You may use any of the photos if you make reference to this page.

The post comes late because 2005 did not fade away easily, neither began 2006..

Sit back and take a tour through my lens:

J a n u a r y – M a r c h 2 0 0 5
Venezuela and Brasil.. beauty uncontested.. It was a work mission but I also explored as far as I could..
Caracas, Barqisimetto, Punto Fijo, Maracay, Canaima, Carbobo, Truhillo, Sanare, Akarigwa and Rio de Janeiro..
I honestly don’t know how I did come back –
They call it “the happy culture” and it sure is..

 

 

A p r i l 2 0 0 4
As a free lancer I coordinated the production of a short documentary tracing democracy in Egypt for PBS..

After the official filming was over, I continued going to demonestrations with my small camera.. Everytime I would go home and archive the photos with no specific plan on what to do next! The people who were absolutely unknown to me became very familiar contacts and friends later on..

This was the start.. A Cairo demonestration on April 27th to support the judges in their strive for independence. Judges in Egypt are under the authority of the Minister of Justice. A man of the government and for the government. This directly influences any elections and their results.

M a y 2 0 0 5
Wednesday 25th, referendum on the tailored constitutional article 67 protested.. female protestor sexually harrased and molested under supervision of state security and high rank ministry of interior officials..

J u n e 2 0 0 5
Wednesday 1st of June at the press syndicate, the association for Egyptian mothers, activists, and non-activists were all in Black protesting the tyranny of the ruling regime and state security forces

Wednesday June 8th, a candle vigil at Dareeh Saad.. Another location witnessed referendum violence and sexual molestation of female protestors..

June 9th, the “Street is Ours” movement was launched to defend the rights of women in both political participation and public space. Founders were mainly the victims of the referendum harassements. I worked with very interesting people to prepare for this event. In this very same evening I met Manal, Alaa and Amr and in common we found ourselves “motakhalefeen men agl el taghieer” arabic for “retarted for change” 😉 well.. whatever

Wednesday June 15th, we sweeped el Sayeda Zeinab Mausoleum praying to bring down the government and expell General Habib el Adly, the brutal Minister of Interior.. the ever controversial demonestration.. launched by a mostly secular, non famous small group at a religious location.. a debate started among activists and many refrained from joining and even denied any association with such a “retarded” political event.. however, it received large media coverage and considerable criticism.. furthermore, we allied with el Ghad party and managed have Ayman Nour on campus.. but most importantly, we succeeded to introduce to the movement and the Egyptian street a regular Wednesday protest (as we continued later on), in a highly populated new area each time (rather than the famous syndicate stairways), with specific theme each time, innovative 3D banners, and bloggers URLs among the political leaflets..

on Wednesday 22nd of April and for the first time, protestors were able to really “march” the busy Shubra street in a protest organised by the Popular Campaign for Change under the slogan “freedom now”

At this point, Ahmad Gharbeia, built and designed this page for me encouraging me to turn it to a blog and write about my little experiences here and there. Originally, I had purchased the paranoid corporate dot-com address planning to upload my resume and print on a business card to have better chances hunt freelance jobs.. advise: you never know what the future has for you, just be flexible enough 😉

J u n e 2 0 0 5

The 26th of June marked the international day against torture.. in an unprecedented initiative we celebrated the occasion infront of the ministry of torture (a.k.a interior) with 3 demands:
Goodbye and farewell to General Habib el Adly
Dissolve state security forces
A torture-free country

June 28th witnessed one of Ayman Nour’s trial sessions where the court house was turned to a military base – so much for a freeking regime

Nour, the liberal opposition leader is now serving a 5 years sentence while President Mubarak is grooming his son Gamal, promoting him within NDP to finally take up daddy’s seat.

Wednesday 29th of June was a protest at the Virgin Mary church in Zeiton “جينالك يا أم النور”..

J u l y 2 0 0 5
on the 14th of July Kefaya protested on behalf of 7 million Egyptian unemployed citizens in Abdeen square under heavy violence from the state security forces.. After being scandalised for beating protestors, they used the “squeezing protestors” technique.. they formed multi-layer circles that tighten around protestors, blocking back TV cameras and beating takes place inside.. Sharkawy’s arm was broken that day and few injuries were reported among protestors..

and on the 20th of July the national coalition for change and reform took out in a rally of 5000 to support the judges.. It was the first time I see the revolutionary socialists flags and banners in a street.. no longer an undergroung organisation, the group announced Kamal Khalil as spokesman and became more widely seen and heard..

and on the 23rd of JulySharm Sheikh, a beach resort where Mubarak spends 9 months per year seeking fresh air for his bad health, was rocked with 3 heavy explosions leaving above 70 casualties, mostly Egyptians, and a regime in total shock..

on July 31 the protest against Mubarak’s candidacy for presidential elections was met by a stronger wave of violence.. more than 30 protestors were severly beaten then detained, serious injuries occured among the protestors who were never able to reach Tahrir square, the planned location for protest..

A u g u s t 2 0 0 5

Sit ins continued for the release the detainees of July 31st protest at the General Prosecutor office in the High Court and at the press syndicate.. No one went home.. My older brother was among the detainees but I was somehow confident he will get our.. The call was loud “Release them or take us too” .. after we started getting used to demonestrating in different streets of Cairo we were in shock and disbelief.. It seemed the regime did not reach a decision how far is it willing to allow democratic practices and what are the risks they would take!! We thought it could only get better, not worse.. and we were persistent!

they were all out after 48 hours and a small celebration took place at the lawyers syndicate.. stories of detention were told as we finished a dish of oriental sweets..

The next day, August 2nd was the Artists for Change protest in Talaat Harb street.. State Security Forces behaved after activists persistence and a little spank from Mr. Bush “Big brother is watching you Mubarak”

On the 3rd of August we took out to the Opera square against corruption.. Protest was called “عايز حقي”.

August 8th, Teima put hands on the first copy of the 1st edition of his book “The Republi-dom of the Mubaraks”.. A book that traces the scenario of inheriting Egypt to Mubarak’s son, Gamal.. The bublisher was arrested but then released after some pressures.. Now the 2nd edition is available at Cairo bookstores

On August 8th we also demonestrated at Dar el Hikma (doctors syndicate) for the release of the Muslim Brotherhood leader Essam el Eryan.. After receiving couple of comments on my clapping and the un-bottoned buttons of my shirt from fellow demonestrators I realised that I was the only woman in the demonestration.. It was not very comfortable but I made a loud point that we have to learn to work together.. for there is a lot to come..

On the 14th of August the National Coalition for Change and Reform took out again to the streets in some 7000 protestor.. This time better coordination could be noticed between the islamists and the socialists.. The call was No to Mubarak, Yes to Judiciary Independence..

On August 16th Shayfeenkom “arabic for we-are-watching-you” was officially launched in a press conference.. With such a powerful name and potential, the movement for popular monitoring of the election later proved drastically impotent and extremely disappointing.. ma3lesh.. an arabic word created for such situations

On August 21st, Youth for Change started a different technique in direct street action.. flash demonestrations.. thousands of flyers distributed in popular and densed areas in 30 minutes then.. khalas.. I disagreed with the content “boycott the elections”.. Egyptians are passive enough aren’t they! but the strategy was good..
Anyways, it started in Nahia..

Later same day, Teima and his family introduced me to Mouled el Azraa or Virgin Mary’s Carnival held annualy in Mostorod..
A deeply rooted christian festival celebrating end of a christian fasting.. the similarities between muslim festivals and this one were termendous..

Only one day later, the 22nd of August , Socialsts demonestrated against Gruppi and Americain downtown pastry shops for abusing their workers and depriving them of their rights and due payments..

and just the following day, August 23rd, the artists and writers for change were back in Talaat Harb square again demanding reform..

yes it was a very busy month.. on the 26th of August Youth for Change twined Nahia protest with a similar and more successful one in Rod el Farag.. People were stunned at their homes in the very narrow alleys as they woke up on the “down down Mubarak”.. again, thousands of leaflets were distributed.. among them some blog URL addresses 😉

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 5

On the 1st of September – which also marks my birthday – the National Coalition for Change and Reform Rallied to support Judges again and called for end of corruption..

Families of detained Islamists also joined.. Now it became more usual for them to take out to the streets.. Thousands of Islamists are detained without trial of conviction.. while many have been found innocent by court yet the ministry of interior refrains from executing court sentences..

Only one day later and in the very same place, Kefaya demonestrated to also support the Judges.. Too many fractions or what?

… and the detainees families were now coordinating with Youth for Change and Kefaya on regular basis

September 3rd, Ayman Nour summed up his successful door-knocking presidential elections campain in the glamarous Tahrir Square among 10,000 supporters after a 4-hour speech! On stage was the High Commitee and top party executives.. including the ones who later turned against him bringing about divisions and party downfall..

On September 8, friends and families of the Beni Suef theatre fire protested at the state sponsored funeral opening the political and corruption files behind the tragic death of more than 30 artists..

later they formed the “5 September Group” and organised many protests, awareness activities and fund raising events..

September 24th we celebrated Manal’s birthday in a legendary night at the Pyramids plateau.. We were hosted by the talented Ahdaf Soeif who also celebrated the 21st birthday of her son Rob..
Manal was a princess

27th of September marked Mubarak swearing-in parliament. Kefaya rocked the heart of Cairo saying “illegitimate” or “Batell”

The protest was vivid.. Kefaya was in colors, sound, and light

and the detainees’ families became a regular feature

beside bloggers and 5 September movement

O c t o b e r

October 12, Muslim Brotherhood host annual iftar at Intercontinental City Stars celebrating their victory over parlimentary elections

As their song is played over and over and over again I walk out with the beat in my ears for the coming two days
الاسلام هو الحل.. شرع الله عز وجل

October 16th, finally Essam el Eryan released..

October 20th, Kamal Khalil takes his election campain down the slums of Imababa

October 25th, Sohayla Metwally Ibrahim, 13 years, and her younger brother Hisham, 10 years, protest in a Ramadan day infront of Ministry of Interior for the release of their father. They request to meet General Habib el Adly but rather get beaten and roughed up by security forces. Iftar time comes, the soldiers cornering them to few meters of sidewalk eat and dring while they are denied access to toilets, food or water.. Ramadan is over, Eid came and went, still they await the release of their daddy..

N o v e m b e r
12th of November activists from various organisations protested at the Tunisian embassy in Egypt in solidarity with the Tunisian activists on hunger strike demanding end of dictatorship in Tunisia..

19th, a short trip to Beirut for the CNN connects.. Beirut is a city of tensed beauty.. and a very special friend who is simply a “home” of his own..

22nd, with my best friend ever in Amman, Jordan, on top of a blueless mountain…

D e c e m b e r

12th

Kefaya protested new parliament body saying it illegitimate and elections farce..

will continue tomorrow cuz it is getting very late here.. stay tuned 🙂

Human Rights Violation Award for 2005