Today this came in from Tahrir: “They just had a priest lead a Christian prayer and they’ll have a Muslim one at noon followed by another Christian prayer at one. During the Christian prayer a Sheikh from Al Azhar was holding a cross. They’re now chanting “a civil state, one nation”
I see it this way — if the U.S. government really wants to obliterate Middle Eastern Christianity (the oldest Christian communities in the world, because, lest we forget, that’s where it all began), then go ahead and support dictators and “bring democracy” by invading and occupying countries. That’s the quickest way to ensure al-Qaida’s growth. If Uncle Sam wants Middle Eastern Christianity to thrive in its birthplace and take its rightful place in the pantheon of Middle Eastern religions, support this movement. Apropos Christianity, here Sarah Palin effectively declares her support for such measures that would further obliterate Middle Eastern Christianity to…The Christian Broadcasting Network.
1) Mona Eltahawy has in the course of the last week made herself into the glowing spokesperson for a movement that really extends well beyond Egypt when it comes to Islamophobia, U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, and other related issues. Here she grapples with Bill Maher in a forum most of us can only dream to appear on: Mona Fights the Stereotypes. And here, Mona El-Tahawy takes on the disseminator himself, Alan Dershowitz. She’s clearly doing well.
2) Here’s an AJE story detailing the California company behind Egypt’s cyber crackdown on its own citizens. Think this story would have made Fox? Yeah, me neither: Deep Packet Inspection
3) Here Shiva Balaghi reiterates the connection between events in 1989 Eastern Europe and 2011 Middle East, and how the U.S. is stuck on the wrong side of this one — and how one day, we’ll all be teaching how the moment was lost: Preparing to Teach Tomorrow’s History Lessons
4) Frank Rich clearly gets it, in one op-ed pointing out the effect of Americans’ obsession with their own technological Twitters and Facebook accounts, their growing ever more Islamophobic, and their reliance on pseudo news outlets like Fox News at the expense of al-Jazeera English, which most Americans can only get on a live internet feed — which millions have been doing this past 2 weeks: Wallflowers at the Revolution
5) This article presents Turkey as a potential model for Egypt, which is a meme that’s been making the rounds particularly in the past 3-5 years. While there’s something to it, Turkey’s got some geographic great good fortune that Egypt’s somewhat less lucky with, and Anatolia’s been richer than Egypt for at least the past 150 years. There would be a lot of catching up to do to replicate Turkey’s success. Still, not a bad aspiration at this point: In Turkey’s Example, Some See Map for Egypt
6) Here’s Footage of New Orleans protest in support of Egypt’s democratic movement. There are also two local TV news station reports: Fox 8 and WDSU.
7) Op-Ed from Lebanon’s Daily Star newspaper, by noted Beirut columnist Rami Khoury: Just Changing Generals is not Freedom
8 ) This article basically asks how the demonstrators are managing the logistics of maintaining the presence of thousands of people in a public square over several days. This is where I think the organizers of the New Orleans Jazz Festival might be able to make a contribution: Revolutionary Logistics
UPDATES:
9) Here’s a NYT piece announcing that the famous crossed swords monument in Baghdad’s going to be restored after all (for now). Cultural and arts policy arguments in Iraq will continue for years to come: Iraq Restores Monument Symbolizing Hussein Era
10) Long book review of Sari Nusseibeh’s new book by David Shulman, who also ruminates on the future course of Israel and Palestine: Israel and Palestine: Breaking the Silence
11) Pratap Chatterjee analyzes the lobbyist firms in DC which have long supported the Mubarak regime, ensuring access, military contracts, and security training. Principals include Frank Wisner, Jr., and home boy from Metairie, Robert Livingston: Obama envoy Wisner works for Egypt military, business lobbyists
12) In this subtitled video, Anti-regime demonstrators discuss their motivations.
13) Louis Fishman adds his observations of the day: One more Day in Tahrir Square and the Meaning of Victory
Tunisia may be benefiting from the lack of attention it’s getting from the West as it gets on with the business of being Tunisia. I’m not particularly worried about Palin killing ancient North African Christianity, and find some of this stuff simply an alarmist framing of otherwise good information (she certainly doesn’t deserve more credit than centuries of social adaptation). In all, though, I agree that Egypt must find its way, and be supported from a respectful distance. And let its neighbors, surrounding monarchies and far less stable political entities, take note.
I haven’t seen much, other than on NPR in the U.S., about the connection of Egyptian military to Egyptian industry and economy. Any other lines of thinking?