[Peace-discuss] Fwd: [HumanRights] Transformation in the Arab World

Tue Feb 1 15:39:18 CST 2011

It is always good to listen to Mazin Qumsiyeh, an indefatigable Palestinian. 

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Mazin Qumsiyeh" <mazin at qumsiyeh.org>
> Date: January 30, 2011 4:03:34 AM CST
> To: Mort Brussel <brussel at illinois.edu>
> Cc: Human Rights Newsletter <humanrights at lists.qumsiyeh.org>
> Subject: [HumanRights] Transformation in the Arab World
> 
> "Mubarak has been an ally of ours in a number of things and he's been very
> responsible on, relative to geopolitical interest in the region, the Middle
> East peace efforts; the actions Egypt has taken relative to normalizing
> relationship with Israel.. I would not refer to him as a dictator" US Vice
> President Je Biden ( a lackey of AIPAC)
> 
> I first visited Egypt 30 years ago in 1981 to do research for my master's
> thesis which was later published in my first book "The Bats of Egypt".  I
> visited Egypt twice since then and I recall vividly police abuse of their
> own people and yet the Egyptians I encountered mocked and joked about
> dictatorship.  We tried at least from a distance to support our Egyptian
> brothers and sisters as they struggle for freedom. Arabs everywhere (yes
> even here in occupied Palestine) are talking about a transformation and
> about revolution.  But all such transformations carry pain. Over 200
> Egyptians were killed, thousands injured, and there is much destruction.
> Yet in a nation of 85 million people this is still a relatively peaceful
> transformation.   While dealing with the present is critical we must also at
> this juncture start to look post dictatorship in the Arab world and plan the
> future.
> 
> I recall vividly a talk by a self-described "Liberal Zionist" (an oxymoron)
> at Duke University on 1 March 198l; at 77 year old he had no inhibitions in
> saying "Zionists do not want democracy in the Arab world."  He explained
> that if Egypt was a democracy, it would not have signed a peace deal with
> Israel since the sentiments of the Arab people does not accept such
> arrangements that could be done with someone like President Sadat or King
> Hussein.  On this point he was absolutely correct but in the long run such
> short-sighted perspective is self-destructive (1). 
> 
> As I watched last night Hosni Mubarak make his (hopefully last) speech, I
> was very much reminded of the last speech of the Shah of Iran, Marcos of the
> Philippines, Bin Ali of Tunisia.  They all claimed after so many years of
> torturing their own people that they now want to "reform".  The US funded
> and supported the brutal Mubarak regime for over 30 years even as plenty of
> evidence from human rights organizations documented its abuse of its own
> citizens. See example videos of torture by Egyptian police (2).  This is
> also the same police who, on the instruction of the Mubarak dictatorship,
> beat international activists trying to provide humanitarian relief to
> besieged Gaza (3).  Mubarak then went on to for the first time appoint a
> vice president (his intelligence chief and ex-army buddy Omar Suleiman) and
> appoint another army officer as prime minister.   It is now recognized that
> his reign is ending and a new era is beginning. 
> 
> It is rather amusing that the brutal dictator of "Saudi" Arabia (a country
> named after a ruling family!) called to support Mubarak and stated that the
> demonstrators are hooligans and criminals.  Anyone who knows anything about
> Egypt knows that this amazing and inspiring mostly nonviolent revolution is
> a true expression of the will of the Egyptian people regardless of their
> political or religious persuasions (leftist, Muslim Brotherhood, Nasserite
> Arab Nationalist, Christians, Muslims, etc).  
> 
> In other news in brief for those who don't keep up with internet news or
> those who watch mainly the (supine) Western Media:
> -Large demonstrations by Egyptians and human rights defenders at Egyptian
> embassies around the world all demanding democracy
> -Israeli embassy in Cairo essentially emptied (an apartheid state embassy in
> the largest Arab country is an abomination)
> -Israeli pundits very worried about how Egypt might look after Mubarak.
> -There are many signs that the Egyptian military (like the Tunisian
> military) may be critical in this struggle.  Already there are instances
> where the demonstrators were protected from the Egyptian police by the
> Egyptian military. See footage (4)
> -A number of human rights groups and Egyptian community representatives
> abroad all called for ending the Egyptian police brutality. By contrast EU
> and US government officials are making feeble statements to hedge their bets
> and at best call for "peaceful" actions from "all sides". Slowly they were
> forced to modify their retorhic to talk about "change" but must finally call
> on their puppet Mubarak to leave power and insist that he and his sons and
> family return the billions stolen from the Egyptian people.
> -A number of religious and civil organizations in Egypt broke their silence
> to support the ouster of the "last Pharaoh"
> -The dictatorship cutting of web and mobile phone services and banning
> reporting by groups like Al-Jazeera did little to stem the tide of protest
> because people are living it daily in their homes and on the streets and
> they are not being incited from outside.
> -Protests spread to Jordan and Yemen (two other Western supported
> governments).  There are now plans for large protests in Syria and other
> countries.
> -On the Palestinian Authority TV news, they noted that Mahmoud Abbas called
> Mubarak and stated his support for stability of Egypt.  Other news outlets
> stated that he fully supports the Mubarak regime.  Hamas then came in to say
> that they support the Egyptian people.  Sadly, I think all rational human
> beings know which horse to bet on in this struggle between people and a
> western-supported dictator who accomplished nothing for his people and
> instead enriched his family (his sons are billionaires in a country in which
> tens of millions of people live on less than $1 a day).   
> 
> I wrote seven months ago that "The political leadership in the fragmented
> Arab countries and Palestinian authority have convinced themselves that they
> have no option but to endlessly try to talk to politicians from Tel Aviv and
> Washington (the latter also Israeli occupied territory) hoping for some
> 'gestures'..I know most politicians like to feel 100% safe (mostly for their
> position of power) and are afraid of any change.  But I wish they would
> realize that daring politicians make the history books and those who hang
> around trying to protect their seats will be forgotten.  Cowardice is never
> a virtue." And then I concluded that "In the demonstrations yesterday, a
> child in Gaza was carrying a sign that says 'we demand freedom' and a child
> in Cairo that says 'children in Egypt and in Gaza want the siege lifted'.
> That is our future - not elderly politicians meeting to do media damage
> control with empty words. "(5)
> 
> But make no mistake about it: no power transformation happens without a
> period of unrest, instability, and pain.  I believe in these difficult
> periods, humans are tested.  Some are weak and may even try to use the
> situations to make some quick personal profit. Others are of strong and
> decent character and this shows in their watching for their neighbors and
> their community.  I have seen countless pictures and heard countless stories
> of acts that can only be described as heroic (e.g. people protecting the
> national museum in Cairo or their neighbors' houses).  Intellectuals are
> stepping forward to articulate rational scenarios for the future.  People
> helping other people.   So I think we will weather the transition.  As to
> what the future holds.  Clearly, the era of ignoring the masses is gone.  It
> will not be easy since we have a legacy of decades of poor education (one
> that does not emphasize civic and individual responsibility etc). Getting
> rid of dictators is not enough. Building a civic participatory society is
> not easy (Europe's enlightenment did not come just from removing a few
> dictators).  
> 
> People's expectation raised for change will dash against the reality that it
> will take decades to create systems of governance, accountability, economic
> justice, etc to allow for unleashing the great potential in the Arab world.
> And there is great potential (natural resources, water, educated
> hard-working middle class etc).  It is critical that people begin to chart
> this future honestly and pragmatically.  Slogans will not work.  We the
> people must take responsibility for our own lives and for our communities.
> We need to take time to educate children in a very, very different way than
> we were educated.  The beginnings may be simple.  For example, in many Arab
> countries, people were thinking that as long as the country is not theirs
> (ruled by dictators), they can only watch over their own personal space and
> literally dump trash in the public space.  In the new era, they have to
> learn that public space is theirs too.  Order and respect for fellow
> citizens and for the country will have to be taught very early to our
> children.  This is but one example for laying a brick in the road to real
> freedom and real prosperity.  The bricks though are many and they will have
> to be fashioned and laid by the people.  It is very hard work but it is the
> only way forward.
> 
> (1) I challenged him on this in the Q&A and then wrote a follow-up letter
> that was published in the Duke Chronicle. See
> http://www.qumsiyeh.org/zionistpositionfailstorecognizeotherside/
> 
> (2) Torture at Egyptian police stations, here are three examples (warning
> disturbing content!)
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhQRFz65M6s  
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCHM6LYiBsY 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8KG5N_yq1s  
> 
> 3) Egyptian police beat Free Gaza convoy activist on December 30, 2009
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT4tk2RiNIo 
> 
> 4) See this associated press story about role of Egyptian military
> http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/29/ap/middleeast/main7296653.shtml 
> and this interesting footage of military shielding demonstrators
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfqcEsDwgYQ  
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQD-X9G9xfk  
> 
> 5) Mazin Qumsiyeh "Of Cowardice, Dignity and Solidarity"
> http://www.qumsiyeh.org/ofcowardicedignityandsolidarity/ 
> 
> Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD
> http://qumsiyeh.org 
> 
> 
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