A perspective from Cairo: Heba speaks

I'm pleased to post these words below from our dear family friend, Heba Mussad, from on the ground in Cairo, Egypt. For a little background on about our friendship, I invite you to this post of a few years ago, Heba, Habibi. Also, you may wish to search "Heba" in this blog and my previous blog The Snake Charmer's Wife, for additional posts involving Heba. 

Heba's words:

It’s 5:40 am Monday 8th July, 2013. I have been awake since 5:00 am. The sounds of helicopters and military planes hovering over Cairo’s sky and ambulance sirens all around woke me up early in the morning. What’s going on? Is it another terrorist attack on the peaceful demonstrators who were camping in front of the Ministry of Defense to support our military in which the Muslim Brothers and western countries call it a coup?

I stood in the balcony watching those helicopters hovering and giving me a sense of security that I have been missing for two very long years. How did Egypt reach this point of unsettled life? How come after we used to live a peaceful and safe life, we now feel unsafe and terrorized on Egyptian streets?

I went back to my memories. How could lying be so easy? Is that how politics work now? Lies? 

Two years ago, on 25th January, 2011 a large number of young Egyptians went out on Cairo’s streets asking for justice, freedom and dignity. That was all what they were asking for. They were normal young people who dreamt to live a better life. Normal young people who want to be better educated, find a decent job, get married and have their share in life and a better future for their children. Just like any normal human being. Because of a stupid corrupted regime that was ruling the country, the people of Egypt kept demanding for more and more political actions to be taken until it climaxed with the demand that president Mubarak steps down.

We were surprised to watch Obama supporting this revolution, giving us a speech every 10 minutes as if he had nothing else to do except enabling this revolution to succeed. We thought of how lucky Americans must be to have such a democratic president. We thought he felt how we felt. “He supported Egyptians! What a man!” However our joy didn’t last for long as we noticed that Obama began to support the Muslim Brotherhood and aided them to take over. We, the older generation, who knew of this international organization’s bloody and terrorizing history were about to go crazy. How could they rule Egypt? All the secular parties worked so hard to prevent it, but due to a high percentage of a poor and illiterate population, the Muslim Brothers used religion to persuade the people to vote for them. To make the story short, the Muslim Brothers and their allies who called themselves Islamist, took over. We witnessed a year of chaos and flounder like we have never seen in Egypt before. The only good outcome of it all was that those who voted for a religious leadership regime to rule the country became aware that they have done something terribly wrong. They could see, very clearly, that such a mix between religion and politics does not work no matter what. Egyptians discovered that they were deceived and trapped. Lies, lies and more lies were being spread everywhere. People started to see that the old regime was better after all. Every government institution was falling down. The economy was getting worse. None of the new regime’s promises were fulfilled. All what they care about was their party’s political empowerment. The young Egyptians who started the Revolution of January 25th were imprisoned as well as many other opponents, protestors, media reporters, writers, artists. Public security and safety was downfallen. Egypt’s foreign relationships, almost with every county, were getting worse. Crisis after crisis occurred. Gas shortages put all means of transportation on hold for days, economic inflation affected the homes of millions under the poverty line, electricity and water supply shortages were all over the country as a result of sending large amounts of solar to the Gaza Strip to be paid back to HAMAS, the Palestinian branch of MB who helped the MB to escape from prison during the revolution.. People were sad and frustrated not only with the regime but also with the opposition who could do nothing … their hands were tightened.. 

In the midst of all this a tiny light of hope started to grow.. a group of young people formed a petition … they called themselves “Tamarod”, that is rebellion in Arabic, … they asked Egyptians all over Egypt to sign this piece of paper asking to change this falling regime … it was like a safety little boat to Egyptians … Tamarod collected over 22 millions petitions … they arrange for all Egyptians to demonstrate on 30th of June 2013 … we all went out to protest against such a fascist regime … all society layers, families, women, men, children, young, old, poor and rich… Egyptians are asking for the president of the high supreme court to take over for an interim period to form a new civil and secular government ….. the military had to step in in order to force Morsi to step down … do you know what was the first thing he did when the commander of the military force gave him an hour to think about it? … he called Obama for help… his people called all European countries to make it appear as if it is a military coup … CNN did a good job spreading this lie.. I believe many other TV channels did the same…

MB are rallying a large number of people in some of Cairo’s streets .. they are threatening to spread terrorism all over Egypt .. they are claiming that Christians and the old regime is leading this second revolution .. so they burned 2 churches in El-Minia a city south of Cairo.. they kill young people and claim that the Military is doing so … they are provoking the soldiers so they may get into clashes … I have never seen the Egyptian police and military soldiers so patient and calm, dealing with civilians in such a decent and wise way … well we all learned the lesson ….. 

… How come that lying can be so easy?... How come that TV channel broadcast the anti-Morsi millions protestors who are standing in Tahrir square as pro-Morsi demonstrators? … Google earth anticipated that the number of Egyptians who were on Egypt’s streets and squares were over 33 millions … How can people lie as if they are drinking a cup of water? … why? May be politicians can answer this question … but until then we Egyptians are out on all Egypt’s streets and squares demanding for those who terrorize us to leave our beloved country … demanding that America stops interfering in our business… we know how to run our country .. we know what we want and how to get it… so if USA agree .. welcome … if not, just keep it to herself and mind her own business…. No one appointed her to be our guardian … unless .. she has other purposes …

We may discover later on that we made a mistake here or there, as we did before … but who doesn’t? … we learn from our mistakes … 

Helicopters are still hovering over Cairo sky … but I’m sure that it will be over soon ….. 

P.S. an hour later I learned from the news that it was MB attacking the Republic Guard who protect Morsi in his restricted residency early in the morning, 5 minutes driving from where I live .. trying to make it appear as if the military is attacking them…. Lies … lies and more lies to come … but I’m sure that it will be over soon …..

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Thank you, my dear Heba. If any of you, lovely Bleeding Heart readers, would like to ask Heba a question, feel free to post it in the "comment" section below. Heba is about ten hours ahead of us in time, and has a full blown working-mother schedule, however she will be happy to respond as possible. Check back regularly.