The Arab Spring, or as some call it the Arab Awakening (although this term is too condescending) is in it's 5th month. Inflaming more and more Middle East countries - this remarkable social movement doesn't leave any "stone unturned"... None of the regional regimes is immune to this "freedom bug". Some Dictators fall almost too fast for the international community to react, others - especially those who collaborated with Russia for extended amount of time and never grew out of it, like Libya and Syria, put up a fight. Although I haven't written so far anything about Bahrain, Syria, Algeria, or Morocco, this article is dedicated to one of the longest struggles in the region - struggle of the Palestinian people. It's a struggle for their identity, place to live, and what all the people deserve in the same degree - Peace. I haven't written about this topic, because... I was afraid to touch this Pandora's Box.
April 27th, 2011 brought the events which single-handedly changed the equation, and spawned a completely new reality.
Two days ago the media announced that after days of the unofficial talks in Cairo, the representatives of HAMAS and FATAH came to a historic, conciliatory agreement, to create an Unity Interim Government, and organize the popular elections a year from now in both West Bank as well as Gaza Strip.
Right after I posted on Twitter a message referring to this remarkable event I received a response including a link to a short video: "Prager University: The Middle East Problem" (www.youtube.com/watch?v=63hTOaRu7h4). The video, which consists just of a concise statement by Dennis Prager, is on of the most agitating, inflammatory, 'rewriting history', and one-sidedly wrong, messages on that subject, which are available on the Internet. It spews venom and under a false scholarly pretense it denies the voice of reason.
After receiving this message, I had no other options, but to address this subject myself. I am not usurping myself a right to know the only truth. I am advocating asking questions and being open to any answers. We can not replace the Reason with Demagogy.
Unfortunately the "global village" which is the home to all of us, has an abundance of the "village idiots" who disregarding the proofs and common sense, and will deny things which are inconvenient to their agenda, like the President's US citizenship (D.Trump and other birthers), or the right of Palestinian people to have their own place to live, free and sovereign, located where they always lived (D. Prager and others sharing his views).
------------
The historic agreement between Hamas and Fatah was announced two days ago. The World's reaction was immediate. I do not deny that in a tinder box, like Middle East, a unification of the Palestinian authorities is an event to be watched very carefully. The reaction of the US Government was cautious, but hopeful. President Obama praised the political agreement but underlined the existing, axiomatic requirements, like the acceptance of the existing peace treaties, and acknowledgment of the right of the state of Israel to exist.
In the meantime the Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu squarely rejected the unification efforts giving the Palestinians the exclusive choice: either the peace with Israel OR the peace with Hamas. It's his first reaction to the new situation, but Netanyahu's negative remarks do not help the peace process.
The historic agreement between Hamas and Fatah was announced two days ago. It ended dated since 2006, harmful for the Palestinian cause, split between factions. Yes, this division was 'safer' for the US-Israeli interests, but it was an artificially maintained state of affairs. Since the death of Yasser Arafat in Ramallah 2004, there was no equally charismatic, and equally revered leader. The President Mahmoud Abbas, who was raising to the Position of the Premier, falling into oblivion, raising again as a President..., has been generally accused to be week and wavering. He has been governing the West Bank (with the Fatah), but the Gaza Strip was led by Hamas (meaning "Islamic Resistance Movement") who in 2007 won the majority of seats in the Palestinian Parliament. Since the Hamas has been associated (and/or involved) with the armed militia and the attacks (both racket and suicide bombers) on the population of Israel - The European Union, the United States, Canada, Israel and Japan classified Hamas as a terrorist organization - while nations such as China, Russia, Syria, Turkey, Norway and Switzerland did not.
-------------
It's already the second decade of the twenty first century. It's 2011-th year of our Era, according to the calendar associated with the Christian religion. According to the Chinese calendar it's already 4709-th year. Jews have already celebrated the 5771-st year. Arab calendar, however shows that this is only 1432-nd year of their timeline. Does it mean that all the people for whom now is the year 1432 of their calendar, didn't exist before, or came to the planet Earth from the outside at the beginning of their calendar? Or does it mean that the people with the highest year number in their calendar have always been in the territories in question. I guess, both of these statements are equally preposterous - an insult to the Reason. So, maybe all of them came to the territories of Palestine from some other place on Earth... Oh, well, some really did come from the places, located a bit more to the East, as others, (especially in recent years) came from all over the world (a huge number from the East European countries).
The majority of the current Palestinians are the descendants of the Canaanites living on the territories of modern day Palestine, more than 5 thousand years ago. In the 14th century BC came the Hebrews, a group of Semitic tribes from Mesopotamia, and the Philistines (after whom the country was later named). Even current name of Palestine in Arabic is spelled "Filastin" (فلسطي).
The conflict between Palestinians (backed morally by all the Arab states) and Israel (backed, not only morally, by the countries of the West) is probably THE BEST KNOWN CONFLICT in the World's history. Since it started, the new generations have been born. No matter what is the political leaning of any particular country, this conflict has been mentioned and discussed in the history courses in all the world's schools. And yet, at the same time, it is probably THE MOST MISUNDERSTOOD, AND THE MOST MISINTERPRETED CONFLICT in the world. One can easily find on the Internet and in the libraries, referring to it list of facts and it's time-line. I am not going to try to recreate this time-line in detail in this article. Anyone can do it on his/her own. I will cite only some historical 'milestones' to create a background for the argument.
-------------
The feud started in 1947 when the British decided to leave the Palestinian mandate and allowed to split the Palestine, creating Jewish state (Israel) along the Arab state with with Jerusalem as an international zone under UN jurisdiction. I am in no position to try to assign blame for the igniting of the conflict that followed. The fact is that in 1948 the first Arab-Israeli war was launched. When it ended the new country of Israel was established, and approved by the UN. Scattered all over the World Jews at last had a place they could call HOME. As a result of the war, the small Gaza Strip was left under Egyptian control, and the West Bank was controlled by Jordan. Of more than 800,000 Arabs who lived in Israeli-held territory before 1948, only about 170,000 remained. The rest became refugees in the neighboring Arab countries, ending the Arab majority in the Jewish state.
Throughout the years, the animosities between the surrounding Arab states and Israel resulted in a chain of skirmishes exploding in fully fledged wars in 1967, and in 1973. In 1974 The Arab Summit in Rabat recognized the PLO (established in 1965 and used in guerrilla war in 1967) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people with Yasser Arafat as it's head. In all the Arab Israeli conflicts the Palestinian issue was always a serious bargaining chip. After the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel in 1979 the PLO existence in Lebanon resulted in 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. When PLO withdrew from Beyrut, the Israeli occupying forces stayed in the Southern Lebanon for years. Starting in 1987 INTIFADAS (a series of uprisings of the Palestinians against occupying forces), and the Israeli's military response, put tremendous toll on the civilian population, and on the infrastructure of all Palestinian territories.
In 1991, the first comprehensive peace talks started, between Israel and delegations representing the Palestinians and neighboring Arab states. In 1994, after having signed the final version of the Declaration of Principles, Yasser Arafat along with his Israeli counterparts (Shimon Peres, and Yitzhak Rabin) received the Nobel Peace Price for their role in Peace process. In the following years a chain of bomb attacks caused fear in the Israeli population. Every explosion was followed by the army's, heavy handed response. In 1996 Prime Minister Netanyahu introduced his peace plan. At the same moment the plans for expanding the new settlements in the Arab East Jerusalem were unveiled. The signed in 1998 "peace-for-land" agreement gave Palestinians back parts of the West Bank making them responsible for enhancing the effectiveness of their anti-terrorism program. Shortly afterwards, on 03.29.2001 started Operation Defensive Shield, Israel's largest military operation in the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War with the goals stated as: "enter cities and villages which have become havens for terrorists; to catch and arrest terrorists and, primarily, their dispatchers and those who finance and support them; to confiscate weapons intended to be used against Israeli citizens; to expose and destroy terrorist facilities and explosives, laboratories, weapons production factories and secret installations. The orders are clear: target and paralyze anyone who takes up weapons and tries to oppose our troops, resists them or endanger them - and to avoid harming the civilian population." Palestinians participating in the resulting from it skirmishes were imprisoned, or exiled (to Cyprus).
The destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, and resulting from it Islamo-Phobia in the countries of the West, followed by the Afghan War (10.2001), "added oil to the fire" and by the deepening the sentiments on both sides, the conflict escalated. In June 2002 the construction of the West Bank Wall has been initiated. It was argued that the Wall impeded the abilities of Palestinians to move freely as well crossing a border to work in Israel, thus creating an unnecessary hardship for the population. On March 13.2002 - U.N. passed the Resolution 1397 by the Security Council, demanding an "immediate cessation of all acts of violence" and "affirming a vision of a region where two states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side within secure and recognized borders".
On March 20, 2003, based on the false pretenses, the Iraq War was initiated, galvanizing the Arab societies and forcing them even farther in disapproval of the West and all the associated with it policies.
On Feb 24, 2004, The International Court of Justice begins hearings on the legality of the Israeli security barrier, Israel and Palestinians use the hearings as a platform for demonstrations about terror and the occupation. In July of the same year The Court concludes that the Security Barrier violates the international law and it had to be dismantled - however, never implemented. In November of 2004 the PLO Leader, Yasser Arafat died during the siege of Ramallah Headquarters, in a very unclear circumstances... In the years following his death the escalated violence included hundreds of missiles fired into the Israeli territories.
After a series of violent clashes initiated by the Jewish settlers, In July 2005, Israel closed Gaza Strip to Israeli citizens other than residents. In August of that year the evacuation of Gaza settlements and four West Bank settlements was completed. In November 2006, after months of bombardments with Hamas missiles sent to Israel and Israeli targeted killings of the Hamas leaders, Israeli-Palestinian truce applying to the Gaza Strip was announced. The violence continued from both sides. After months of suicide attacks (Hamas) and helicopter gunship destroying the Palestinian cities, in July 2008 the Israeli-Hamas truce was proclaimed. At the same time the split between Fatah and Hamas intensified causing arrests of Hamas activists by the Fatah.
In December 2008 Israel launched Operation Oferet Yetzuka (Cast Lead) using air strikes and rocket attacks to destroy suspected Hamas infrastructure - rocket launching sites, factories, command centers. After causing 1300 Palestinian deaths and losing 13 own, the Operation was discontinued.
On June 1, 2009, the UN Human Rights Council investigative panel led by Judge Richard Goldstone entered the Gaza strip to investigate alleged Israeli war crimes, leaving June 4. Israel refused to cooperate.
On June 04, 2009, the World heard President Obama's speech in Cairo University trying to build a bridge between the West and the Arab countries, also calling for the freeze of the settlement program, and the Arab recognition of Israel.
The Gaza Strip has been isolated by Israel since 2007. The blockade was extended on both the land as well as nautical borders. Only the humanitarian goods were allowed in, while all building materials, stone, machines and the spare parts were completely banned. Egypt played a vital role in the Gaza blockade, operating (effectively closing), Gaza-Egypt border crossing. The Blockade was greatly condemned by the people of many countries including the countries of the West and some progressive activists in Israel itself. In May 2010 a flotilla of 7 ships with the humanitarian aid for the Gaza strip left Turkey to deliver the goods - against the strict blockade imposed by the Israelis. On May 31, 2010, their Flagship Mavi Mamara was stopped by the Israeli commandos boarding the ship from the helicopter under the cover of night. The ship's crew and activists' resistance resulted in 9 people killed by the Israeli forces. In July, the "Turkel" commission formed to investigate the incident didn't find any procedural failures.
In September 2010, the direct Israeli-Palestinian talks opened in Washington with the "blessing" of President Mubarak of Egypt and King Abdullah of Jordan.
When the Arab Spring started in December 2010, ending the 30 years long rules of President Mubarak, in the February 2010, the balance of powers in the region has changed completely. It hasn't left the Israeli-Palestinian relationship without it's impact.
A few days ago, Turkey announced that another flotilla of the humanitarian aid, decisively bigger than the former one, would be breaching the Gaza Blockade soon. Prompted by the Tell Aviv government for the action to stop it, Turkey denied any direct influence over the flotilla plans. The ground for another confrontation with the Israeli Security Forces has been set already. But is the Blockade effective any longer? (beside the question of it's legal, and humane violations).
The New Egypt is not playing any more the Guard of the Western Gaza border. They have just announced plans to permanently open the border crossing to Gaza Strip allowing the unrestrained traffic between Egypt and Gaza..., deeming the Blockade useless.
------------------
The whole history of that conflict is packed with facts, blending together in a hard to distinguish from each other - calamity. Both sides stubbornly use violence against one another. The Hamas militants keep firing the short range missiles, mortars, into the bordering cities and settlements on the Israeli side. Israel has a pretty advanced warning system in place, so after the initial strike all the inhabitants take shelter in the reinforced bunkers. They live in fear. Along both, West Bank and Gaza strip borders the Israelis do not have a normal life - they have to "sleep a rabbit sleep" - with the eyes open. And - sometimes they die. More dangerous for them are bombings in their cities. Yes, the statistical risk of any particular citizen is not huge, but the result is living in fear. Although the Palestinian extremists (I insist on calling the instigators of the violence - extremists, as oppose to peaceful Palestinians), do not have a sophisticated technology themselves, nor the sufficient amount of funds to purchase the more sophisticated weapons, their crude devices still can, and do kill the opponents.
The statistics do not lie, but do not tell the whole truth.
In retaliation for the attacks and for the danger they have to live in, the Israeli forces, not being able to tell a foe from a friend, deliver blows to the Palestinian Population in total. They conduct the "surgical", targeted strikes in which one or another Hamas leader is killed (being blown apart by multiple rockets launched from the helicopter gunships). Quite often (especially in the previous years) after a brief warning to the inhabitants, to vacate the area, the whole area suspected of being related to Hamas activities would be completely destroyed. Often in such situations the inhabitants of soon-to-be destroyed quarters refused to vacate the area.
When suspected tunnels between Egypt and Gaza were bombed, the "collateral damage" was unspeakable. Gaza strip is deliberately prevented from development. The policy, which has the name already, is called devolution. I understand the premise of such an action - but try to explain it to a family in one of the cities in Gaza, who's adults, having college degrees can't find any job. Try to explain it to people whose children do not know what the 'hot water faucet' is, since they are lucky if they have the running water at all. Try to explain it to the people who, during the winter do not fix their shattered windows, since another explosion near by would shatter them again, and again...
The extremist element among Palestinians is responsible for creating situation in which the Israelis have no choice but to retaliate. This is understood... But what the World can't understand, is a greatly disproportional response which is delivered every time and again, to the population of Palestinians. It is delivered indiscriminately. With every Hamas leader targeted and killed by a gunship strike, several bystanders perish.
I can't help but remember (not directly, but reading about it) the situation in Warsaw in 1942-44, when the resistance blew a bomb in a movie theater killing a few Nazis along with a few Poles who were in a wrong place at the wrong time. Every time, the following day a 100 or more, randomly caught on the street, not-involved people, were rounded, picked by the Nazis, and executed, very often on the spot - or transferred to the Nazi concentration camps, for a "slower" extermination...
One would think, that this argument should be rather "close to skin" for the decision-makers in Israel, and yet the disproportional revenge in a Palestinian-Israeli conflict is an every day reality.
Nothing is the same as once was... For centuries there was no country for the Jews. It was a subject of writing, it was a subject of prayers... In 1948 it became a reality. It is, right now one of the undeniable axioms. It's time to start thinking the same way about the Palestinian state.
Four years ago, while celebrating with my wife, one of my "round number birthdays" in a enchanting oasis of Siwa (Egypt, near Libyan border), where we took a short brake after while working on an archaeological preservation project, I met one of the prominent Israeli archaeologist on vacation. We talked about the situation in Egypt, and a wider context. We talked about the Palestinians in Gaza. He praised their education, common sense, good working attitude. He praised their ingenuity... and he couldn't understand why they had to endure such hardships...
---------------
One of the axioms of the history is that, at any given point the "things" are NOT the same, as they used to be. It's one of the everlasting truths.
At one point Yasser Arafat was a head of a terrorist organization. He was undeniably responsible for many unthinkable acts of terror. And then, he evolved (to serve better his own people), abandoned violence, and received a Noble Peace Price for trying better...
As mentioned before, Hamas is considered by many countries a terrorist organization, by some others, not). Maybe they also can denounce violence, if it would serve their people better. I am sure they would... if they could rely on the other side to abandon their expansion agenda as well. It's only a speculation on my part...
There is a growing community of people in the world, for whom the end of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is more and more important. This open-minded community consists of the members of all faiths, all denomination, all political leanings... This community includes quite a number of Israeli, American and European Jews as well. I am not talking only about radicals like an American scholar, Norman Finkelstein (whom I admire tremendously, sometimes not agreeing with his points), but a moderate, democratic minds, like those who run MondeWeiss.net, among others.
Recently (April 15) one of the Italian pro-Palestinian activists, Vittorio Arrigoni was kidnapped and subsequently murdered in Gaza.
Maybe I am naive, but I convinced that the Peace Process in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is an achievable goal, once we realize the lesson transpiring from the Arab Spring 2011:
NOTHING IS, AS IT USED TO BE.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Democracy in Egypt - are we there yet?...
The short answer is: NO, not yet.
It's been over 10 weeks since the 30-years-long, brutal Dictatorship ended in Egypt, with deposing of the President Mubarak. We were watching with awe, the unprecedented and unexpected events of the Revolution, which overturned in a swift and a decisive way the decades long regime, along with the decades long fear of Radicalism, which could have creeped in, burying the hopes for the democracy.
On February 11, 2001 Egypt concluded their Revolutionary fight against the regime. The regime has toppled. At that moment Egypt entered much more difficult phase, a clearly gargantuan task - to forge the democracy from scratch - creating the New State according to the Democratic principles, responding to a long time suppressed thirst for the political and civil freedoms of the Egyptians...
The Army, who forced the Dictator out, took charge of the country and it's affairs, both military and civilian. Although it was the only solution which could have brought the stability to the country, it raised more questions than it answered. It was a move in the right direction, provided that the Army would honor their promises to lead the country toward the civilian, democratic government. Since the institution of Army as such is not a very convincing guarantor of the democratic process - it's no surprise that the Tahrir Square became a weekly, Friday-after-prayer place of demonstrations, reminding the Army of it's role in the long process ahead, week after week.
Although the Mubarak's Egypt has been dismantled almost completely, one of it's, hated by all, elements is still in place - state of emergency, which was imposed after the assassination of the President Sadat. It's promised to be removed after the parliamentary elections in September, but for now it allows the army to control the society the way it chooses - some say, it's the same, excessive way, well known from the Mubarak era.
The curfew, imposed on January 28, which has been slowly eased, would be reduced just to 3 hours (from 2 to 5 in the morning).
The protesting crowd is still just partially satisfied by the progress of the reforms in their New Egypt. It's understandable that to the people involved, who's patience has been tested numerous times, sense of time is different, than to everybody else - they would like to have the fully functioning Democratic State in place by now. So, let's have a look at the timeline of all the Post-Mubarak road to Democracy:
Right after achieving the main goal of the protest - deposing the Dictator, the citizens themselves started to clean Tahrir Square from the reminders of sometimes violent events of the past 18 days. Self appointed clean up crews, shouting slogans referring to the New Beginning worked tirelessly removing the destroyed tents, debris and cleaning the stains from the pavement. Some participants voiced to the press their new (for them and the spectators), feeling of ownership of the country.
On Feb 13, 2011 - two days after taking power in their hands, Egypt's military authorities dissolved the 518-seat country's parliament and suspended the outdated and twisted by the former regime, Constitution.
On Feb 14, 2011 hundreds of the Police officers and plainclothes demonstrated in Tahrir Sq. demanding the better pay and work conditions. In the Mubarak Era the officers were underpaid severely, creating the conditions in which the bribery and extortion became the only means for survival. It was so embedded in the fabric of everyday life, that it became customary to approach a Policeman on the streets and offer a payoff, every time one saw a policemen on the beat.
On Feb 16, 2011 the Egyptian Stock Exchange restarted (not without the hiccup, since it had to be stopped for a few ours immediately afterwards to avoid the unintended losses).
During the unrests the Egyptian Museum was attacked by the thieves who stole a few objects and destroyed almost a hundred of others. Apparently, the thieves weren't well informed and were partially satisfied by stealing some replicas of the artifacts displayed in the Museum store. In the period when Mubarak government withdrew the Tourist Police and Police forces in general from the streets, many archaeological sites in Egypt were either completely unprotected or protected by self-appointed forces organized by the devoted functionaries of the Antiquities Department. However, their heroic efforts were not sufficient to prevent the unrepairable damages in the places like Saqqarah. The head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, who became a face of Egyptian Archaeology for the whole World, Zahi Hawass, who was also raised to the position of the Minister of Antiquities by the Pres. Mubarak shortly before the end of his regime - resigned his post in the protest to the damages done to the cultural heritage.
Every Friday brought countless crowds to Tahrir Sq. either protesting against an actual mishandling of the country's affairs by the Interim Government (= ARMY), or just reminding the Army of their promises given to the demonstrators.
One of the things stirring the public opinion very deeply was the ban on the demonstrations imposed by the Army on all protests which MIGHT disturb the recovering economy of the country. Another - which has proven to be much more serious, was the persecution of the dissenters, and all who didn't agree with the Army's actions. It resembled the treatment the dissent received during 30 years of the Mubarak Regime.
On March 03, 2011, an activist, Amr Abdallah Elbihiry, 33, was convicted and sentenced to five years in military prison by Egypt's Supreme Military Court, after being charged with assaulting a public official on duty and for breaking curfew. He was arrested while peacefully demonstrating for the Prime Minister Shafiq to step down. He wasn't the isolated case of the abuse.
On March 07, 2011, the new Prime Minister was sworn in, along with the completely new Cabinet. The key ministries received the new heads. Some old, and sometimes despised by the 'street', faces still lingered in less important sectors.
Two days later on March 09, 2011, military forces removed the camping crowd from Tahrir Square and arrested more than 100 protesters, following up on the imposed ban of demonstrations. In the process, they also seized the photos, and video recordings from the journalists on the square. This action sparked the International protest and condemnation. It shed the very questionable light on the conduct of the Supreme Army Command, as well as the army's participation in the forging of the democracy in Egypt, especially in anticipation of coming on the March 19 Constitutional Referendum.
The State Security Investigations Service has had a reputation to be a very efficient, repressive tool in the Mubarak's apparatus. It was accused repeatedly of torture, kidnapping, and other human rights abuses serving the suppression of the dissent against the Regime. It was probably the most hated institution in the whole country. On March 15, 2011 the New Interior Minister, Maj. Gen. Mansour el-Essawy, a former Cairo security chief, dissolved that agency and announced the creation of the new National Security Force to replace it, with the reduced and redirected scope of responsibilities: just combating the terrorism. Dismantling the State Security Investigations Service was one of the major demands of the Revolution. The headquarters of the agency as well as regional offices in Alexandria and other cities ware a target of the demonstrations and attacks during the whole uprising. Several times the protesters stormed it's offices in order to seize the documents which might have provided the proofs of the abuse. Unfortunately, the officers of that agency succeeded in many cases destroying these documents before finally, the Army took the matter in their own hands and seized the documents themselves.
"We want to see public trials for those accused of torturing or abusing Egyptians..." - said Islam Lotfi, a leading youth activist. "As much as we are happy that State Security is now dissolved, National Security, the new entity, must be under real judicial supervision," tweeted Wael Ghonim, the Google executive, and a leader of the movement.
Although most of the protesters would prefer replacing the Constitution, modified several times by the Regime in the Past, with the completely new one, creation of the Committee to instigate the changes in the existing document to allow the Democratic development of the new country, was a fact welcome by all. The proposed, constitutional changes removed the monopoly of the National Democratic Party (ruling Mubarak's Party), removed restrictions against creating a religion based political parties, introduced a term limit for the publicly elected officials, etc.
On March 20, 2011, in all the civic centers in Egypt the unprecedented event had place - the Constitutional Referendum. It was the first in the modern history of Egypt, democratic VOTING EXERCISE. Although the voter turn-out wasn't as big as in previous, fixed elections, a mare 41% of the eligible voters, the exercise proved to be an overwhelming success. According to the Referendum Chairman, Mohammed Attiya Egyptians voted 3-to-1 for the implementation of the amendments.
We all remember about the specter of radicalization hanging over the future Democratic Egypt. One of the strongest, and best organized, political forces in Egypt - Muslim Brotherhood benefited greatly from the changes passed by the Referendum. However, their desire to introduce Islamic law, and their ambivalence about the role of women in the society are responsible for their relatively little popularity within the society. Muslim Brotherhood in our times is comprised of educated people, professionals, like engineers, lawyers and doctors. Their creed has changed since the time of the Sadat assassination and their factional split, followed by renouncing of violence. But there is an element in the Egyptian society which is far more unpredictable and dangerous - “Salafi” Islamists, growing in popularity among the poorest and the most confused part of the nation.
If we (the Western Countries) advocate the democratic processes in Egypt and all the participants of the Arab Spring 2011, we must accept the situation in which the part of the society might not like us... Well, in the previous era, when all the regimes of the Middle East were our allies - no one in the allied countries had any good feelings toward the West. What the Arab Spring brought, is the dramatic change in the attitude of the Egyptians (and not only) toward America. It has been dramatically shifted by our backing up the pro-democracy movements.
Egypt's Interim Government plans to use the amended Constitution as a road map toward the power transfer to a new, elected, civilian government. The Army agreed not to place it's candidate in the upcoming presidential elections. However, this fact alone doesn't convince the "street" about the Army's good intentions.
As mentioned previously, the Army, having as progressive intentions as it claims, can not escape from the relics of the past. It's extremely sensitive to the critical statements coming from the various social activists, and bloggers. On March 28, 2011, an Egyptian blogger, Maikel Nabil, was arrested and on April 10, sentenced to 3 years in prison for the charge of "insulting the army". Although it is a clear attempt to muzzle the voice of dissent violating multiple human rights, the case of Maikel Nabil is not that straight-forward. He is a self-declared "pro-Israel activist", whose naive believes in the triumph of democracy transferred to Egypt from Israel, resulted in other bloggers asking if the army put him in a wrong "institution"...
Newscaster Shahira Amin, quit her job in the government run Nile TV, before the fall of Mubarak, in the protest against her being forced by the officials to twist the reality and report only "state approved" news. Ten weeks along the road to democracy - she is still very critical of the army's control over the media. The State TV building in Cairo which is home to about 10 TV and radio stations is now a fortress guarded by tanks and cordons of soldiers. Who controls the media, controls the reality...
On April 13, 2011, one of the most important demands of the protesters has been addressed - President Hosni Mubarak and his two sons, Gamal and Alaa have been imprisoned and subjected to the thorough investigation in order to determine their participation in the corruption of the regime, as well as to determine their responsibility for the lives lost during the uprising. Imprisonment of the President and his family was a crown of the long chain of investigations conducted agains most of the officials of the fallen Regime. Allegations in all the cases include corruption and responsibility for human rights abuse during the 30 years of the Mubarak's Dictatorship.
As reported by Egypt's state news agency MENA, the number of deaths during the Revolution amounted to 864 people, and the amount of injuries rose to 6467 (including 26 Policemen killed).
It must have been difficult for the Military to stand against it's former Boss and prosecute him to the full extend of the law. But given the public persistence in insisting on the delivery of justice as well as growing public weariness about the army's real intentions, the Army was in no position to spare him even if they wanted to. At this point there is no more a possibility to satisfy the crowds with any sort of fake trials, and a "slap on the wrist" treatment of the Dictator. Excluding also the blood thirsty vendetta - the justice has to be served. Egyptian people demand the real, thorough investigation, and the real, just trial, delivering the real, just sentence and the punishment.
Egypt is the biggest Arab country in the world. It has been for decades in the center of attention of the whole region. Egypt is the leader of the Middle East and what happens to it's structure and political fabric is looked upon by all, as a guidance in going through the revolutionary, social and economical changes of the Arab Spring 2011.
On April 16, 2011, The High Administrative Court of Egypt dissolved the National Democratic Party (NDP), former ruling party, and ordered the seizure of its assets, thus meeting another of the key demands of the revolt that led to the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak. The NDP was formed by the Mubarak's predecessor, President Sadat, and was led by Mubarak after the Sadat's assassination. For 40 years the NDP was the only allowed political party in Egypt. Dissolving it, along with the prosecution of it's Leader, and seizing it's assets mark the end of the era, which for most of the Egyptian society has been the only geopolitical system they knew in their lives.
The Mubarak's Era has ended.
On April 21, 2011, an Egyptian Court decreed that the names of the deposed President Hosni Mubarak and his wife Suzanne to be removed from all public places, along with the removal of all apparitions of the Dictator...
It's not a first time in the long, Egyptian history, that the name of the former ruler was meticulously removed from the reliefs, previously dedicated to him/her... (it seems that Mubarak thought of himself as a Pharaoh).
Revising the answer to the title question: SOON.
It's been over 10 weeks since the 30-years-long, brutal Dictatorship ended in Egypt, with deposing of the President Mubarak. We were watching with awe, the unprecedented and unexpected events of the Revolution, which overturned in a swift and a decisive way the decades long regime, along with the decades long fear of Radicalism, which could have creeped in, burying the hopes for the democracy.
On February 11, 2001 Egypt concluded their Revolutionary fight against the regime. The regime has toppled. At that moment Egypt entered much more difficult phase, a clearly gargantuan task - to forge the democracy from scratch - creating the New State according to the Democratic principles, responding to a long time suppressed thirst for the political and civil freedoms of the Egyptians...
The Army, who forced the Dictator out, took charge of the country and it's affairs, both military and civilian. Although it was the only solution which could have brought the stability to the country, it raised more questions than it answered. It was a move in the right direction, provided that the Army would honor their promises to lead the country toward the civilian, democratic government. Since the institution of Army as such is not a very convincing guarantor of the democratic process - it's no surprise that the Tahrir Square became a weekly, Friday-after-prayer place of demonstrations, reminding the Army of it's role in the long process ahead, week after week.
Although the Mubarak's Egypt has been dismantled almost completely, one of it's, hated by all, elements is still in place - state of emergency, which was imposed after the assassination of the President Sadat. It's promised to be removed after the parliamentary elections in September, but for now it allows the army to control the society the way it chooses - some say, it's the same, excessive way, well known from the Mubarak era.
The curfew, imposed on January 28, which has been slowly eased, would be reduced just to 3 hours (from 2 to 5 in the morning).
The protesting crowd is still just partially satisfied by the progress of the reforms in their New Egypt. It's understandable that to the people involved, who's patience has been tested numerous times, sense of time is different, than to everybody else - they would like to have the fully functioning Democratic State in place by now. So, let's have a look at the timeline of all the Post-Mubarak road to Democracy:
Right after achieving the main goal of the protest - deposing the Dictator, the citizens themselves started to clean Tahrir Square from the reminders of sometimes violent events of the past 18 days. Self appointed clean up crews, shouting slogans referring to the New Beginning worked tirelessly removing the destroyed tents, debris and cleaning the stains from the pavement. Some participants voiced to the press their new (for them and the spectators), feeling of ownership of the country.
On Feb 13, 2011 - two days after taking power in their hands, Egypt's military authorities dissolved the 518-seat country's parliament and suspended the outdated and twisted by the former regime, Constitution.
On Feb 14, 2011 hundreds of the Police officers and plainclothes demonstrated in Tahrir Sq. demanding the better pay and work conditions. In the Mubarak Era the officers were underpaid severely, creating the conditions in which the bribery and extortion became the only means for survival. It was so embedded in the fabric of everyday life, that it became customary to approach a Policeman on the streets and offer a payoff, every time one saw a policemen on the beat.
On Feb 16, 2011 the Egyptian Stock Exchange restarted (not without the hiccup, since it had to be stopped for a few ours immediately afterwards to avoid the unintended losses).
During the unrests the Egyptian Museum was attacked by the thieves who stole a few objects and destroyed almost a hundred of others. Apparently, the thieves weren't well informed and were partially satisfied by stealing some replicas of the artifacts displayed in the Museum store. In the period when Mubarak government withdrew the Tourist Police and Police forces in general from the streets, many archaeological sites in Egypt were either completely unprotected or protected by self-appointed forces organized by the devoted functionaries of the Antiquities Department. However, their heroic efforts were not sufficient to prevent the unrepairable damages in the places like Saqqarah. The head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, who became a face of Egyptian Archaeology for the whole World, Zahi Hawass, who was also raised to the position of the Minister of Antiquities by the Pres. Mubarak shortly before the end of his regime - resigned his post in the protest to the damages done to the cultural heritage.
Every Friday brought countless crowds to Tahrir Sq. either protesting against an actual mishandling of the country's affairs by the Interim Government (= ARMY), or just reminding the Army of their promises given to the demonstrators.
One of the things stirring the public opinion very deeply was the ban on the demonstrations imposed by the Army on all protests which MIGHT disturb the recovering economy of the country. Another - which has proven to be much more serious, was the persecution of the dissenters, and all who didn't agree with the Army's actions. It resembled the treatment the dissent received during 30 years of the Mubarak Regime.
On March 03, 2011, an activist, Amr Abdallah Elbihiry, 33, was convicted and sentenced to five years in military prison by Egypt's Supreme Military Court, after being charged with assaulting a public official on duty and for breaking curfew. He was arrested while peacefully demonstrating for the Prime Minister Shafiq to step down. He wasn't the isolated case of the abuse.
On March 07, 2011, the new Prime Minister was sworn in, along with the completely new Cabinet. The key ministries received the new heads. Some old, and sometimes despised by the 'street', faces still lingered in less important sectors.
Two days later on March 09, 2011, military forces removed the camping crowd from Tahrir Square and arrested more than 100 protesters, following up on the imposed ban of demonstrations. In the process, they also seized the photos, and video recordings from the journalists on the square. This action sparked the International protest and condemnation. It shed the very questionable light on the conduct of the Supreme Army Command, as well as the army's participation in the forging of the democracy in Egypt, especially in anticipation of coming on the March 19 Constitutional Referendum.
The State Security Investigations Service has had a reputation to be a very efficient, repressive tool in the Mubarak's apparatus. It was accused repeatedly of torture, kidnapping, and other human rights abuses serving the suppression of the dissent against the Regime. It was probably the most hated institution in the whole country. On March 15, 2011 the New Interior Minister, Maj. Gen. Mansour el-Essawy, a former Cairo security chief, dissolved that agency and announced the creation of the new National Security Force to replace it, with the reduced and redirected scope of responsibilities: just combating the terrorism. Dismantling the State Security Investigations Service was one of the major demands of the Revolution. The headquarters of the agency as well as regional offices in Alexandria and other cities ware a target of the demonstrations and attacks during the whole uprising. Several times the protesters stormed it's offices in order to seize the documents which might have provided the proofs of the abuse. Unfortunately, the officers of that agency succeeded in many cases destroying these documents before finally, the Army took the matter in their own hands and seized the documents themselves.
"We want to see public trials for those accused of torturing or abusing Egyptians..." - said Islam Lotfi, a leading youth activist. "As much as we are happy that State Security is now dissolved, National Security, the new entity, must be under real judicial supervision," tweeted Wael Ghonim, the Google executive, and a leader of the movement.
Although most of the protesters would prefer replacing the Constitution, modified several times by the Regime in the Past, with the completely new one, creation of the Committee to instigate the changes in the existing document to allow the Democratic development of the new country, was a fact welcome by all. The proposed, constitutional changes removed the monopoly of the National Democratic Party (ruling Mubarak's Party), removed restrictions against creating a religion based political parties, introduced a term limit for the publicly elected officials, etc.
On March 20, 2011, in all the civic centers in Egypt the unprecedented event had place - the Constitutional Referendum. It was the first in the modern history of Egypt, democratic VOTING EXERCISE. Although the voter turn-out wasn't as big as in previous, fixed elections, a mare 41% of the eligible voters, the exercise proved to be an overwhelming success. According to the Referendum Chairman, Mohammed Attiya Egyptians voted 3-to-1 for the implementation of the amendments.
We all remember about the specter of radicalization hanging over the future Democratic Egypt. One of the strongest, and best organized, political forces in Egypt - Muslim Brotherhood benefited greatly from the changes passed by the Referendum. However, their desire to introduce Islamic law, and their ambivalence about the role of women in the society are responsible for their relatively little popularity within the society. Muslim Brotherhood in our times is comprised of educated people, professionals, like engineers, lawyers and doctors. Their creed has changed since the time of the Sadat assassination and their factional split, followed by renouncing of violence. But there is an element in the Egyptian society which is far more unpredictable and dangerous - “Salafi” Islamists, growing in popularity among the poorest and the most confused part of the nation.
If we (the Western Countries) advocate the democratic processes in Egypt and all the participants of the Arab Spring 2011, we must accept the situation in which the part of the society might not like us... Well, in the previous era, when all the regimes of the Middle East were our allies - no one in the allied countries had any good feelings toward the West. What the Arab Spring brought, is the dramatic change in the attitude of the Egyptians (and not only) toward America. It has been dramatically shifted by our backing up the pro-democracy movements.
Egypt's Interim Government plans to use the amended Constitution as a road map toward the power transfer to a new, elected, civilian government. The Army agreed not to place it's candidate in the upcoming presidential elections. However, this fact alone doesn't convince the "street" about the Army's good intentions.
As mentioned previously, the Army, having as progressive intentions as it claims, can not escape from the relics of the past. It's extremely sensitive to the critical statements coming from the various social activists, and bloggers. On March 28, 2011, an Egyptian blogger, Maikel Nabil, was arrested and on April 10, sentenced to 3 years in prison for the charge of "insulting the army". Although it is a clear attempt to muzzle the voice of dissent violating multiple human rights, the case of Maikel Nabil is not that straight-forward. He is a self-declared "pro-Israel activist", whose naive believes in the triumph of democracy transferred to Egypt from Israel, resulted in other bloggers asking if the army put him in a wrong "institution"...
Newscaster Shahira Amin, quit her job in the government run Nile TV, before the fall of Mubarak, in the protest against her being forced by the officials to twist the reality and report only "state approved" news. Ten weeks along the road to democracy - she is still very critical of the army's control over the media. The State TV building in Cairo which is home to about 10 TV and radio stations is now a fortress guarded by tanks and cordons of soldiers. Who controls the media, controls the reality...
On April 13, 2011, one of the most important demands of the protesters has been addressed - President Hosni Mubarak and his two sons, Gamal and Alaa have been imprisoned and subjected to the thorough investigation in order to determine their participation in the corruption of the regime, as well as to determine their responsibility for the lives lost during the uprising. Imprisonment of the President and his family was a crown of the long chain of investigations conducted agains most of the officials of the fallen Regime. Allegations in all the cases include corruption and responsibility for human rights abuse during the 30 years of the Mubarak's Dictatorship.
As reported by Egypt's state news agency MENA, the number of deaths during the Revolution amounted to 864 people, and the amount of injuries rose to 6467 (including 26 Policemen killed).
It must have been difficult for the Military to stand against it's former Boss and prosecute him to the full extend of the law. But given the public persistence in insisting on the delivery of justice as well as growing public weariness about the army's real intentions, the Army was in no position to spare him even if they wanted to. At this point there is no more a possibility to satisfy the crowds with any sort of fake trials, and a "slap on the wrist" treatment of the Dictator. Excluding also the blood thirsty vendetta - the justice has to be served. Egyptian people demand the real, thorough investigation, and the real, just trial, delivering the real, just sentence and the punishment.
Egypt is the biggest Arab country in the world. It has been for decades in the center of attention of the whole region. Egypt is the leader of the Middle East and what happens to it's structure and political fabric is looked upon by all, as a guidance in going through the revolutionary, social and economical changes of the Arab Spring 2011.
On April 16, 2011, The High Administrative Court of Egypt dissolved the National Democratic Party (NDP), former ruling party, and ordered the seizure of its assets, thus meeting another of the key demands of the revolt that led to the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak. The NDP was formed by the Mubarak's predecessor, President Sadat, and was led by Mubarak after the Sadat's assassination. For 40 years the NDP was the only allowed political party in Egypt. Dissolving it, along with the prosecution of it's Leader, and seizing it's assets mark the end of the era, which for most of the Egyptian society has been the only geopolitical system they knew in their lives.
The Mubarak's Era has ended.
On April 21, 2011, an Egyptian Court decreed that the names of the deposed President Hosni Mubarak and his wife Suzanne to be removed from all public places, along with the removal of all apparitions of the Dictator...
It's not a first time in the long, Egyptian history, that the name of the former ruler was meticulously removed from the reliefs, previously dedicated to him/her... (it seems that Mubarak thought of himself as a Pharaoh).
Revising the answer to the title question: SOON.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)