#jan25two : Revolution reloaded

January 25 is a bittersweet day for us Egyptians. Last year on January 25 thousands of courageous protesters were heading to Tahrir to start the Egyptian revolution. 18days and 890 victims later, Mubarak was stepping down and each of us was exploding with joy. One more month, and we were waiting in queues to vote as free egyptian citizen for the first time; tears of joy, pride, happinness. Alas; the military rule continued the repression, tried 12’000 Egyptians in military courts when Mubarak was granted a civilian trial, forces shot protesters and caused massacres, the most opaque elections ever took place. Our revolution was technically hijacked by the army.

The story would be over if the Egyptian people weren’t unsubmitted by nature. Revolution lost in popularity in Egypt; because it is exhausting, because life is hard, still it is alive in every one of us, only waiting for the right impulsion, the right firestarter. Maybe is January 25 2012 that firestarter? Revolution is a long road still in construction; it is not a highway, it is a mountain road and we encounter difficulties, but in the end, we’ll cross the mountain, we’ll get to see what is behind.

The Egyptian people is too great to be defeated when it stands like one man. We know it is only a matter of time. The day is coming where the victory will be complete. Until then, the revolution is a continuous state of mind.

Like Sheikh Imam told us: Eshee ya Masr (Wake Up Egypt)

One Year Later: Tunisia still in Love with Freedom

One year ago, Tunisians were ousting Ben Ali. The last 12months were full of events, protests, hopes and fears. The people had to fight to not see their revolution stolen from them; they are still fighting. We voted; we were happy or disappointed with the results, and then with the first actions of the new interim government and the new president. Our newly free medias informed, misinformed, published opinions and caricatures, learnt the first lessons of the civil responsability of journalists. We blogged, we protested, we shouted. And one year later, Tunisia is still in love with freedom.

And all is still to do. Unemployment, poverty, exclusion of rural regions, weak economy, corruption, new constitution, transparency. Many are the challenges we have to take up to make of this country a country for Human Rights, equality for all, exlcusion for nobody. And because we saw things coming out from our country that we never even dreamt of, we know we will make a reality of all the hopes we have for Tunisia.

إذا الشعب يوما أراد الحياة

فلا بدّ أن يستجيب القدر

ولا بد لليل أن ينجلي

ولا بد للقيد أن ينكسر

When the people will to live,

Destiny must surely respond.

Oppression shall then vanish.

Fetters are certain to break.

(Tunisian anthem)