Epic Egyptian 1

The imagery from the Egyptian Revolution and subsequent protests have been simply beyond remarkable, beyond inspiring. Certain images have gained an historical and iconic status, while others have somehow slid under the radar, either overshadowed by more featured imagery, or simply lost in the massive flow of photography from the never ending events in Egypt and the Arab world.


It is what that thought that I am starting a new blog series, one that I have been toying with in my mind for quite a while. In the same line of Epic Libyan, I am starting the "Epic Egyptian". Generally, a series of photographs that represent exactly just that: An Epic Egyptian. Each post will typically contain 1-3 images, with this inaugural one the more populous exception, and I am beginning now with perhaps some of the most iconic photographs that inspired me the entire idea. If you think of any pictures that I should feature, please send them to me via Twitter or through a comment on this blogpost or any Epic Egyptian blogpost. Enjoy!

Click on the pics for higher resolution.

And read the disclaimer at the end!

Priceless take. Another protester throwing a teargas canister away.

One of the most iconic images from the revolution. Period.

A picture that served as inspiration for many women in particular, many Egyptians in general.

January 28th. What a day.

No description needed.

Even through a revolution, you should always take time to relax and read.

February 11th. Famous image. Protester climbs tank, raises flag in celebration of victory.

Egyptian Protesters get high on teargas. Literally.

Perhaps the most famous Epic Egyptian out there.

Protester throwing teargas canister away.

In Tahrir, you need to improvise to protect yourself.

Protester on January 28th raising Egyptian flag despite being attacked by a water cannon.

One of the most iconic images from the revolution.

Disclaimer: These pictures are in no way a call for people to put themselves needlessly in harms way, nor are they a call to violence of any kind. They are only a celebration of people who reacted with courage when they absolutely had to. You can find the rest of the Epic Egyptian posts by clicking on the label "Epic Egyptian".

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Egypt: One More Victory No One Can Ever Take Away

Protesters Celebrating On February 11th 2011

There's an old saying, whose gist pretty much is: "Don't Jinx It", and I know many would say that after reading this piece, but my entire point is that there is nothing (read: nothing much) to jinx anymore, regardless of what happens in the next few hours.

The fact is that within a few hours, former Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak will participate in his first trial session, mainly for accusations of killing the January 25 Revolution Protesters, in addition to other corruption charges. Now, I'm going to go all out and assume the worst case outcome imaginable for the anti-Mubarak camp: let's say Mubarak eventually gets acquitted of all charges. But even if that does happen, and there are already legal problems regarding the case as it is, there is still one major victory that can't be undone.

While Ben Ali fled Tunisia (he says he planned to go back, but the pilot ignored his orders and left Saudi Arabia without him - sure) and is currently watching the events from an Al-Jazeera-playing widescreen, Egyptians have successfully pushed to have their former President stand trial for the first time in modern, perhaps general, Middle-Eastern history, without having even installed a revolutionary or any new regime yet for that matter, one in whose favour it would be to try the previous leader. For the first time, we will break tradition with our region's dark history, where leaders either rule for life or die of assassination. And unlike the Saddam trial, this is a trial by the people for the people, and not by a foreign force that has overpoweringly imposed itself upon the country. Even more evocatively, the former President and the co-accused will also be literally caged as they are prosecuted (much like other regime figures), in an outdated yet still existent characteristic of Egyptian criminal trials that violates the dignity of the accused and the assumption of his liberty, yet remains in force. This sight would both further serve to break the once quasi-sacred aura of Middle-Eastern powerful leaders, and ironically it should also serve as a powerful reminder that a leader should truly be the one with the initiative to reform the laws of his own country, for he could one day be subjected to the cruelest of them. And yet, for myself, the milestone moment has already happened.

The moment Mubarak received his legal summons yesterday, officially accusing him of said crimes, the most important nail in the coffin of Middle-Eastern cult-of-personality and leader-worship was finally hammered, and would only be hammered further by the live telecast of the trial. Leaders are human beings, just like the rest of us, and the same laws that apply to us apply to them as well. If they do break them, they will suffer like any of us would. And just because of that, almost regardless of how the trials proceed, many of us here feel more even empowered and more dignified as citizens than as we did even on February 11th as well. And it's a watershed moment for an entire region struggling with corrupt, bloodthirsty and oppressive regimes, many of which are starting to believe they managed their way out of the Arab Spring. As the leading figures of those regimes received the news that Mubarak, one of the most powerful, oldest reigning, and once untouchable among them, was officially served his legal summons, all those men knew that the end of life as they were used to it has finally come, forever. Governments are for the people, not the other way around; and the people own their countries, not the regimes.

Yes, many still sympathise with Mubarak, the revolution is not as widely popular as it once was (for many reasons), and we do have immense problems on all imaginable levels. Yet while we continue our excruciating struggle for liberty, existence and prosperity, and as we go through our immense daily share of victories and defeats, this is one more unimaginable victory, much like February 11th, that no one can ever take away from us. Any man or woman who shall seek to lead our countries from this day forth shall know that we are to be no longer ruled by those who see themselves as above the law, and above the people. 

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Why Many Egyptians Don't Support The Revolutionaries...

NOTE: Because this article is big, and I prefer brevity, I marked certain paragraphs with an asterisk (*), meaning that they are more clarification-oriented than essential or new ideas, and that you may skip them if you wish. If you can read the entire article, that would be much better of course, to follow a proper line of thought.

SUMMARY: This piece tries to analyse a purportedly growing gap and hostility between many on the Egyptian Streets and some of the Revolutionary Youths. It argues, among other things, that some of the Youth is failing to understand the Psyche and Mentality of a significant percentage of the Egyptian People, failing to read the implications of the last few months on different strata of society, have not succeeded in presenting and marketing many of their cases and demands, have been the targets of misinformation and disinformation campaigns, while some have developed a case of Revolutionary Egoism that has turned many people away from, and even against, them. It thus argues that it is time to approach the revolutionary and activist work in a totally different manner.

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On June 29th, the day after the Tahrir Clashes between protesters and Police forces, I found many of the citizens on the streets saying phrases like "I don't care if these kids die. They are a bunch of brash idiots." Then, the following day as the verdict of the Khaled Said trial was coming out, some were saying on the streets "Damn that Khaled Said who ruined our lives!" I was dumbfounded. Why are people criticising those who were exposed to needless violence, cursing a young man who was tortured to death for no reason, and seemed hateful or angry at much of the same youth who risked their lives for the sake of the revolution and all Egyptians?

June 28, 2011

Make no mistake,  but many see the Egyptian Revolution as not over, with a battle still raging on many fronts. Many signs of the continued influence of elements from the old regime still exist. Some Egyptians are complaining of what appears to slow responses with regards to the trials of former regime figureheads, some complain of mismanagement by the new government, including supposed lack of transparency on the creation and execution of government policy, with security issues are still a wide concern, among many other points of contentious debate.

But while virtually all of the public and revolutionary demands are indeed on the side of justice, and there are reasons for frustration, the activists and the revolutionary youth seem to be losing popularity more and more, and it is very baffling indeed. How can one go protest demanding positive things for her or his people, in some cases risking one's own security and life, and get cursed the following day? Well, it's complicated.

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