Alaa Abd El Fattah's article on Egypt's recent protest

This article attempts to translate an article written in Arabic by Alaa Abd El Fattah, an Egyptian political activists, who was recently release by SCAF (the military junta that runs Egyptian currently). He was arrested on bogus charges during the Maspero (Egypt’s Media building) events in which over 30 Egyptian were killed by SCAF.
His article was written in Q&A format:

Q: Why are there young Egyptians protesting by the Interior Ministry?
A: Because they are angry at the continues state sponsored murder of young Egyptian without accountability.

Q: What are they planning on doing?
A: No ones know, not even them. They are full of anger due to these senseless murders by the police.

Q: Why don’t they go protest in Tahrir?
A: Because that never brought justices in previous instances.

Q: Why don’t YOU tell them?
A: Tell them what? You want me to lie to them with empty rhetoric's? If you have a better solutions say it.

Q: No one wants blood.
A: The Ministry of interior, which kills us isn’t waiting for us to go to it. They are kidnapping us in daylight and killing us in front of cameras during soccer games.

Q: So what exactly they want?
A: We want “bread, freedom, social justice, and dignity.” We want justice for the one who were murdered by the state. We want to understand why are senior citizens are making decisions for the young ones in our society while the young ones are writing their well.

Q: Okay, but what do they want right now?
A: I don’t know. This isn’t an ordinary demonstration with demands. They are asking for the head of SCAF, can you bring him to them?

Q: So why did they leave Tahrir? Tahrir is big enough.
A: Tahrir is no longer “big enough.” Tahrir is full of undercover cops and thugs taking advantage of the mass gathering. All this while the Muslim Brotherhood show up with their own demand, which goes against public opinion while appeasing SCAF their new found leader. How can you not see that?

Q: Okay can you at least have them leave now?
A: NO I cannot and I doubt anyone can.

Q: So you cannot make go leave, you don’t know why they are there they why are you standing with them?
A: Because the revolution taught me to never stand against someone who’s willing to take a bullet to the chest while demanding his right, the one who stands up against authority, the one who seems like an underdog but he’s really a champion. Because I was taught the wound of a bullet doesn’t hurt as much as the wound of betrayal by those elected to represent us. I cannot leave the place where I others are being wounded, arrest, or murdered. If you cannot understand that then I cannot help you.

Q: What should I do now?
A: Just don’t attack the protesters and participate in the state sponsored attack campaign on the protesters by repeating their lies and calling the protesters foreign agents, thugs, and irresponsible. They young ones have nothing left except their well after they have lost friends, siblings, dreams, eyes, legs, spirit, their favorite soccer team, Tahrir, even their revolution. All they have is their well. The ultimate well these young ones have is their ability to decide how they are going to die or how they will live.

Q: Yes, but I want to do something positive?
A: Then join them. This way you would know first hand the affects of the tear gas or how it feels to be hit with pellets. Or volunteer in one of the make shift hospitals or distribute food to the protesters.

Q: But I’m not into confrontation?
A: Then join the other protesters who stand in human chains with messages to the public, or the ones that hold public showing of videos exposing the military human rights violations (kaziboon), or the local neighborhood watch that protects their neighborhood. The most important thing is that you must participate.

Q: Till when?
A: Till the regime topples.

Questions to SCAF

On my 32^nd birthday February 11^th, 2011 Mubarak, the 30 years ruler of Egypt, stepped down as its president and handed power over to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). Just like many Egyptians I was beyond delighted. Finally an old dictator is gone and the road to freedom and democracy was opened. However, it was proven shortly after that, that SCAF was a major roadblock to achieving democracy let alone freedom.

One of the flaws in Egyptian cultures is seeing leaders as father figures. I think this is an inherit trait in us Egyptian we inherited from our Pharaohs ancestors who viewed the Pharaoh as a God. This was reflected in some Egyptians choosing to be blinded by SCAF’s massive efforts to block the changes demanded by the revolutions as a way not to “upset their father”. As a result, the country became split between those who support SCAF and purposefully turn a blind eye to its crimes against the revolution and those of us who called it as they saw it.

So instead of adding fuel to the fire, I figured let me ask SCAF some questions that if they answer it, it would help us all make better decisions. After all, the main problem with the old regime and all other regimes across the Middle East is the lack of feedback from our leaders so our people by default resort to conspiracy theories. Here are my questions to SCAF

1. Why did you not interfere to stop the thugs who attacked Tahrir Square starting January 28^th, 2011 that eventually lead up to what is publically known in Egypt as “The battle of the Camel”?
2. Why did it take such a long time and a lot of persistency in demand from the revolutionaries in Egypt to dismantle the ministry of the interior? Most specifically to what was known as “Amn El-Dawla” or Homeland security? And please don’t tell me that change it to “Amn Quomy” was a dismantle.
3.  The most important question is why are all the figures of the old regime are being tried in civilians courts while ordinary Egyptians that were accused of crimes since you came to power are being tried in military courts?
4. Based on the last question, why are there thousands of convictions in the military court and only El-Adly, former minister of interior, was the only from the old regime convicted of a crime that has nothing to do of what he did on the 18 days of the revolution?
5. In 2011 we had a record number of churches bombed or burned (4 total) without one person even arrested, why is that?
6. I know you’re “investigating” the Maspero incident where over 30 individuals were killed mainly Coptic-Egyptian, but why is the only demonstration that its organizers obtained a permit to protest were attacked by the army? I certain saw a lot of dead civilians and only one wounded soldier.
7.  Lastly, although I still have many more questions, why were the protesters in front of the Prime Minister’s compound attacked & killed? I know this building has 7 entrances and the protesters were only in front of 1 entrance so access to the building wasn’t blocked.

I know I will not receive any answers for these 7 questions or the many more myself and many Egyptians have so you see SCAF we don’t have any choice by to hate you and ask you to leave power. Arabs in general, Egyptians in particular are no longer little kids who will blindly listen to their father. We are adults now and we DEMAND to know and if you’re not willing to answer us we are not willing to put up with it.