DAYS 18, 19, 20 EGYPT-MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD

Hello friends and family,

Sorry for the silence the last few days, if you can believe it, the internet has been down in ALL of Egypt the last two days, and we just finally got it back…it’s incredible how crippling it is! I have so much to report the last three days as well so settle in…

So where was I? Right, I wanted to correct a fact from my last email…Actually, 95% of the Egyptians live along the Nile and 5% in the desert (i had written the opposite). Turns out the urban planning of Cairo isn’t exactly the greatest since an abnormally large percent of the city is either cemetaries, tombs or mosques! We had met with an architect who said “Even the Pyramids are a tomb!” We learned that over a million Egyptians actually LIVE in the cemetaries (sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it?)–The cemetaries aren’t like the ones we have in the states with tombstones, they are overground tombs–look like little houses–and because there is such a shortage of housing in the cities, the graveyard tenderers and their families end up living there along with the poor and destitute…I simply can’t imagine waking up in a grave every morning and being optimistic about my day. The resilience for life here is incredible. Humans are such adaptable creatures I am continually amazed on this journey.

Anyway, our fixer, Magdi, brought us to meet with the editor-in-chief of an eight month old newspaper (a centrist paper that didn’t share the same views as the government run newspapers and were gaining a good reputation for being moderate and showing both sides…) We told him that newspapers in the US were a dying or suffering breed and what made him want to start one, but he said that he believed they were going to be resurrected and that he was optimistic about the readership in Egypt. When asked how many people read his paper, he said sheepishly, “Well, if you can believe this, only 1 million people out of 80 million Egyptians read any newspaper here! Our readership is about 35,000 so far and growing. Our internet viewership is much greater with 300,000 unique visits per month.” Still a really low number we thought to support the 50 odd journalists we saw working away in their office.

We were astonished to learn that eight times the number of Egyptians had email addresses than read the newspaper! (8 million according to the last census)

“Illiteracy in Egypt is a huge problem,” he said. Seems to be the main problem in all these middle eastern countries we’re realizing. He also said President Mubarek had opened the doors to “free press” and that they could “speak their mind freely”, but that at any point they could be shut down. “Some free press,” we thought. We saw first hand ourselves how “free” the press had been here. Because the country is still under “Emergency Law”, all the cops are so suspicious of everyone, and Zach and I have been stopped literally ten times already and questioned about having “professional” sized cameras…He then told us about a Facebook group called, “The April 6 Movement” that took place earlier this year where millions of elementary, highschool and university students didn’t go to school and protested Mubarek’s regime and a list of points they were protesting on their Facebook page. The young 17 year old girl who started the Movement, Esraa Abdel Fatah, was then arrested and questioned for starting this movement and was told to immediately shut down the Facebook page. She cried a lot and was very scared apparently. We’re meeting with her tomorrow to talk about what really happened. Apparently, every single internet group, whether on Facebook, or MySpace or wherever is infiltrated by the Mubarek government officials who then either threaten the groups, or force them to shut down. It’s completely against everything he promised to the people about having a free press and “democracy” and of course violates human rights.

I just don’t understand the Mubarek regime to be honest. He’s been in power for 30 years, has taken 2.5 billion dollars EVERY YEAR from the US government (initially as a way to keep the peace between Isreal and Egypt during the Carter Administration till today). Not a single Egyptian benefits from the money since it goes into the corrupt pockets of the Mubarek government who then uses those US dollars to suppress their own people by bullying them with an “Emergency Law” state. So here’s how it works: he takes the 2.5 billion from the US with one hand, and then badmouths the US and turns all his people on us with the other. You should see the footage of the hate signs during Anti-US/Anti-Israel demonstrations…it’s so ugly and I just can’t understand why the US has continued to give money knowing that the people on the ground don’t see any of it (over 20% of Egyptians live under a dollar a day), and that they’re not promoting positive relations between the two countries–Mohammed Atta, the orchestrator of the 9/11 plane highjacking and World Trade Center attack was Egyptian.

So another example to show you just how Mubarek operates: Zach and I met with Gamila Noor, the soft spoken but strong willed wife of Ayman Noor who ran for office against Mubarek when he promised to have “open” elections in 2005. When Ayman began to gain a little momentum, Mubarek got scared and had him thrown in jail for “signature forgery” on the petitions Ayman had submitted to run against him! (not to mention Mubarek made it so difficult to even submit an application to even be recognized as a party!) So Ayman has been in jail for the last three years for this “crime” and his wife Gamila has been canvasing for his release ever since. When we met with her, she had about six bags with her that contained all her essential belongings since she said she never knew what was going to happen to her next and that her life was in danger. Just last week alone, her office building was burned down by thugs while she was in the office who were sent by Mubarek likely. Where there would typically be police officers all over this one street her office was on, that day, there were no officers, no traffic even, and she showed us cell phone footage of a bunch of angry thugs coming to her office, and setting it on fire while she was sill in there. You see her looking out the window shouting for them to stop as her building starts getting burned and then you see the fire truck finally come by and the thugs try and prevent them from hosing down the fire! As a cherry on the sunday, she then got arrested and is currently the prime suspect in the arson case! It’s a laughably bad movie isn’t it? It was sickening to hear her story about the incredible violation of human rights that have been the reality of Egyptian citizens since Mubarek has been in government. We conducted the interview in a storage room with old computers that she had turned into her make shift office. She gave us the footage of the arson and the angry mob and the whole incident to expose in our film. It’s just incredible how we, the US, are backing his horribly corrupt regime. I sincerely hope under the Obama admistration, that we look closely at that relationship. Yesterday when we met her, she had gone to prison to visit her husband, and they said she was no longer welcome at the prison and that she was now unable to see him. The look on Zach’s face I captured on film says it all.

We interviewed her human rights lawyer as well who told us story after story of violation after violation.

When I sit and think about whether the US is really about promoting democracy around the world, I have to believe that it has the best intentions at heart. Zach always says to me when we argue about this subject, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”…I also read an article today where one line really stuck out to me: “US motivation is not to promote democracy, it’s to end support for terrorism.” I think I have something to chew on for a while.

This morning, we met with one of the founders of the Kafaya movement and filmed on a boat that took us down the Nile River–it was a beautiful ride.”Kefaya” means “enough” in arabic. The movement was started by six older men in 2004 who got together and said, “Enough is enough with the Mubarak regime.” (We’re realizing that the more moderate folks we meet in this country are older and the more radicalized Egyptians are the younger generations…)

A side note: 5 million Egyptians head to Saudi Arabia every year to work as migrant workers for several months, and a majority of these illiterate workers come back completely radicalized to Islam and poison their children and generations to come into believing they have to wear the hijab (head scarf) and follow the strict rules of Islam. If you came to Cairo in the 70′s, no one wore head scarves, now today, we could barely find a woman who wasn’t wearing one.

So the goals of the Kefaya movement were three-fold: The right to protest freely, the right to speak against the government, and the right to feel safe. (Sad that the people of Egypt didn’t already have these rights with a “democratic” government supposedly in place.)

This movement got so much press in the US as it was an easy feel-good story to write about “Hope for the future of Egypt”, “Kefaya stands up to Mubarek” “Kefaya speaks loud and clear “Enough is enough”, but the truth on the ground was that its rallies comprised of 500 people at the most and that it was really a small blip that western reporters made much bigger than it really was. It’s amazing what’s reported in the west and how sensationalized the news is. (this is clearly not a revolutionary thought but I had to bring it up since this was yet another example of that “yellow journalism” we learn about in our Comm 101 courses.) The bedtime stories that we like to tell ourselves are really just that more often than not. Happy bed time stories. Look at the Cedar Revolution in Beirut in 2005 (I wrote about it in previous emails). Every newspaper and magazine including the most reputable, “The Economist”, “Newsweek” etc. wrote, “Maybe Bush was right?”, when the US took credit for the million Lebanese taking to the streets to kick the Syrians out of government, but in reality, it was yet another bedtime story written to warm the hearts of Americans. The US had nothing to do with the Cedar revolution. It was for the Lebanese BY the Lebanese. The US claimed that it was the pivot in the revolution but all the US government did was NAME it, “the Cedar Revolution”. I do like the name though, I have to admit. Has a nice ring to it.

This isn’t an indictment on American media by any means..okay, maybe a little.  I just know we’re better than that.

Anyway, the Kefaya gentleman we met commented on the current state of Egypt and when asked whether he was optimistic about the future of Egypt, he said, “Only if the US leaves us alone and lets our change come from within.”

It’s funny, everyone we meet says the same thing. “Change comes from within.” That was Robert Fisk’s mantra. When I ask Zach, “Why does America have such a need to be a presence in the world?” he responds, ”If not us, then someone else, we just have to change our approach.” I always remember what one of my friends from the UK told me before 9/11: “The US is by far the most gentle world leader in the history of the world. It has a Peace Corps, American Universities around the world, and the people are genuinely compassionate.” and I beamed when he said that to me… and then fast forward to last week where a reporter from the middle east is turned into a hero for throwing shoes at President Bush. It’s humiliating for me as a proud American. I want the world to be proud of my president, not throw shoes at him.

The architect we met at the internet cafe has some great insights. He said, “You cannot experiment with countries to see if democracy works. Egypt is a country, not an experiment.”

He also said, “I’m not an Arab. I’m a Mediteranean and an African before I’m an Arab.” I thought that was an interesting comment. I think this is a sentiment among the older generation here as well who want to distance themselves from the other Islamic countries, whereas the younger more radicalized Egyptians feel very Arab which I guess has a more religious stigma…He took us to a beautiful garden in the middle of Cairo, an oasis among tombs and pollution, and said, “This is the Egypt I want the US to see…” He was a very cool older man. Reminded me of Santa Claus with his white beard, round belly, and jovial demeanor. It made me miss Christmas time in New York actually…my first Christmas season away from home.

So after our meeting with the gentleman from Kefaya, we headed over to the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters downtown. We walk into their office–with portraits of the founding members on the wall and a group of friendly men milling around the cozy office with worn but plush couches and a bookshelf with antique books in the waiting area. Most of the gentlemen we see have marks on their forehead, which was a calice from praying so much. I just can’t believe you can get a calice from praying so much. At that point, religion takes over your entire life. Five times a day since we’ve been here in Egypt, there would be prayer voices singing through loud intercoms and speakers across the city as people prayed…We meet Mohammed Habib from the Brotherhood who shakes my hand so I’m thinking, “okay, he’s already better than the Hezbollah guy we met who didn’t even shake my hand” but then we get into a conversation and it got very scary. These guys live under Shariah law, a set of Islamic laws written 1400 years ago…slightly dated I would say…anyway, we start the interview and he starts off sounding moderate saying all the things a PR guy would say, “If elected, we would embrace all religions and all denominations and the rights for women…” I nodded my head in approval thinking it wasn’t so bad. The Muslim Brotherhood, like Hezbollah, have built schools and clinics and are really taking care of the poor and are known as an Islamist Charity Organization..

Side note: Apparently they get their funding from wealthy Saudi business men through grass roots fundraising..Since they are businessmen, the organization is very streamlined and well organized, and as I head several times here in Egypt by different academics, “Religion is good business.”

Anyway, we continue talking and when Zach asks him, “Can a woman be the president in a Muslim Brotherhood government?” he replied smoothly, “A woman wouldn’t want to be inconvenienced by being a President, so no, she can’t.”

“Inconvenienced”, he said. I looked up from the lens at Zach incredulously as I continued filming. After we prodded him some more, we found out that they wouldn’t “force the hijab on women,” but that they would “be taught in schools about the importance of the hijab” and “would make the decision on their own to wear it.” And would teach the importance of the Shariah law to its people. When Zach asked him about the ten commandments and spoke about the commandment, “Thou shalt not kill”, he replied, “Well, thou shalt not kill unless he deserves it.”

(long pause)…

“But Shariah law says thou shalt not kill period. Is that subject to interpretation?” asked Zach.

He replied, “yes, if someone deserves to be killed, he will be killed. If someone hurts another, that person deserves to be killed.” What about, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors wife?” asked Zach. He started getting agitated. “She will only be stoned to death if there are four witnesses.” he replied. “But how can you prove four witnesses were there?” asked Zach. “Fourteen hundred years ago, there weren’t security cameras..” The conversation deteriorated from there, but it was a very very scary conversation. The idea of a radical Islamic group like that to gain popularity is scary, but that they’re the only alternative to Mubarek is even scarier. This is the problem with Egypt at the moment. They have no alternative. If Mubarek’s regime falls, the country will suffer greatly if there isn’t a heavy handed “compassionate dictator” to take his place…but who?

All this to say, the fear based “Emergency Law” state is clearly not working, and the US is supporting this totalitarian regime. Not cool.

We then went to visit Joel Beinin, a Stanford Professor of Middle East History who was in Egypt working on his latest book about Egyptian economics. He was small in stature with a handlebar mustache, and had the same Robert Fisk-esque sobering thoughts on the US’s quest to export democracy: “Change comes from within.” “We need to leave the middle east immediately”. He also talked about the lack of alternatives, and that the Muslim Brotherhood weren’t as bad as we thought they were. “We’ll never know how they would be in government unless we left and saw first hand.” He said he didn’t think it was too farfetched for the US government to sit down with the Brotherhood and have a good discourse with them should they come into power. Not sure if I agree with that to be honest.

Side note: I asked him about investing in Egypt and the middle east. Would you invest in this unpredictable market? He said, “I woudn’t invest in anything long term like land. I’d invest in short term investments like construction companies since many wealthy saudis and egyptians are building fancy houses in the desert, banks that offer short-term loans and tourism companies.” I also found out that another big source of revenue for the Egyptians is the Suez Canal which is one of the major “choke” points in the middle east for ships to go through to transport oil and goods….it’s amazing how much geopolitics play a role in creating alliances between countries…

Ultimately, what I’m learning again and again is that democracy isn’t about the “right to vote”. It’s about the deliverables. Is someone’s life better off because of us? (I think our deliverables should be initially focused on education. So much illiteracy in the middle east. The only way to combat terrorism in my opinion is to teach these kids to make educated decisions.)

Anyway, again this was very very long. Thanks so much for reading and making writing these installments so rewarding with all your wonderful comments and feedback…

We have another long day tomorrow and it’s 1am as I right this (in yet another smoke filled internet cafe.)

I can’t wait to come home.

Love, Radha