Feb 4, 2011

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