Re: FluTrackers Offers Condolences to the People of Egypt on This Day of Darkness
hat tip @Zeinobia
Zeinobia was one of the first bloggers in Egypt. She was one of our first contacts in Egypt and for many years wrote blogs about the emerging H5N1 situation there.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
And It has just started but I fear We do not know that yet
I do not know to say or write but it feels so heavy. At I knew that Egypt before August 14 was different than after August 14 and it is not a change for better but rather worse,the living proof was yesterday.
First I could not complete the live updates because I was sick , I had a fever and I could not complete. It was from the mercy of God to sleep while this on going tragedy taking place. It is hard for anyone to see his country falling in to piece and to see his own people killing each other.
Second I have a testimony which I have to share as a citizen journalist before being a professional journalist. I was on the verge of spending the day at my work down Al Galaa Street as the clashes between the Muslim brotherhood protesters but me and my real great colleagues found a way out taking back streets. Our plan was to take the Sabatiya popular area and then cross the old Imbaba bridge to Imbaba as 15 May bridge and October bridge were all blocked.
It was 5 PM. We passed by a vigilante checkpoints where locals were holding machetes and swords as well empty bottle glasses were brought. I saw an army helicopter standing still in the air in the direction of Ramsis street.
We went to Sabatiya , a popular area full of workshops. Despite they are mostly closed on Friday yet the locals in the poor formed vigilante checkpoints against swords and machetes were there. Despite they did not let other cars to pass without inspection , we passed smoothly. I think they saw bunch of ladies unveiled in the car and thought they can not be Muslim brotherhood supporters. In one of the checkpoints they forced two women wearing black Niqab to leave their tuktuk and step aside.
I do not know what happened to those ladies.
In one of the areas of Sabatiya , I saw a mob , an armed mob from locals around a police van used to transfer detainees as well CSF conscripts. I did not understand what was happening there. In our trip we saw some locals careless for the battles taking place couple of blocks away. I saw those locals playing dominos in the cafes giving their back to the TV sets.
Moving to the great republic of Imbaba , we met even more popular checkpoints. There were clashes there especially in the Nile Corniche. Moving to Sphinx square we found groups of MB supporters handing to somewhere. As soon as we left , we heard that clashes erupted there.
In Agouza , I found near where I live huge noise coming from Agouza Charity Hospital ?Following the Ministry of health?. When I went there I found locals from popular area nearby the hospital rushing with an injured man to another hospital in Imbaba while another man was announced dead. The people said that the Muslim brotherhood protesters killed him in the clashes in Nile street. The family of the deceased soon brought up the swords as well empty bottles crate to the street and head to Nile street to complete the battle.
I forgot to take my camera and it was the wisest thing to happen with all these suspicious armed vigilantes in the checkpoints.
I did not feel that worried on January 28 , it was completely different. It is much worse by all degrees.
It was a sad day.
We are used to blood and death that most people are indifferent to the huge death toll we have in the past 3 days , over 1000 Egyptians are killed !! Of course many people believe that the majority of those dead Egyptians are Muslim brotherhood terrorists who should not only get killed but to rot in hell. Yes it got to this degree in fact many people believe that security forces have been merciful with the Muslim brotherhood.
I am afraid its implications were not taken in consideration in whoever planned for it whether the Muslim brotherhood or the security forces or the regime. Violence brings violence. Starting with the dispersal of the sits in and there has been true political and social assessments for the political or security decisions taken !! We are heading towards diplomatic crises with half of the world in time of economic crisis while adopting Nasser 1960s rhetoric !!
The Nasserite Nationalist wave Egypt by all strength sponsored by the current regime is facing Islamism Nationalist wave that getting angrier and angrier by time. It is double radicalization from all sides.
You can not speak now when Egypt is fighting its greatest wars , the war of terrorism !! You are either traitor or MB agent , actually they are same thing now. You do not dare to speak about human rights or civil rights in this time otherwise you are traitor as well.
Unfortunately people do not realize that the latest country to declare this war has not won it yet and that country is the so-called leader of the free world.
People of Egypt now believe the TV channels and TV figures that they once disbelieve. The Mubarak era?s figures are back with their ugliness with their anti-25 January revolution narratives.
The same disease the MB was suffering from has spread like in the Egyptian society.
I am afraid that there will be more blood spelled till all the people realize there is no other way than political solution. Of course that is a very optimistic scenario another scenario is we can have a light version from Algerian scenario where we enter a war against Islamists. That scenario will end with the army generals? rule from behind scenes with puppet presidents and parties in the front along with highly nationalist spirit and iron curtain and control on media.
There was once a Lebanese thinker that said that Lebanese people did not admit that they were having a civil war except after two years , well I believe we are heading towards something ugly and nobody wants to admit it.
It has started and most Egyptians do not know that it started.
Posted by Zeinobia at 11:54 PM
