I went to Tahrir square several times since the afternoon yesterday, and every visit was rather different in its specifics but overall uncomfortable in many fronts.
Tawrah Tawrah ba3d el3asr
My first visit was in the Afternoon on the Friday, somewhere between the hard core who attended the Friday prayer in the square and the evening dwells who have nothing else to do and go for an evening walk in the square. The crowd wasn’t as significant as my previous visits on Fridays, a few thousands, here and there making the square look empty and allowing the street vendors to be visible beyond doubt in the square. A few stages were active and I noted the relative presence of “Alnassereyn” (amazed that they actually still exist especially with a younger crowd). They were talking about the value of Nasser and how things he said still need to be implemented in modern days. Despite being a socialist at heart I believe that these ideologies have long gone and even the core values that were being preached are not one of a changing time. The crowd looked different, despite the presence of young people who looked like they have a message to say there were a few people who definitely looked out of context. As I was entering, I was welcomed with respect as usual and kindly asked for ID and to check my bag (had my camera along for the day) but noticed a guy and a lady in a galabeyah who looked from the slums of town were entering and I overheard her complaining of the people I the square that they are interfering with the normal life of Egypt. They didn’t seem like they are there to voice their opinion in a civilized manner. Not denying anyone to express their opinion, or be in any part of the country but if you are really against this why are you there? Shouldn’t you be voicing your opinion somewhere else?
In any case I continued to walk around and saw people here and there debating things, some of them were more heated than others and people seemed to be on the edge on many cases, an attitude that was more common in Egypt outside of the square.
On several occasions I heard people calling on the downfall of Almosher”, and despite that I can’t claim I am totally against the idea whole heartedly, but understand that there are different priorities in the near future we need to focus on and work together on, which made me not overly excited. I spend a short while in the square and decided to leave to another commitment I had before sunset.
Evening of Entertainment and strange moments
I returned to the square in the evening, and as expected there were more evening dwells in the square. Upon my entry I noticed no one was really talking politics, except for a small stage one guy with a microphone and speaker who had footage from the disassembled National Party’s last convention, he was talking about how resources were misplaced in Egypt and advocated a better distribution of wealth. He had dismal people attending to him. The only stage that was happening was one that had a group from Upper Egypt singing praise to the prophet and that had people engaged. I walked around and came across a puppet show in the space in front of the Tahrir governmental office building. Kids where there and it seemed like a talent show for kids. I also noticed a sort of quarrel in the middle of the tents in front of the Tahrir building, could make much what was it all about or who is who but it was a sight I have never noticed amongst the activists calling the square home. As I walked back out I also noticed people doing art work on the pavement, solidifying this notion that it was an entertainment evening rather than a revolution. The general feeling was that this was a rundown unclean flee market with no one selling or buying any useful stuff.
As I was back at the monshedeen of the evening a crowd flocked moving out of the square. The guy at the stage mentioned that we should remain in the square and shouldn’t follow people outside. At least he said if people wanted to go they should make sure that we don’t leave the square. The crowd was apparently heading out to Almagless elaskary, a notion I understood later. As I was departing I still had my camera handy and a group of young men asked me to take their photo, no clue why and how they would ever get it from me, but solidified my feeling about what this crowd was about.
Resisting Curiosity
I was meeting an old friend who was visiting Egypt in Mokatam, and as we were deciding to leave news of unrest in Abasseyah was unfolding on TV, I was curious to know what was happening first hand. My mind was resisting the notion, based on my last experience with curiosity, but finally out powered and drove towards that part of town. I couldn’t really get into the action and got blocked out in many entry points by police and couldn’t get a good grasp of things after a while I decided to head back to Haram where I was spending the night. I tried to get information on TV or on the web but it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Elmagless Elaskary and Elislamyeen
I spent some time listening to a phone call by Hassan Elrouny, a member of the military supreme council, to a morning TV show. His contributions didn’t make sense and he was going all over the place. He was making ridiculous claims at time and sending accusations all over the place. My polite comment was to stop all this BS and all the lies, be a man and say what you really intend to do, to break a possible unity of this nation to make sure that the people stand against each other and get their way in the end. I also saw a rerun of a talk show with some of the Islamyeen who were at Alfath mosque beye7lefouh be7ayat elmagless elaskarry, and really got disgusted with what they were saying and how people who claim piety are more hippocratic than the old regime. After a while I made it out togo to Tahrir square.
Eerie feeling in the square
I visited Tahrir past midday approaching the square by subway. As I left the station I wasn’t greated by any security troops from the square as usual and found myself in the middle of a somewhat empty square. This time around the most notable (although not too many) were the tourists and foreigners talking photos and walking through. The square looked empty and nothing was happening. Only a few people were gathered closer to Omar Makram with a smaller gang of bearded men and covered women asking for reform of Alazhar. The square looked as a place with no owner, empty and more like a sudden void, despite the people going in and out of the Tahrir government office building and the people here and there under a tent. I think that it is time to recollect things and probably retreat to come back again and take the place over. My only concern is with all what is happening now if the 6 April activists leave they might be a target for the system as it stands and have to face it individually.
I find myself again baffled by what is the right path now, and how to get this revolution back on track to achieve what we aspire too. It is becoming more difficult to find the good from the bad and to find a working formula for getting us out of this slump, not sure how long we will depend on the absolute stupidity of the system in place to get people back on the same side of the river (although some people have a foot on both sides, namely those who claim they are talking with the power of God).
No comments:
Post a Comment