The writing on the wall

A thug riding his camel, cracking a whip and brandishing a sword, is a frightening sight indeed; but, argues Injy El-Kashef, more frightening still is the YouTube clip exposing him to the world

(NEWS the US PUPPET MEDIA IS BLOCKING)

Two men spoke before the nation on Egyptian television in the space of seven days. Each of them profoundly affected the course of the 25 January Revolution. Each of them embodies and symbolises the force he represents. One of them was fully aware of all the developments, and capable of ending the country's unrest with just two words if he so chose; the other was blindfolded and deprived of any information during his entire 12 days of unwarranted police custody. One of them had a well-prepared speech, the second was on the air two hours upon his release. The first is Hosni Mubarak. The second, Wael Ghoneim.

Ghoneim lowered his head in shame at the thought of being called a hero, and repeatedly requested during the course of his interview, as his tears fell on the table before him with almost audible sincerity, not to be turned into one by supporters of the revolution. "I was just the admin [of the Kollena Khaled Said Facebook page that sparked the Egyptian Intifada]; all I did was type at my desk. My fingers didn't even hurt. The true heroes are those who sacrificed their lives, those who were martyred defending their country. I am no hero." Out of respect for his wish, I will not make a hero out of him. In fact, I will even neglect to elaborate on the role he played in the revolution -- a simple Google search will reveal his entire story for those who wish to know it. No, I am not trying to make a hero of Ghoneim. Ghoneim is in fact no hero. He is just an honest and self-respecting Egyptian, like the millions of honest and self- respecting Egyptians who have taken to the streets since 25 January in their revolution against Mubarak's 30-year-old rule.

Mubarak is the personification of everything that the revolution is not. Dubbed the "Facebook Revolution" in reference to the virtual realm on which it initially manifested itself, the 25 January Revolution is, by definition, transparent. There is no information more accessible to the global, not just the local, public than a Facebook Group, and there is no communication medium more visible than Twitter. Those who sparked the revolution did so in broad daylight -- and yet of the estimated 3.2 million NDP members, none was mindful of or, worse, equipped to read the writing on the Facebook wall.

The 25 January Revolution is also fast -- as fast as the speed it takes any Facebook user to address hundreds of contacts through a single message by pressing the Enter button on his or her keyboard. Indeed, Mubarak is everything that the revolution is not. While hair-raising images of the crude violence unleashed upon the anti-regime peaceful protesters had travelled around the globe in a matter of seconds through social media sites, it was not before a whole 24 hours of bloodshed had tainted the streets of downtown Cairo that the Egyptian public was finally addressed by the powers that be, once more, too little too late.

The 25 January Facebook Revolution relies on the instant exchange of information and experience, the sharing of ideas and emotions, the power to globally and simultaneously mobilise millions of users, as well as the tremendous benefit of documentation through eyewitness pictures and videos -- none of which requires any headquarters, and can be exercised any time by countless supporters. To attempt to dissipate a force travelling through wi-fi with Molotov cocktails, or feeble promises, becomes tantamount to struggling against pollen particles travelling through thin air. The Facebook Revolution is followed, supported and organised inside every home enjoying connectivity.

This Internet "situation" is one the regime is simply not accustomed to and certainly not ready for; a situation it could only deal with by pulling the plug on Internet connectivity and cell-phone coverage. On the morning of 28 January, dubbed the Friday of Anger, Egypt was catapulted in an almost week-long telecommunication blackout as the global community's collective jaw dropped in disbelief. The scale of the government crackdown on telecommunications was a "first in the history of the Internet," according to Rik Ferguson, an expert for the world's third biggest computer security firm Trend Micro, as reported by AFP. Ironically, rather than stifling the protests, the government's choice strategy only provoked more people to join the anti-Mubarak ranks. One university student asserts that "to be very honest, until last night I had no intention of joining any demonstrations, but when I woke up and discovered this insulting assault upon my personal freedom, I immediately got dressed and headed to Tahrir Square."

Undeterred by the oppressive strategy, protesters first tried to circumvent the blockage through dial-ups and, as cellular coverage was restored, international phone calls to overseas friends requested to tweet, monitor and relay the developments. As these rudimentary counter- offensive tactics proved inefficient, a return to word of mouth became the main mobilising force that still managed to coordinate hundreds of thousands of determined protesters. In a show of support for the Egyptian people, Google Inc -- where Wael Ghoneim is employed -- according to Reuters, "launched a special service to allow people in Egypt to send Twitter messages by dialling a phone number and leaving a voicemail."

Just as the 25 January Revolution was inspired by the uprising in Tunisia against now deposed president Zein Al-Abidine bin Ali -- toppled by the Tunisian people only a month ago thanks to Facebook -- so have its effects already rippled across the Middle East. Regional news headlines over the past week declare protests currently waging in Sudan, Palestine, Yemen, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, while the Kuwaiti interior minister quietly resigned without further ado. What hope of survival there is for any regime that does not comprehend the nature of the 21st century's strongest weapon of mass construction, and the weakness of totalitarianism before its might, is in inverse proportion to what it must conceal to maintain credibility. A YouTube clip floating on Twitter to expose crimes against humanity is all it takes to galvanise millions.

As the 25 January Revolution enters its third week of continuous protests, repeated government statements assert the "right for peaceful protest" with promises ensuring the safety of all "Tahrir-dwellers" -- and yet Twitter tweets continue to signal the disappearance of bloggers, activists, journalists and anti-Mubarak demonstrators. Personally, I have received numerous messages over the past two days from people I never accepted as Facebook friends thanking me for adding them to my contacts. Phishier and phishier.

http://ahram.org.eg