, I found this joke which is not a joke, it is a true story reported by Al-Hayat newspaper about presidential campaigning. Read the full story in Arabic here. And the following is a translation to the second paragraph of the story or the bitter joke.

"Mubarak went to visit Al-Menya Governorate in one of his electoral campaigns. And before going to his popular conference there, he met with the family of a simple Egyptian citizen, Fathi Mahmoud. He had a cup of tea with his family. The meeting was aired live on TV satellite channels. Celebrating the visit of the very special guest, Mahmoud recited some poems welcoming the President. Then a conversation between Mahmoud and the President started. As much as Mahmoud was happy to meet the president, he was sacred to death about himself and that drove him to discuss a tricky topic with the president. Mahmoud asked “Do you remember the man you met when you came here several years ago to inaugurate Al-Menya bridge”? Mubarak facial expressions were showing that he was trying to remember and then he asked “who that?” Mahmoud answered quickly the man who ran into you to shake hands and you talked with him for a while. Mubarak answered, what’s wrong with him? How is he doing? Mahmoud answered spontaneously: the police arrested him. While Mubarak expressing his surprise, Mahmoud went on to say the police took him to a place we do not know about and we had never seen him again. Mubarak asked did the police take him because he shook hand with me? Mahmoud answered jokingly, this is the end of who shakes hand with you. Then Mubarak answered back joking then take care of yourself…"

If this is the end of a man who shook hands. What is th e end of 70 million Egyptians living under this kind of leadership. Apart from the democracy and freedom issues, this is to show you the atmosphere in which Egypt is run...Bargains on arrests and people never returning home...alas.

Here is a real joke from one of my previous blogs.

Freedom is not Free

I Do Not NEED an Owner

Reporters without Borders is pleading for imprisoned Libyan internet writer Abdel Razak Al Mansouri’s freedom. Reporters Without Borders wrote to Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, the president of the Gaddafi Foundation, asking him to intercede on behalf of imprisoned cyber-dissident Abdel Razak Al Mansouri and seek his release. The efforts of RSF are very much appreciated, but it sounds to me as very humiliating. Looks like Middle Eastern citizens are owned by their leaders who can grant them their FREEDOM. Where does this happen in the world? Why are we owned? Because we did not choose! ALAS! I want to choose, I do not want to be owned to be granted my freedom.

On same topic, read my previous blog on Al Mansouri.

I do not want to serve tea, am I allowed?

· I do not want to be depicted as serving tea to some peasants as the image of the so-called ruling National Party candidate shows in his national newspaper. May I? My family did not educate me to be figured as serving tea, excuse me!

· Secret negotiations between President Mubarak’s aides and Egyptians judges! Please welcome bribery and corruption factors to the march of democracy in Egypt!

· Mubarak is calling Sharon the only man left to make peace. Am I allowed here to remember assassinated President Anwar Al Sadat who's peace legacy was crushed forever by President Mubarak ? Ladies and Gentlemen Egypt celebrates Sinai’s Liberation Day instead of celebrating a national day for peace. Did we really liberate Sinia? I am sorry but I have a tendency to be proud of peace more than a war.

· Is there a possibility to remind our reverend presidential candidates running for the Egypt’s biggest electoral farce in our history that we need to hear of any vice president even if it is a dummy one? Mubarak was one day a vice president. He only came to power because President Sadat was assassinated. That was his only qualification for 24 years ruling Egypt.

· May I ask why Mubarak is being interviewed by the Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot? If any Egyptian citizen attempts to contact an Israeli citizen, his telephone is tapped, he/she is traced wherever they go and an informer may come and visit home to check…etc, if not attacked by security. Mubarak will be also visiting Israel after the election play is over. May I ask also why the Egyptian regime is following a double standard policy, lying to the world as portraying Egypt’s warm relations with Israel while terrorizing its citizens if they dared?

· Being Egyptian citizen I m entitled to know what kind of investigation is conducted following Sharm El Sheikh attacks that ended up with rounding up 650 fellow Egyptians. Did anyone heard of Scotland Yard following the London attacks arresting hundreds of British citizens? I wonder if the Egyptian police have better techniques in conducting investigations that the Egyptian ministry of the interior would like to share with us as citizens or with the world to further combat terrorism everywhere. It is time to stop arbitrary arrests and oppression. My only worry is that the regime of Egypt is practicing and rehearsing to replace the 24 year old Emergency Law with the suggested Anti-terrorism Law.

· I started reading Nelson Mandela’s biography (Nelson Mandela, In his own Words), which is a number of his speeches since he started his struggle against Apartheid and until becoming President. I do not know why this Arab world, if there is any, did not bring a great hero like Nelson Mandela? I have to admit, one of the reasons why I love South Africa , though I did not visit it, is because of Mandela’s greatness. I also congratulate South African people on 11 years of democracy and on Nelson Mandela...Great nation, great hero.. If we cannot enjoy democracy, at least be happy for others. When I finish reading the book I ll let you know my impressions.

· I noticed that the name of Egyptian Nobel laureate Ahmed Zuweil is being circulated as a president or Prime Minster candidate. It is not a big surprise. Israel’s first president, Chaim Weizmann, (1948-1952) was a scientist. Knowing that Israel is the only democracy in the region, hopefully Iraq will follow pursuit, it is an idea to be taken into consideration.

· Middle Easterners trust American media. In view of the bias corrupt Arab media, Radio Sawa and Al-hurra TV channel, which the latter means "the free" in Arabic, must win. I am not surprised, because the free and freedom must win. CONGRATULATIONS!. Read Gateway Pundit's blog on same topic.

P.S. Second image is from Cairo Magazine: thugs of the regime beating demonstrators in Egypt.

I am back to blogging

I am back from my very much needed vacation. I urge everyone to take the chance to renew the energy. One won’t realize how breaks are important until he/she gets one.

By the way I have just read this article about Egyptian bloggers. This is Alaa Fattah's blog that is mentioned in the article. I did not know that Iran has between 75,000 to 100,000 blogs until I read the article. Looks like oppression is the generator of blogs.

"Freedom for Egyptians" will be back next week!

Dear Friends and visitors, I will be off until next week. The blogger and blog need some summer rest. See you all next week, I will miss you! Don't forget to visit me again after the break.

More Internet writers’ arrests, Human Rights Watch reports

Libya’s internal security force has detained journalist and Internet writer Abd al-Raziq al-Mansuri since last January in an apparent effort to silence a writer with critical views.

The government arrested al-Mansuri, 52, on January 12, 2005, in his hometown of Tobruk. Over the previous year he had written some 50 articles and commentaries critical of Libyan society and government for a U.K.-based website, http://www.akhbar-libya.com/. The website reported last week that he had fallen from his prison bed and broken his hip. Well, full board prison hosting with complementary beatings around the clock is a popular treatment by totalitarian regimes.

“Internet use has recently exploded in Libya, in the absence of a free domestic media,” said Joe Stork, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa Division. “Internet sites based outside of Libya provide an important forum for political debate, so al-Mansuri’s arrest is a setback for Internet freedom and the important debate on Libyan reform.”

The government claims it arrested al-Mansuri for illegal possession of a handgun. But he was apparently detained before the handgun was found, by agents of the Internal Security Agency, which normally deals with issues of national security. The authorities are holding him in Abu Selim prison, run by the agency. For at least the first four months of his detention, the authorities held him in incommunicado detention, without access to a lawyer or his family. Read the more from the HRW link. Falsifications are the easiest way to tarnish someone’s reputation or bring him or her to court. Remember the normalization and anti- Mubarak opposition activists in Egypt.

Al-Mansuri’s last article before his arrest, “Will the Key-Holder Come Soon to That Hall in Sirte?,” posted on January 10, was a subtle critique of a debate between two government officials, a reformer and a hardliner, expressing hope, but doubt that Libya’s leader, Col. Muammar Qaddafi, would support the former. The English and Arabic versions of the article can be read here.

Another unsurprising face for Arab regimes is disclosed here. Regimes that attack peaceful demonstrators do not spare an effort to stifle all forms of freedom of expression without reason. It looks like it is our destiny to live as crippled world citizens deprived of freedom.

Free Internet writer Abd al-Raziq al-Mansuri

Summer Bits & Pieces: Egypt-Algeria, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Shayfeen, election campaigning, Sinai attacks

Licking Boots after Mistakes: Egypt-Algeria relationships are soured and Libyan leader Moamar Kadhafi interferes by hosting a summit between President Mubarak and Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in Sirte. Read. Have a look on my previous blog on same topic.

Viva, Freedom of Expression: Bibliotheca Alexandrina’s management is banning websites that promote Human Rights and any sites that oppose the current regime. Read (in Arabic).

What goes around comes around: Egyptians are very puzzled with the number of attacks in Sinai Peninsula. Today another small blast occurred on the side of a road in Sinai as a vehicle belonging to the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) passed by, but no one was killed. The regime of Mubarak smuggled weapons to Hamas for the suicide bombers through secret tunnels in Rafah and now....


Election Rigging: A new Egyptian popular movement was formed to counter expected election rigging. You can report any violations by an image or any form here. Your report with be sent to press and government if you wanted. The site is in Arabic.

Two days to go: Only two days and the election campaigning will start in Egypt with 10 presidential runners with three opposition parties boycotting. There are no independent candidates. Women and Copts are not represented. Patriarchal religious institutions in Egypt raced to pay allegiance to Mubarak. The role of the Muslim Brotherhood in elections is not quite clear. Mubarak posters are erected in Cairo auguring his victory.

Regime bodies deem Mubarak winner, regardless of the upcoming Egyptian elections. Mrs Susan Mubarak chairs a summit in June 2006 as announced by Farkhunda Hassan, Secretary-General of the National Council for Women. Will someone please tell these people that we are heading for country’s elections! We deserve some respect even if elections will be doctored in all cases!

N.B. : Cartoon reads "From left to right: Arab democracies (yellow), Western democracies (blue)". Cartoon from www.mahjoob.com.

The B-52 will Take Care of You

On January 30, Iraq’s first democratic election was held after toppling the Iraqi dictator who was in power for 35 years. He could have been still with us until now but thanks for the heavy bomber B-52. The features of this air combat do not only include performance of strategic attacks, air interdiction, offensive counter-air and maritime operations but also shaking other Arab dictators in their seats. I have to admit here that I am one of the fans of the B-52. I was thinking of having one of its posters on the wall to look at her everyday in all its glory as a reminder of the success of democracy and freedom that are working in the ME because of her. Sorry I am cynical as usual.

While the Egyptian presidential election is at our door step, I only believe that our President did not initiate the so-called change of article 76 of the constitution to allow presidential multiple candidates to run for presidency, because he woke up one day born anew believing that freedom and democracy are essential to run a state. Mubarak himself being an army pilot is very aware by now of the capabilities of the B-52 after Iraq. He also learned his lesson very well that the US is capable of stretching its arms to Asia to grab Saddam from a hole under the ground.

The first signal that ignited most of the Arab oppressed nations’ battle towards democracy and freedom was the stunning, ravishing B-52. Despite the love and hate relationship that most of the nations in the Middle East experience with the US because of the previous support of the US to dictators, I think there must be recognition for the B-52. Without it, Egyptians would not have had all these demonstrations in the streets of Egypt. Mubarak did not lift Emergency Law since 1981 and he is still the sole ruler and he wants to continue to 2011. The only change that has been made for a fact is the toppling of Saddam. Just to let you know the good news, Mubarak intends to change the name of the Emergency Law after September elections to Terrorism Law, subjecting all anti-Mubarak Egyptians to the adjective of "terrorist". Wait for me after September elections: I all be signing as Freedom for Egyptians terrorist!

Being a friend and collaborator with the former Iraqi regime, the current regime of Egypt is threatened but has not changed. Mubarak helped Saddam in the 80s to kill thousands of innocent Iraqis, Kurds and Iranians. Read this report by the CIA. What will prevent the current regime to kill or torture us except the B-52? What kind of drastic change that can happen to the regime in Egypt to turn it into morally straight regime abiding by international standards for democracy and freedom.

The following is quoted from the CIA report on the Egyptian regime's role in the Iraqi chemical war saga.

During the early years, Egyptian scientists provided consultation, technology, and oversight allowing rapid advances and technological leaps in weaponization. With the Iran-Iraq war well underway, Egypt assisted Iraq in CW (chemical weapons) production:

• In 1983, Egypt made modifications to the Grad 122 mm Multiple Launch Rocket System to enable warheads to store chemical agents.
• In 1984, Egypt exported Grad rockets with plastic inserts to hold chemical agents.
• In the mid 1980s, Iraq invited Egyptian chemical weapons experts to Iraq to assist in producing Sarin munitions.
  

Yes, I am the future. I believe in that.

Oil-for-Food and Beatings-for-Egyptians..Boutros one more time!

At the beginning of 2004, the Egyptian Shoura Council decided to appoint the former secretary general of the UN, Boutros Ghali, as a chairman for the National Council for Human Rights. Knowing how independent our Egyptian institutions are, of course Mubarak did not interfere in hiring. (The Shoura Council is the first house of representatives in Egypt which is basically run by Mubarak).

There were many questions raised at that point, why a Council for Human Rights now? Human rights have been violated for 23 years under Mubarak and his predecessors so what is new? Oh nothing, 2005 was coming and it is the time when Mubarak has to repost himself as president. The Council did not carry any credibility because all its members are hired by the government with high records of loyalty. So the complaints of the Egyptians about human rights violations were also referred to state security instead of being referred to independent entities for true investigations. State security will know which Egyptian dared to complain instead of listening. I do not know of any “efficient complaint system” that was installed by the so-called Council for Human Rights. I do not imagine opposition groups filing a complaint to Boutros Ghali who earns his salary because Mubarak hired him. How can a person defend his own rights when the aggressor is paying?

Anyway, that was last year, many of Kefaya Movement and other opposition groups were savagely beaten in the streets of Cairo on several occasions and not one statement or press release from the so-called Council. The Council’s plea is probably that these are incidents, insurgencies; Look at the big picture, which is Egypt is stable under Mubarak’s oppression that’s why Egypt started exporting terrorists to the rest of the world.

Let’s go back to the chairman of this Council, Boutros Ghali, the former Secretary-General of the UN. I would like to warn my readers, don’t trust anyone who Mubarak hires anywhere. The regime loves hiring people that do not have clean records or do not understand anything and are willing to pay blind allegiance. These are the two main qualifications that qualify anyone to work with the Egyptian regime. Anyone eligible here?

I think I am right again. Reuters reported this story yesterday on the involvement of Boutros Ghali, his brother-in-law, Fred Nadler and his cousin Fakhry Abdelnour in the oil-for-food scandal.

The Shuttle "Discovery" of the Egyptian Mass Media

I cannot resist giving our blessed Egyptian mass media some good time whenever possible. I just cannot resist the temptation to sing the praises and acknowledge how lucky we are. Egyptian media are so smart and need to be challenged all the time.

US astronaut Stephen Robinson carried out a risky repair to Discovery, pulling out two ceramic fibers that experts feared could have caused the shuttle to overheat when it returns to Earth. The operation was made successfully with no hitch.

American TV stations are interrupting their broadcast to bring live miraculous pictures from space. Everyone is so happy and proud of what is going on in the space after 2 and half years of interruption following Colombia. Pictures showing from space were incredible.

Egyptian TV and radio stations are interrupting for a four hour informative live transmission showing President Mubarak inaugurating a bridge. I am not so sure that this “inaugurating bridge” concept is deemed relevant and clear enough to everyone reading this blog. This is the sad reality in which we (Egyptians) are living. We learned about the process of inaugurating a street, pedestrian sidewalk, red light traffic and tuna cans. You name it and Mubarak inaugurates it.

Dangling at the end of a 17.7 meters long robotic arm with a hacksaw and forceps, Robinson became the first astronaut to carry out a spacewalk beneath the shuttle during orbit. He easily pulled out the two problematic protruding pieces of ceramic fiber under the nose of Discovery within minutes of each other.


The shuttle travels at about 26,500 kilometers per hour into the atmosphere, pushing temperatures on the shuttle skin to 1,370 degrees Celsius during reentry. For Mubarak’s parades to cross one of Cairo’s streets, thousands of soldiers have to mass up in lines since morning under the burning sun, even if he is going to do his errand at the end of the day. Two-hour is the minimum time to be stuck in your car until the President ends his errand.

While American viewers keep watching every second their space shuttle taking off to the space, we (Egyptians) keep counting how many Mercedes Benz and BMWs are moving as the President’s parade drives to its destination paralyzing Cairo. It is the most popular joke in Cairo when there is too much traffic to hear Egyptians say “Where did He go today?” If you are smart enough and you have urgent errands to run, you‘d better follow or predict the route to get things done.

Space shuttles take off to the space while we watch our ailing Arab leaders taken to their graves if not going to paralyze our lives with their errands.

Mostafa sent this link to share from NASA.gov. Thanks

EGYPTIAN SECURITY TRACKS DOWN ON YOUTH IN HURGHADA .. ARRESTING 8000 & SENDING THEM HOME WITH PRETEXT OF TERRORISM

What the heck is happening? For how long will our freedom be violated and be treated as slaves for absolute power thirst lunatics?

From Al-Wafd newspaper:

Security agencies launched large combing campaigns in the Red Sea governorate, especially in Hurghada, in order to track down Egyptian outsiders between the age of 17 & 50, claiming that this is to secure this tourist governorate and avoid further terrorist acts. Police stations became crammed with arrested people, amounting to 8000, in preparation to deporting them to their Upper Egyptian governorates. It is well known that Hurghada attracted youth in search for job opportunities. Official sources stated that permits were expected to be issued forentering Hurghada, within the framework of strict measures against terrorist acts.

The regime is:

• Arbitrarily arresting innocent Egyptian citizens for no crime
• Detaining Egyptian citizens in police station with no clear accusations or police records to track the incidents through a lawyer or let the families know the whereabouts of their member family detainees
• Laying off people from their jobs, depriving them from earning their living. Is there an alternative to provide them with a decent life? Is this is a solution to fight terrorism or letting people slip into extremism?
• Above all. Humiliation. Humiliation. Humiliation. How do you expect those people to go back to their homes with the least amount of dignity?
• There is no consideration for the fact that some of them left their governorates where their families live to earn some little money to spend on their families needs!
  

THEY ARE GOING BACK TO THEIR HOMES WITH NO JOBS SUFFERING COMPLETE HUMILIATION.

Read the Arabic story from the newspaper's link

Talented Egyptian Press Does Not Stop to Impress Us!

Contribution by: Ali Al-Masri

Akhbar El-Yom newspaper: Poor Mubarak, he can't eat Kebab, molokhiya, mahshi or go shopping

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Please allow me to share with you extracts from an editorial written by Mr. Momtaz El-Qot, the newly appointed editor-in-chief of Egypt's prominent weekly newspaper, Akhbar El-Yom, on Saturday July 30, 2005.

El-Qot, like all new editors of government-controlled newspapers who were appointed by Gamal Mubarak nearly a month ago, has been a staunch government defender in Arab satellite channels, viciously attacking opponents and accusing them of being agents for America and West. Yet, this following editorial was the most incredible, and has crossed all lines, turning Mr. El-Qot into a joke and a subject of ridicule by almost all opposition and independent newpspars in Egypt.

Please hold your breath. “Mubarak is a human being. But if we looked deeper and closer, we would find that he has been a human being of a special kind. You (as an average citizen) might feel worried over the future of your children and grandchildren, losing your sleep when you face a certain problem, or find yourself unable to meet their demands. But President Mubarak carries the worries of all Egyptians. He wants to achieve all their dreams. He wants them to live happily, to increase their allowances and double their salaries. He is unhappy with the spreading problem of private lessons (due to the failure of the education system), and distressed for the suffering of a poor or deprived person who can’t himself. He feels distressed and sleepless by the sound of pain, Ouch, coming out from a patient who can’t find medicine. In bad times, the president is also the first to offer condolences and provide support.”

You think that’s too much? No. Not yet. Take this next hysterically funny paragraph written by Mr. Mumtaz El-Qot, (whose name would translate into English as Mr. Wonderful the Cat). “You and me eat whatever we want. But the president can’t do that. Any president has to follow a strict diet and medical system in which calories are weighed very carefully. The president might be the only Egyptian who can’t eat mahshi of cabbage, aubergine, and peppers (a very popular Egyptian dish in which rice, meat, onions and other green vegetables are stuffed in cabbage, aubergine, peppers, squash and almost anything). He might be the only Egyptian who does not smell of cooking of molokhyia (another very popular Egyptian vegetable known here as slimy green soup) or okra. He might not even know the taste of Sayediaya fish (an Alexandrian fish dish). And he might be unable to eat this, and eat this, even if he loved that kind of food.. But he can’t. Doctors will prevent him, and like most other presidents, you will find out that they eat sauté food only, which we (Egyptians) describe as the food of the sick people, and wouldn’t be able to eat for more than two days in a row. Or you might find out that presidents can only eat small pieces of bread and cheese with no fat whatsoever, and even the fish they eat has to be boiled.

The president’s movements are also carefully planned. He can’t take a walk on Qasr El-Nil Bridge, sit on a coffeeshop in Al-Hussein neighbourhood, or let his foot lead him to a kabab restaurant or to buy new clothes. Did you ever see the president standing in front of a shop window checking what’s inside like millions of people, or all people, do? Could the president get the chance to sit one afternoon together with his children and grandchildren, or could he even spend the night with his family in front of the TV watching a movie? Could he, and could he and could he? In the end, the presidency turns into a huge prison, even if it was in gardens of Jasmine and flowers.”

So why should Mubarak bare all these trouble, this deprivation from such valuable pleasures of life (eating mahshi, melokhya, okra and kebab, or shopping and watching tv)? Al-Qot answers: “The man who is burdened with our concerns decided to continue his march at a time when Egypt is facing many dangers and challenges which require all of us (Egyptians) to be united around one man’s heart. A heart which is only occupied today with concerns on how to preserve the achievements of his country, and how he could help Egypt overcome a critical crossroad and conflict which some of us might not be aware of the extent of its danger, ill intentions and criminal goals.”

Mr. Al-Qot’s article goes on and on in listing the reasons why all Egyptians should support Mubarak’s nomination forever, and that they should trust his promises that he would carry out more reforms if he gets re-elected. But I will stop here.
Thank you very much.

Thanks my friend for the contribution...Comments should be addressed to "the Wonderful Cat" for explanations??!!!
Signed Freedom For Egyptians

LONG LIVE OUR FREE PRESS

Human Rights Watch Protesting Brutality against Protestors in Egypt

“Police brutality against peaceful protestors is becoming the norm again in Egypt,” said Joe Stork, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East division. “What we saw in Cairo on Saturday night reflected a high-level decision not just to prevent a demonstration, but also to physically punish those daring to protest President Mubarak’s candidacy.”

Read Human Rights Watch protest against last Saturday beatings and arrests, July 30.

Algeria Spanks Mubarak.....Not the first

Following Sharm Al-Sheikh attacks, President Mubarak gave orders to convene an Arab summit. He ordered Amr Moussa, the Arab League Secretary General, to start contacting Arab leaders. Algeria, current president of the Arab League round, refused the call.

Apparently, nobody told Mubarak that he does not own the Arab League as he imagines that he also owns Egypt and the Egyptian people. Amr Moussa apparently also forgot himself. Nobody told him that he is not supposed to take orders from Mubarak. He is not any longer working under the Egyptian regime. Also, looks like nobody around Mubarak is aware of any protocols to tell him what’s right and wrong. Ignorance became the language of the ruling regime of Egypt, continuously embarrassing the Egyptian people in front of other governments. The death of Saudi King Fahd came as a very good excuse to postpone the summit... A blessing in disguise .....

More news today August 3, 2005