Egyptians Are Becoming Unstoppable (Warning: Graphic Pictures)

The astonishing manner in which history repeats itself should encourage all of you living everywhere across the globe to learn about the Egyptian revolution. Because, one day, everything that has ever happened there is going to exactly happen the same way in your country, over, and over, and over again. Those who rule us never learn from their mistakes.

The Egyptian Revolution is one of the most beautiful and symbolic revolutions in history. Despite being Egyptian, I used to hate everything about Egypt. I hated Egyptians and their manners. I hated their cowardness, their beliefs, their customs and traditions, and their ignorance.

In the first revolution of Jan 25, something changed… (I say first because what's happening today is a second revolution) - I was watching TV and posting stuff on facebook. It was 3:00 AM and my TV is on AlJazeerah news. Then the reporter said that people are being sniped by hidden anonymous snipers in Tahrir square; three dead and counting.

www.worldcrunch.com...




Naturally, I freaked out. I posted on facebook: guys… we lost… they're using snipers now… the game has changed… it's taking a new level. First it was tear gas and sprays, but snipers? Everybody go home… please everyone… just go home. We lost this war.

And then everything I used to think about Egypt had changed completely. People didn't stay at home and as it turns out, I am the coward. People on facebook would say: our brothers are dying in Tahrir… LET'S GO DIE TOO. It was confusing. This moment, I believe, is a turning point in the history of Egypt. The moment people knew about the sniper and went in masses to Tahrir square instead of staying home where no snipers are looking for you. One of my friends told me when I asked him about this: when you see your brother, that you were just with dreaming of a better tomorrow and talking about it, falling down in front of your eyes, the last thing you think about is fleeing. All of a sudden, the entire world turns red and your anger has no limits it actually eliminates any fragment of fear left inside you, and you basically become, a beast.




It was a turning point, because ever since then, Egyptians have been gaining actual field experience. They started organizing themselves and making tools and equipment to counter the attacks and aid them survive encounters with their enemies.



They would study the components of the chemicals being thrown at them and try to find the antidote. All entrances to the square are closed by them and no police is allowed in. Metals covers and blown up police cars everywhere to hide in and to protect them from snipers. Weapons were not all in the same place so people don't all go at the same spot all at once to get a weapon. They were evenly distributed across the square. Small clinics were scattered all over the place with first aid kits and volunteering doctors that have a card saying: "a doctor" so they can get in and out without having to be searched. They also made a media center where people can go and know the news outside the square. Others would clean up the square and some volunteered for fixing laptops and electronics. They made power outlets out of the street lights to recharge phones and laptops. They also made a place for lost and found and another for lost children. Other volunteers would spread awareness about the corruption that took place in the last 30 years and reminding them of those who died in the revolution for our freedom so they keep the spirit up.

Today, a lot of Egyptians are losing their eyes because the police were being trained to aim on the eyes. So, people are getting masks for their eyes and one of the "eye snipers" identity was discovered and people are spreading his personal information: his name, cell phone number, facebook page, and address everywhere so that they give him the Gaddafi punishment. One of the eye snipers' victims is Ahmad Harara. He lost his right eye in Jan 28th:



And in Novermber 19th, he losts the other eye and he proudly writes down on each eye the day he lost it in.



And here's the ASSHOLE who did it:



The police changed the substance they're using in their tear gas, and used a 500 times more toxic component that does much more than tears:



It also killed many people, many of them children. Everyone now knows about it and everyone is carrying an antidote to the toxin that is recognized by the USA as a chemical weapon. Also, my favorite: the people threatened cell phone and internet companies that they will destroy all their equipment and towers in the streets if they disconnect phones and/or internet, and damage will cause those companies to lose millions of dollars.



Translation:

WARNING to all ISP's and telecommunication companies: we will destroy all the facilities and establishments of any company that cuts its services.

Peaceful protesting is no more.

So, as you can see, this is all experience that Egyptians are gaining. Every day it becomes much harder to control or deceive those people. Every day they turn into organized fearless noble beasts. On the political side, people are getting exceedingly politically literate and smart. They can read their government's move even before it's made. Every word said by the government is instantly analyzed and all the possible outcomes become instantly on the table. They're getting smarter than their rulers. And now they are feared by them. Yes, for the first time, the rulers of Egypt are finally feared by the people.

reply to post by TheAlmo


Wow thanks for the information you just put up.........will go through and reread everything. Are there sources you can give pls?

My heart goes out to these brave people.

Yes the world is waking up, Americans evidently aren't as yet so fast and as brave.

Thank you for sharing.

Starred & flagged.

I have alot of sympathy for the Egyptian people whom have 'taken action' initially against all the odds to create their own democracey , which those '''still in power''' are reluctant to give up.....

I genuinely think that nobody really knows what to do or how to move forward there and i fear that the Muslim brotherhood will eventually turn Egypt into a Muslim state, albiet a muslim 'lite' state........

In doing this the balance of powers and strategies in the middle east will change and will become a threat / risk to the pretty little western world most of us enjoy without realising its fragility....

One other observation is that the Egyptian Flag reminds me of the German flag in the 30's and 40's when a comedic moustache took power and gave rise to a kind of Nationalism we do not want to see again...... I hope history doesn't kind of repeat itself once again......

reply to post by PurpleDog UK


Star for your catch!!! Yes I see the similarities in the flag. Didn't catch until you said something.

Going to watch the news on TV (for whatever good that a do).......I get more news scouring the net now than TV.

Wow, a lot of people involved.

I also see Egypt too as pretty much are a "lite Muslim" State.

Things are changing world wide.

Exciting times we are living in.

reply to post by PurpleDog UK


The bravery of these people is admirable. Without fear or hesitation they are going against the machine, fighting for their country and their future. An example for all to follow.

"Our brothers are dying, let's go die too" that really got to me. No wonder I always support rebels fighting for a just cause.

Walk like an egyptian...

Eta: SnF for the op and purple dog wasn't replying to you but the op.

Friedrich Nietzsche summed it up pretty well with the master-slave morality. You can choose to be a slave; passive, timid, cynical, and kind or you can be a master; proud, strong, noble, courageous, and open-minded. The Egyptians have perhaps shaken the world without any of us feeling the rattling – for now.

You have proved that lying deep down inside the Egyptian people is the spirit of the men and women who can live in inhospitable climates, who can survive thousands of years of battles and still come out strong. This spirit of true masculinity, true heroism, will be reborn among the militarized people; those who look death in the eyes without blinking or looking away. When men reach this point the entire society can be turned on its head and those who are attempting to stand in their way shall be crushed mercilessly.

May Allah be on your side in this struggle.

reply to post by ofhumandescent


I don't know what sources you need but I will do my best

The Snipers:
www.worldcrunch.com...



Aiming at eyes and Ahmed Harara:
www.ukprogressive.co.uk...
www.telegraph.co.uk...

reply to post by Dembow


Yes I know Purpledog wasn't talking to me, but I just wanted to thank PD for pointing this out.

Good post.

reply to post by PurpleDog UK


I am aware that the Muslim Brotherhood is the most organized group there is. But, I have a theory. I don't think the brotherhood can change Egyptians. Not after Jan 25. After the revolution, anyone would HATE to rule Egypt. Because guess what?

SCAF: about to be thrown out
Mubarak: thrown out
before him Sadaat -> assassinated
before him Abdel Nasser -> poisoned and killed
before him Nagguib -> thrown out
before naguib King Frouk -> banished

and the list goes on...

those people are fed up and they need their demands to be met and they need democracy and equality. If the brotherhood take over Egypt, they will have to change themselves. And anyways, culture has an the upper hand when confronted to religion. After all, religions customize themselves to correlate with cultures, not teh other way around. What do I base this on?

Look at Lebanon and Saudi Arabia... they're both Muslim nations with different cultures. In lebanon atheists have the right to express their beliefs, in Saudi, no one is allowed dik. So, Egyptian are Egyptians. They won't change because of the brotherhood. And, if the brotherhood fuk up, the above list awaits.

reply to post by Misoir


Thats perfect.

The courage they have shown. May it inspire us all.

It's been said before, but you can not stop the people united.

"Peaceful protesting is no more." Brave words, heroic actions and amazing tenacity. Hats off to the Egyptian people. 2012 will be interesting to say the least.

reply to post by TheAlmo


Is democracy any better though really?

But, I'd just like to comment, on the guy who lost his other eye.... Is that a photoshopped image? Because that right eye looks like a bad paste job, not even a shadow on his cheek under the eye!

Actually, the more I look at that "twin patching" the more laughable it becomes! Its a lazy flip job! Look at the highlights!

reply to post by Qumulys


You're right it is Photoshopped. I just noticed that. But, he did lose the other eye that's for sure.

Ahmed Harara lost his first eye protesting on January 28 shortly after the outbreak of the Egyptian revolution. He has now lost his second one to the violent crackdown by security forces as a new, brutal chapter of the Egyptian Revolution is opened.

english.al-akhbar.com...

I am removing that picture now.

Thanks.

reply to post by TheAlmo


Did you create the image? Tineye could not find it anywhere. Now I wonder if your embellishing the op??





I appreciate its removal from the op though, because the rise of the Egyptian people is important, but I don't think trying to add emotional responses from trickery is helping much.

reply to post by Qumulys


I didn't create it and there's no trickery here. The picture you couldn't find is here:

printempsarabe.blog.lemonde.fr...

You can use Google's reverse image engine instead of Tineye.

my prayers go with the Egyptian people, may they be free.

free from tyrants, free from american subsidies, free from these criminal bankers.

the american taxpayers pay for the tear gas, the military machines that enslave these people.

the french and american revolutions lasted many years, getting rid of fat parasites is not easy.

i admire the Egyptians, may they be free of the military, the evil international bankers, and the trained monkeys of the west advising their government.

reply to post by TheAlmo


Thanks for the google search tip, but looks like those are showing the original image, whereas the source you got it from, has "Ahmad Harara (photo retouchée, publiée sur le blog The Arabist)" written under it, no idea what languages you know, but photo retouchée type things really make me cranky. This pic obviously got you mad (as with me at first), the story itself is horrible to say the least, I just wish websites employing cheap photo trickery would just stop.

reply to post by citizen6511


It's true that Americans paid for those tear gas shells. Check out this picture of a shell used by the Egyptian police made in USA:



Americans unknowingly pay money that contributes in the oppression and destruction of other nations. How sad.

I admire the egyptian people for their bravery.

Another angle about the lethal teargas used by the egyptian army:
It is produced and delivered by the US:

Egyptian Police Using U.S.-Made Tear Gas Against Demonstrators

The company producing it: Combined Systems International of Jamestown, Pennsylvania.
(maybe worth visiting, hint hint )

And further:

The United States provides $1.3 billion a year in military financing for Egypt. According to the State Department's 2010 budget request, the aid is used to help strengthen and modernize the Egyptian army.