PROTESTS IN NEW YORK
http://www.aolnews.com/2011/01/29/protests-in-egypt-spread-to-new-york/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk1%7C198162
Many Egyptians are worried the religious organization Muslim Brotherhood will emerge as the new leader.”Egyptians don’t want the Muslim Brotherhood because they are religious extremists,” said Dorreya Khattab, a retired teacher who moved to the U.S. in 1975. She said the Brotherhood would usher in an Iranian-style regime run by clerics.Farhat’s husband, Hany Azmy, said that he wouldn’t mind the group if it was elected by the people. “I am not at all religious but if they are elected then why not,” he said.
“Its time for him to go,” said Hoda Elmasry, 24, a student at Columbia University, whose parents came to the United States in the 1980s to escape what she described as “corruption and lack of opportunities” in Egypt.
Protesters also called for the U.S. to stop backing Mubarak, who has been in power for 30 years.
Placards reading “Free Egypt Now” and “Obama Democracy = Democracy, Don’t Play Favorites,” spelled out the mood and message. “I would like to see Obama support democracy rather than stability,” added Elmasry.
“We are here so that the American government feels our pressure,” said Ali Mansour, a 34-year-old doctor from New Jersey.
Mansour, who came with his young children to the protest, urged Obama to cut off financial aid to Egypt and impose an economic blockade if the will of the people is ignored.
One protester held up a poster saying “Mubarak, let me e-mail my mommy,” in reference to the cell phone and Internet blackout in the country. While the Internet is still down, people in the U.S. were able to speak with their family members today on cell phones and landlines.
Many told stories about their relatives, saying that “thugs,” some affiliated with the government, were coming into several areas to terrorize and loot.
“My sister said that there are three military tanks in their locality to provide security,” said Mansour.
Protesters said the revolution in Tunisia has ignited the spark that would spread across the Middle East and bring down other regimes in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Yemen.
Varied reactions have come from countries in the Middle East.
King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia phoned Mubarak today and said, “The Government of Saudi Arabia and people condemns strongly this and stands with all its potentials by the Government and brotherly people of Egypt.”
On the other hand, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said, “Iran expects Egyptian officials to listen to the voice of their Muslim people.”
Mubarak has formed a new government and appointed his intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, as vice president. He also named Ahmed Shafik, a retired air force general, as the new prime minister.
“These demonstrations came to express the lawful aspirations for more democracy and speedy actions to combat unemployment, raising the standard of living, fighting poverty and addressing corruption,” Mubarak said in a speech on Friday.
“I am fully aware of these lawful aspirations of the Egyptian people and I am also aware to the degree of their sufferings,” he continued.
But for many, it is too little too late.
“His (Mubarak’s) silly speech makes no difference,” said Maha Farhat, a 45-year-old social worker from New Jersey who attended the New York rally with her husband.
Farhat said Egyptians in the U.S. could make a difference by organizing public rallies and using Facebook to keep the momentum of the Cairo streets alive on the Internet. “What happens is in our hands now,” she declared.
Ayman Elsawa, an organizer of the demonstration, remarked that Egyptians in the U.S. had not spoken out against Mubarak in the past three decades. “We have not been as active as I had hoped, but now we’re finally out and we’re not going back,” he said.
In the midst of calls for fresh elections, there is also concern about what’s next. “Some of us our scared about who will take over,” said Farhat.
Many Egyptians are worried the religious organization Muslim Brotherhood will emerge as the new leader.
“Egyptians don’t want the Muslim Brotherhood because they are religious extremists,” said Dorreya Khattab, a retired teacher who moved to the U.S. in 1975. She said the Brotherhood would usher in an Iranian-style regime run by clerics.
Farhat’s husband, Hany Azmy, said that he wouldn’t mind the group if it was elected by the people. “I am not at all religious but if they are elected then why not,” he said.
Comments are closed.
