Posted
February 21st, 2011
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The following in an extract from a piece written by English PEN Honorary Member Kareem Amer who was released from prison in late 2010. He was briefly detained during the recent protests, but later released. The full piece was featured in The Wall Street Journal.
Egypt Will Never Be the Same
What I saw on the streets of Alexandria.
The news of Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution rocked the Egyptian Internet. The blogosphere was full of calls urging people to take to the streets on Jan. 25 and bring down the regime of Hosni Mubarak, just as massive protests toppled the 25-year regime of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Egypt Will Never Be the Same
What I saw on the streets of Alexandria.
The news of Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution rocked the Egyptian Internet. The blogosphere was full of calls urging people to take to the streets on Jan. 25 and bring down the regime of Hosni Mubarak, just as massive protests toppled the 25-year regime of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
For too long, despotic Arab governments have been reassured by the submissiveness and compliance of the people. The events in Tunisia have changed everything.
Initially, I didn’t want to participate in the protests. Regime change could mean an Islamist takeover…
Originally posted with the url: www.englishpen.org/writersinprison/bulletins/egyptwillneverbethesamekareemamer/
