[Reader-list] Appeal from the January 25 Movement: Support the People's Revolution in Egypt‏

[Swadhin Sen]

Ten days ago,
when the government turned the phones back on for a few hours, two
young Egyptian street activists called us from Tahrir Square: Mahmoud
Salem, a well known 29-year-old Egyptian activist and blogger, and
Gihan Ibrahim (pictured to the right), a 24-year-old
activist who calls herself “Gigi.” The two of them dictated the text
for an international campaign over the phone. 

It’s become one of the top petitions ever on Change.org. You can add your name here: 

http://www.change.org/petitions/support-the-peoples-revolution-in-egypt-?alert_id=EVTdCNXGMB_EskdWqYZsc&me=aa


Earlier today, we spoke with Gigi and Mahmoud again. Here is their dictated letter to you:

 
Dear fellow Change.org members,
 
We've been in Tahrir Square -- at the epicenter of the Egyptian revolution -- day and night since January 25th.


People here are tired. We’ve been beaten, shot at, tear-gassed,
rained on, denied medical access, and have lived in a public square for
more than two weeks. Mercenary thugs on horses have attacked us with
whips, swords, and knives. Hundreds of people have lost their lives and
thousands are hurt or missing.


But when we tell people here that more than 41,000 people from 120 countries have added their voice to our campaign,
it gives them a sense of vindication, telling us that we are not crazy
and what we are asking for is something that all human beings deserve.


The revolutionary feeling here is incredible. Every day this square
is full of peasants, workers, students and professionals, engineers,
teachers, singers, writers and celebrities, Muslims, Christians, young,
old, rich and poor.


We are demanding things which everyone can agree on: an end to
corruption, dictatorship and oppression; the ability to vote in free,
fair and democratic elections; freedom, dignity and social justice to
all citizens.


Yet many governments around the world still do not support us. They
call for "stability" in the region, even when we lack democracy and
human rights in a "stable" country.

This is why your solidarity
is so important. It sends a simple message to those in this square who
are risking their lives to support democracy: Even if the governments
of the world aren’t with us, the people of the world are.


After just two weeks of protest, President Mubarak has called off
his brutal police forces, modified the constitution, and promised to
step down ahead of upcoming elections.

But these are only baby
steps, which should happen as part of open negotiations after the
president's resignation, not instead of it. We are dealing with a
corrupt, brutal government led by a dictator of 30 years. This has to
stop, it has to change, and we will not leave until he does.


Are you with us?

http://www.change.org/petitions/support-the-peoples-revolution-in-egypt-?alert_id=EVTdCNXGMB_EskdWqYZsc&me=aa


أشكركم على تضامنكم (Thank you for your solidarity) 

Gigi Ibrahim and Mahmoud Salem

The January 25 Movement
Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt

Swadhin Sen Archaeologist - Assistant Professor   Dept.of Archaeology            Tel:       +88 02 779 10 45-51 Ext. 1326 Jahangirnagar University      Mobile:  +88 0172 019 61 76   Savar,Dhaka. Bangladesh    Fax:      +88 02 779 10 52    swadhin_sen at yahoo.com; swadhinsen at hotmail.com www.juniv.edu