The article was written by Sandmonkey, original here.

I don’t know how to start writing this. I have been battling fatigue for not sleeping properly for the past 10 days, moving from one’s friend house to another friend’s house, almost never spending a night in my home, facing a very well funded and well organized ruthless regime that views me as nothing but an annoying bug that its time to squash will come. The situation here is bleak to say the least.

It didn’t start out that way. On Tuesday Jan 25 it all started peacefully, and against all odds, we succeeded to gather hundreds of thousands and get them into Tahrir Square, despite being attacked by Anti-Riot Police who are using sticks, tear gas and rubber bullets against us. We managed to break all of their barricades and situated ourselves in Tahrir. The government responded by shutting down all cell communication in Tahrir square, a move which purpose was understood later when after midnight they went in with all of their might and attacked the protesters and evacuated the Square. The next day we were back at it again, and the day after. Then came Friday and we braved their communication blackout, their thugs, their tear gas and their bullets and we retook the square. We have been fighting to keep it ever since.

That night the government announced a military curfew, which kept getting shorter by the day, until it became from 8 am to 3 pm. People couldn’t go to work, gas was running out quickly and so were essential goods and money, since the banks were not allowed to operate and people were not able to collect their salary. The internet continued to be blocked, which affected all businesses in Egypt and will cause an economic meltdown the moment they allow the banks to operate again. We were being collectively punished for daring to say that we deserve democracy and rights, and to keep it up, they withdrew the police, and then sent them out dressed as civilians to terrorize our neighborhoods. I was shot at twice that day, one of which with a semi-automatic by a dude in a car that we the people took joy in pummeling. The government announced that all prisons were breached, and that the prisoners somehow managed to get weapons and do nothing but randomly attack people. One day we had organized thugs in uniforms firing at us and the next day they disappeared and were replaced by organized thugs without uniforms firing at us. Somehow the people never made the connection.

Despite it all, we braved it. We believed we are doing what’s right and were encouraged by all those around us who couldn’t believe what was happening to their country. What he did galvanized the people, and on Tuesday, despite shutting down all major roads leading into Cairo, we managed to get over 2 million protesters in Cairo alone and 3 million all over Egypt to come out and demand Mubarak’s departure. Those are people who stood up to the regime’s ruthlessness and anger and declared that they were free, and were refusing to live in the Mubarak dictatorship for one more day. That night, he showed up on TV, and gave a very emotional speech about how he intends to step down at the end of his term and how he wants to die in Egypt, the country he loved and served. To me, and to everyone else at the protests this wasn’t nearly enough, for we wanted him gone now. Others started asking that we give him a chance, and that change takes time and other such poppycock. Hell, some people and family members cried when they saw his speech. People felt sorry for him for failing to be our dictator for the rest of his life and inheriting us to his Son. It was an amalgam of Stockholm syndrome coupled with slave mentality in a malevolent combination that we never saw before. And the Regime capitalized on it today.

Today, they brought back the internet, and started having people calling on TV and writing on facebook on how they support Mubarak and his call for stability and peacefull change in 8 months. They hung on to the words of the newly appointed government would never harm the protesters, whom they believe to be good patriotic youth who have a few bad apples amongst them. We started getting calls asking people to stop protesting because “we got what we wanted” and “we need the country to start working again”. People were complaining that they miss their lives. That they miss going out at night, and ordering Home Delivery. That they need us to stop so they can resume whatever existence they had before all of this. All was forgiven, the past week never happened and it’s time for Unity under Mubarak’s rule right now.

To all of those people I say: NEVER! I am sorry that your lives and businesses are disrupted, but this wasn’t caused by the Protesters. The Protesters aren’t the ones who shut down the internet that has paralyzed your businesses and banks: The government did. The Protesters weren’t the ones who initiated the military curfew that limited your movement and allowed goods to disappear off market shelves and gas to disappear: The government did. The Protesters weren’t the ones who ordered the police to withdraw and claimed the prisons were breached and unleashed thugs that terrorized your neighborhoods: The government did. The same government that you wish to give a second chance to, as if 30 years of dictatorship and utter failure in every sector of government wasn’t enough for you. The Slaves were ready to forgive their master, and blame his cruelty on those who dared to defy him in order to ensure a better Egypt for all of its citizens and their children. After all, he gave us his word, and it’s not like he ever broke his promises for reform before or anything.

Then Mubarak made his move and showed them what useful idiots they all were.

You watched on TV as “Pro-Mubarak Protesters” – thugs who were paid money by NDP members by admission of High NDP officials- started attacking the peaceful unarmed protesters in Tahrir square. They attacked them with sticks, threw stones at them, brought in men riding horses and camels- in what must be the most surreal scene ever shown on TV- and carrying whips to beat up the protesters. And then the Bullets started getting fired and Molotov cocktails started getting thrown at the Anti-Mubarak Protesters as the Army standing idly by, allowing it all to happen and not doing anything about it. Dozens were killed, hundreds injured, and there was no help sent by ambulances. The Police never showed up to stop those attacking because the ones who were captured by the Anti-mubarak people had police ID’s on them. They were the police and they were there to shoot and kill people and even tried to set the Egyptian Museum on Fire. The Aim was clear: Use the clashes as pretext to ban such demonstrations under pretexts of concern for public safety and order, and to prevent disunity amongst the people of Egypt. But their plans ultimately failed, by those resilient brave souls who wouldn’t give up the ground they freed of Egypt, no matter how many live bullets or firebombs were hurled at them. They know, like we all do, that this regime no longer cares to put on a moderate mask. That they have shown their true nature. That Mubarak will never step down, and that he would rather burn Egypt to the ground than even contemplate that possibility.

In the meantime, State-owned and affiliated TV channels were showing coverage of Peaceful Mubarak Protests all over Egypt and showing recorded footage of Tahrir Square protest from the night before and claiming it’s the situation there at the moment. Hundreds of calls by public figures and actors started calling the channels saying that they are with Mubarak, and that he is our Father and we should support him on the road to democracy. A veiled girl with a blurred face went on Mehwer TV claiming to have received funding by Americans to go to the US and took courses on how to bring down the Egyptian government through protests which were taught by Jews. She claimed that AlJazeera is lying, and that the only people in Tahrir square now were Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. State TV started issuing statements on how the people arrested Israelis all over Cairo engaged in creating mayhem and causing chaos. For those of you who are counting this is an American-Israeli-Qatari-Muslim Brotherhood-Iranian-Hamas conspiracy. Imagine that. And MANY PEOPLE BOUGHT IT. I recall telling a friend of mine that the only good thing about what happened today was that it made clear to us who were the idiots amongst our friends. Now we know.

Now, just in case this isn’t clear: This protest is not one made or sustained by the Muslim Brotherhood, it’s one that had people from all social classes and religious background in Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood only showed up on Tuesday, and even then they were not the majority of people there by a long shot. We tolerated them there since we won’t say no to fellow Egyptians who wanted to stand with us, but neither the Muslims Brotherhood not any of the Opposition leaders have the ability to turn out one tenth of the numbers of Protesters that were in Tahrir on Tuesday. This is a revolution without leaders. Three Million individuals choosing hope instead of fear and braving death on hourly basis to keep their dream of freedom alive. Imagine that.

The End is near. I have no illusions about this regime or its leader, and how he will pluck us and hunt us down one by one till we are over and done with and 8 months from now will pay people to stage fake protests urging him not to leave power, and he will stay “because he has to acquiesce to the voice of the people”. This is a losing battle and they have all the weapons, but we will continue fighting until we can’t. I am heading to Tahrir right now with supplies for the hundreds injured, knowing that today the attacks will intensify, because they can’t allow us to stay there come Friday, which is supposed to be the game changer. We are bringing everybody out, and we will refuse to be anything else than peaceful. If you are in Egypt, I am calling on all of you to head down to Tahrir today and Friday. It is imperative to show them that the battle for the soul of Egypt isn’t over and done with. I am calling you to bring your friends, to bring medical supplies, to go and see what Mubarak’s gurantees look like in real life. Egypt needs you. Be Heroes.

Due to internet being cut by the governoment in Egypt because of the protests calling for Mubarak to leave power all my friends and family in Egypt cannot report what is happening over there.

A friend of mine managed to get internet access and asked me to publish the below on her behalf:

View from my balcony

(Under forced curfew)

Saturday, 29th of January 2011, turned into a night of terror for the Egyptians, after the tragic turn in events with the withdrawal of ALL police and security forces from the streets of Egyptian, the application of an overnight curfew and the coinciding breakout of dangerous prisoners and thugs in the streets. At 12:30pm I received a phone call from a friend who lives just 10 minutes away saying with a trembling terrorized voice: “There are people from “Kilo 4.5” – an area east of Cairo known for its slums – attacking our street, tell all the people to go down in the street”. In a few moments, all the men and teenagers from our building and the neighboring buildings rushed out to the streets, grabbing everything they could find; broom sticks, pieces of wood and all sorts of kitchen knives, for self-defense. I couldn’t find anything proper to give my dad except the wooden wardrobe hanger, throwing all my clothes on the bed on the way.

It was a moment of true panic, and from that moment onwards, the streets in my beloved Egypt were not the same. The Egyptians were not the same. They grew much stronger, dignified and noble, at least in the eyes of their fellow Egyptians. Every man, every young man and every kid aged 10 years+ was alternating guarding shifts, 24/7, standing in front of their buildings and at street corners with a stick, an electric shocker, a hunting gun, a kitchen knife or anything that would serve as a weapon, in order to provide protection for his neighbors. The following day, Sunday, people started forming protection committees to protect public institutions (hospitals, banks, electricity and water companies, etc.) while some guys choose to act as traffic officers and inspectors, forming checkpoints in main streets. Drivers were cooperative, they’d willingly hand their IDs and car licenses and open their trunks for inspection to young men who politely apologize for the inconvenience and explain that the security check is for everybody’s safety sake. The streets themselves have turned into military camps, with barricades set up at every street entrance (sometimes using plain sand bags and rocks). At night, fires were lit-up in order to provide warmth for the civil night-guards who have divided themselves into groups that stand every few hundred meters away from each other, and labeled these groups with consecutive numbers. To help them stay awake, each group would call the number of the following one every hour, the called group would yell back indicating that they are stable and alert.

Saturday night, at 1:30am and just as I was about to sleep, I had to jump out of bed and rush into the balcony following my parents as we heard loud whistles (the call sign for “S.O.S” among the civil guards) and people running and yelling towards the corner of the street, which was clearly visible from the balcony. We watched as people gathered around a guy that was apparently caught while trying to jump off a nearby fence. The men yelled calling for anyone with a gun to come and help them lest the intruder escapes, then we all waited for the patrolling army tank that the army had dedicated for our neighborhood (as it did all over Cairo neighborhoods) to come and pick up the arrested thug..

Today I walked to the office where I work, past the civil checkpoints and army soldiers spread about in main streets. Many of the passer-bys hold sticks in their hands. It’s almost as if all Egyptians became a primitive tribal clan. However, unlike yesterday and the day before, people are becoming more confident to go out in the streets, some even say streets are now safer than it were at the time when ministry of internal affairs ruled the scene! But what people are more confident of is that there is a deep internal rage in every Egyptian’s chest against the police and security forces that has COMPLETELY fled the scene for three long nights, a rage that’s still buried under the surface, and the only thing that’s holding from eruption is the fact that not a single police personal in a uniform has been seen in the streets since Friday evening, and if they were, there are treated at the civil checkpoints with doubt and total dismay! Only time will show how Egyptians will come to forgive these police forces for letting go of their own people’s security and protection.

ابتسمت بمجرد رؤيتي للهرج والمرج من على سلم الطائرة, غمرني شعور بالراحة والسعادة بعد غياب حوالي السنة عن الوطن.

لم أشعر بالضيق أو المهانة على الاطلاق بسبب الخمسة عشر دقيقة التي انتظرتها لكي يزين الظابط جواز سفري بختم الوصول في حين ان جميع الركاب الاجانب على الطائرة انهوا اجراءات وصولهم في اقل من 3 دقائق, فانا أعلم واذكر تماما كيف أعامل في بلدي.

بما أنني كنت المصري الوحيد على الطائرة فكان من المحتم علي ان أطمئن باقي المسافرين ان عدم ظهور الشنط على السير يرجع لهبوط الطائرة في ميعاد مدفع رمضان وليس لأي سبب اخر قد يساورهم.

تسبب اكتشافي لخدعة عدم وجود مكتب تأجير للسيارة في المطار كما ادعى صاحب المكتب بمحو الإبتسامة من على وجهي.

بعد عناء لعدم وجود أي كابينة هاتف أو مكتب بيع خطوط تليفون في المطار اكتشفت ان مكتب التأجير سيرسل مندوبا لتسليمي السيارة, بعد الافطار.

هالني الكم اللانهائي من الفنادق المبنية على الطراز الأمريكي في تلك المدينة على البحر الأحمر, كل شيء تم سرقة فكرته وتنفيذه بكل فلح وجليطة ففقد جماله الأصلي وافقد المكان جماله الطبيعي.

تعبت من اختلاق أعذار تبرر هذا الكم الهائل من عناصر الشرطة على الطريق وسبب سؤالهم عن عملي ووجهتي ومن يرافقني.

لم أجد إجابة لهذا السؤال العصيب ولم يخطر على بالي ان أكون في يوما مضطرا أن أجيب عليه, ان تكون فقيرا لا يمنع ان تكون نظيفا, لماذا شوارع مصر تمتلئ باطنان القمامة؟

كانت الساعة قرب العاشرة مساءا, كان بيت السحيمي مغلق حسب المواعيد الرسمية المحددة من وزارة الثقافة ولكن ورقة من فئة العشرين جنيها كانت كفيلة بتغيير المواعيد الرسمية والسماح بجولة خاصة داخل البيت البديع.

سألتني لماذا لم تفلح العشرين جنيها هذه المرة في الدخول إلى الجامع الاثري, أجبت أن هذه المرة الأمر بيد وزارة الداخلية وليس وزارة الثقافة, حيث اليوم موعد احتفال فرقة الباهرا الهندية بصاحب المقام فـيمنع دخول المصريين, حتى أصحاب الورقة فئة العشرون جنيها.

لا أعلم تماما ماذا حدث, هل نسيت ضوضاء القاهرة أم هي زادت فوق احتمالي, كدت ان أصيب بجلطة أثناء محاولاتي في الحديث مع الأصدقاء في مقهى كوفي بينز على أنغام أحدث اغاني فريق ن سينك اتس جونا بيمي.

أصيب النادل في المطعم العائم ذو الخمس نجوم بالهلع حين طلبت خفض صوت السماعات المقابلة للمائدة, خاصة أن عويل المطرب كان فوق احتمال الأذن البشرية, سألني ماذا ستفعل عندما يحين موعد فقرة الراقصة؟ حينها اشتقت لسماع موسيقى هادئة من بيانو أو كمان وتأكدت من ضياع هويتي المصرية الاصيلة المحبة للضوضاء والعشوائية

شعرت بالحرج الشديد عندما التقطت صورة سيارة الشرطة بعد ان علقت تحت كوبري السيدة عائشة بسبب جهل السائق ومحاولته تفادي الزحام.

لم استطع ان أكتم غيظي عندما سألني  هو الباشا مش صايم؟ بعد ان طلبت لها زجاجة مياه في حديقة الأزهر في نهار رمضان

أصبت بالذعر عندما قفز رَجل في الثلاثينيات من عمره وتعلق في زجاج السيارة محاولا بيعي تذاكر دخول الأهرامات من السوق السوداء, مرت العشر ثواني التي قمت بجره فيها كأنها سنين, قفز امام السيارة العديد من اصدقاؤه لا أعلم من أين جائوا محاولين ايقافي.

اشفقت على الجندي وهو يتلعثم بالانجلزية الصعيدية المصرية محاولا اقناع اثنان من السائحين بأخذ صور لهم امام الهرم الأكبر, اشفقت أكثر عندما طلبوا منه اعادة البقشيش عندما اكتشفوا انه لم يضغط على زر التصوير.

عندما أصر موظف المطار أن اضع الكيس البلاستيكي الصغير داخل الشنطة حتى بعد شرحي له ان الكيس يحتوي على حذاء سأقوم بلبسه بعد انهاء الاجراءات, أجابني ان التعليمات كده.

قالت لي ما كل هذا الخراء يا أشرف؟

أول مرة سقت فيها على طريق سفر في اوروبا قلت الناس دي يا أما عبط, يا أما هبل. سايق في أمان الله وتلاقي يافطة طويلة عريضة قد الفيل أبوزلومة مكتوب عليها احترس, رادار بعد واحد كيلو. بعدها, احترس, رادار بعد 500 متر.

أنا زيي زي أي إنسان مصري طبيعي مفهمتش هما ليه قالوا على مكان الرادار, ماهو كده الناس حتعرف مكان الرادار وتهدي وبعد كده تجري براحتها.

بعدين بعد فترة من العيشة بره, فهمت السبب, فـعشان كده بطل العجب. السبب إن مفيش في اوروبا حاجة اسمها كمين.

الكمين حسب لسان العرب:

كَمَنَ كُمُوناً: اخْتَفى.

وكَمَن له يَكْمُن كُموناً وكَمِن : استَخْفى.

وكمنَ فلانٌ إِذا استخفى في مَكْمَنٍ لا يُفْطَنُ له.

وحسب مختار الصحاح

كَمَنَ اختفى وبابه دخل ومنه الكَمِينُ في الحرب

يعني نفهم من كده إن الحكومة في مصر عملالنا كمين, زي بتاع الحرب , تلاقي الظابط مرقدلك في الدُرة كده وإنت رايح شغلك عالدائري ونفسه ومنى عينه إنك تكسر السرعة عشان ياخدك مخالفة

سيبك من العقد النفسية اللي عند تلات تربع الظباط والفساد والرشاوي و سحب الرخص والكلام ده كله, احنا هنا في سؤال أهم بيطرح نفسه, هي ليه الحكومة عاملة كمين للشعب؟

أنا اكتشفت هنا حاجة غريبة جدا, أنا عارف إن أغلب الناس حتفتكرني ببالغ أو بأضحك عليها, بس أنا اكتشفت إن الشرطة والحكومة في دول تانية, مش بيعتبروهم أعداء! آه بجد, أنا عارف إن إنت لما ظابط بيوقفك في كمين أو لما تشوف مسئول حكومي بيتكلم, بتدخل في الdefense mode وتاخد حذرك وتتعامل مع العدو. بس تخيل إن الناس بره مش بتعمل كده؟

لما سألت على موضوع الرادار ده قالوا لي إن فكرة الرادار إنها تفكرك بالسرعة عشان إنت متجريش, حفاظا على حياتك وحياة اللي معاك في العربية والناس اللي سايقة معاك عالطريق, على عكس الفكرة الشائعة اللي بتقول إن الرادار معمول عشان ياخدك مخالفة.

أعتقد إن ده نفس السبب (بطريقة غير مباشرة) اللي بيخلي الناس هنا تدفع أكتر من عشرين جنيه تمن الجورنال مع إنه محطوط في الشارع وماعليهوش قفل.

هوه هو  نفس السبب اللي بيخلي الناس تدفع تذكرة الأتوبيس مع إن نادر جدا إن حد يسألك عليها, الناس عارفة مصلحتها وماحدش بيقول مجتش عليَّ أنا. عشان كده قلت, الدين مالوش دعوة بالأخلاق. وخلي بالك من الكماين والرادارات الجديدة عالدائري

قدام مصنع كادبوري عالناحيتين, قدام كليوباترا سيتي سنتر, قدام البريتيش سكول وقدام برج سما

أماكن الرادارات نشكر بيومي عليها

When i heard about it and saw the pictures i was really disturbed and i couldn’t sleep. This is really sick and inhumane, just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse.
I didn’t want to talk about this with anyone but i thought the more people know about this crap, the better.

If you want details, check the SandMonkey’s post: http://www.sandmonkey.org/2010/06/13/on-khaled-said/

PS: The picture is seriously disturbing.

أشرف إبن الكاشف…أتسرق يا منزز

First of all, i would like to HATE all the people who did not help us, who ignored us, who robbed us and to the most majority of the Saudi People (i cant say all the saudi people)

It was a wednesday, the end of the week in Saudi Arabia, we finished work, having our rented car in the parking of the place we work at, we put our laptops in the trunk of the car and we head to bring something to eat.

At the mall, (Al Faysaliah mall – الفيصلية ) which is a huge mall and very crowded…we parked and went to get some take-away food.

We spent less than 25 minutes…only to come back to the car in the parking space, to find the window broken and everything is gone

The following stuff  were stolen:

• 6 Laptop computer (mine included)
• 5 Passports (mine included)
• A few hundred dollars were in the laptop bag
• 1 Saudi Ekama
• 1 Book i had borrowed (shame on me)

We were all surprised, we all thought that Saudi Arabia is crime free, specially that they cut the hands of any one who steals.

Wow, what a diet!

We called the police, after almost 20-30mins a very old man came to us, he said that we have to either go by ourselves to the police station, or he could drop us there.

We called our friends here, they came immediately and we all went to the police station, they refused to let us in (we were 7 persons) and they only allowed 2 of us to go in, the rest of us had to wait in the car (for F sake, we all lost our passports, how come you won’t let us in file a report?)

We were in contact by phone, the 2 guys in there told us they are being completely ignored by the police because they are Egyptians, they said it’s expected to take long.

After about 30 mins, they came out, as a Saudi friend came to help and he had some powerfull relations with the police.

Only to find out that they cant do anything as the weekend has started and we can’t do anything until saturday (DOH! the police cant make any reports during weekends…this must be criminals heaven)

So now, i have no passport, not laptop and all the work is gone.

I am pretty sure everything has been sold by now, including the passports.
I guess when i try to come back to Egypt, they will tell me that i can’t go in, as according to their records i am already in Egypt

Looks like i will be stuck here for quite some time..

Just a note for myself in the future…..” I FRIGGIN HATE SAUDI ARABIA NOW!!!! I HATE YOU!!! I HATE YOU!!! I HATE YOU!!!! PISS OFF!!”