Reply #55: We had a lot to learn from the Palestinians too [View All]

[Catherina]

3arabawy Hossam عمو حسام
@
@avinunu We had a lot to learn from the Palestinians too habibi:) http://bit.ly/f2HKM9 #Palestine #Jan25 #intifada
44 seconds ago

Interview with Hossam el-Hamalawy (3arabawy)
Professor Mark LeVine interviews journalist and blogger Hossam el-Hamalawy on the situation in Egypt.
Mark LeVine Last Modified: 27 Jan 2011 13:07 GMT


Hossam el-Hamalawy, an Egyptian journalist and blogger
Hossam el-Hamalawy, is an Egyptian journalist and blogger for the website 3arabawy. Mark LeVine, professor of History at UC Irvine, managed to catch up with Hossam via Skype to get a first-hand account of events unfolding in Egypt.



Mark LeVine: What is the relationship between regional and local events here?

Hossam el-Hamalawy: You have to understand that the regional is local here. In 2000 the protests didn't started as anti-regime protests but rather against Israel and in support of Palestinians. The same occurred with the US invasion of Iraq three years later. But once you take to the streets and are confronted by regime violence you start asking questions: Why is Mubarak sending troops to confront protesters instead of confronting Israel? Why is he exporting cement to be used by Israel to build settlements instead of helping Palestinians? Why are police so brutal with us when we're just trying to express our solidarity with Palestinians in a peaceful manner? And so regional issues like Israel and Iraq were shifted to local issues. And within moments, the same protesters who chanted pro-Palestinian slogans started chanting against Mubarak. The specific internal turning point in terms of protests was 2004, when dissent turned domestic.

...

Mark LeVine: What about the role of the US in this conflict. How do people on the street view its positions?

Hossam el-Hamalawy: Mubarak is the second largest recipient of US foreign aid aside from Israel. He's known to be America's thug in the region; one of the tools of American foreign policy and implementing its agenda of security for Israel and the smooth flow of oil while keeping Palestinians in line. So it's no secret that this dictatorship has enjoyed the backing of US administrations since day one, even during Bush's phony pro-democracy rhetoric. So one should not be surprised by Clinton's ludicrous statements that were more or less defending the Mubarak regime, since one of the pillars of US foreign policy was to keep regimes stable at expense of freedom and civil liberties.

We don't expect anything from Obama, whom we regard as a great hypocrite. But we hope and expect the American people - trade unions, professors' associations, student unions, activist groups, to come out in support of us. What we want for the US government is to completely get out of the picture. We don't want any sort of backing; just cut aid to Mubarak immediately and withdraw backing from him, withdraw from all Middle Eastern bases, and stop supporting the state of Israel.

Ultimately, Mubarak will do whatever he has to do to protect himself. He will suddenly adopt the most anti-US rhetoric if he thought that would help him save his skin. At the end of the day he's committed to his own interests, and if he thinks the US won't support him, he'll turn somewhere else. The reality is that any really clean government that comes to power in the region will come into open conflict with the US because it will call for radical redistribution of wealth and ending support for Israel or other dictatorships. So we don't expect any help from America, just to leave us alone.

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/01/201112792728200271.html

Be still my beating heart. What a gorgeous man.