While I didn't always follow Manal and Alaa's Bit Bucket regularly, I really admired this amazing couple. In every country, there are a few bloggers who lead the change, who give so much to the community, and most importantly, who walk the talk. Manal and Alaa are that, and more.
For the past three days, as I've been reading and following everything related to the arrest of Alaa and the other protestors who were standing up for an independent judiciary system and for freedom of expression, I was looking at all the people around me, at work, on the streets, over lunch, and cups of coffee.. I was looking at them and thinking…How could you people be so clueless as to what is happening? Don't you know what is going on in Egypt? Don't you know that the blog hounds have been released? That there's a war out there? That the freedom fighters we've only heard about in romanticized revolutionary tales exist today? It's not Guevara coming to you on a beat-up motorcycle! It's not Saladdin coming on a mighty black horse with a shiny sword! It is young men and women who have decided to stand up and say ENOUGH! Enough repression, enough tyranny! Perhaps they are just a few. But that's ok, it has to start somewhere.
I guess Hala expressed it best when she talked about the community element of the blogosphere in this and how invigorating it is. I think of that rich dialogue last week over here, at Sandmonkey's, and at Tololy's about Arab Unity and what it means, and it's interesting, because today, taking part in this, I feel so Egyptian and so Arab. The reaction of the Arab blogosphere is fascinating, quoting SM "This is taking a life on its own. It's unbelievably awesome."
This morning Naseem sighed and asked: "where have all the children of socio-political passion gone?" While I look around me quite often and ask the same question… the blogosphere reminds me that they are there, and it gives me hope.
Ok, first of all… visit the Free Alaa Blog, and find out more about the background of this whole issue as well as the updates and what is being done.
Second, take part in the digital activism and help create a google bomb.
THEN, go tell your friends offline about this. Tell your parents, tell your siblings, tell your colleagues… just let them know. People need to know.
For the past three days, as I've been reading and following everything related to the arrest of Alaa and the other protestors who were standing up for an independent judiciary system and for freedom of expression, I was looking at all the people around me, at work, on the streets, over lunch, and cups of coffee.. I was looking at them and thinking…How could you people be so clueless as to what is happening? Don't you know what is going on in Egypt? Don't you know that the blog hounds have been released? That there's a war out there? That the freedom fighters we've only heard about in romanticized revolutionary tales exist today? It's not Guevara coming to you on a beat-up motorcycle! It's not Saladdin coming on a mighty black horse with a shiny sword! It is young men and women who have decided to stand up and say ENOUGH! Enough repression, enough tyranny! Perhaps they are just a few. But that's ok, it has to start somewhere.
I guess Hala expressed it best when she talked about the community element of the blogosphere in this and how invigorating it is. I think of that rich dialogue last week over here, at Sandmonkey's, and at Tololy's about Arab Unity and what it means, and it's interesting, because today, taking part in this, I feel so Egyptian and so Arab. The reaction of the Arab blogosphere is fascinating, quoting SM "This is taking a life on its own. It's unbelievably awesome."
This morning Naseem sighed and asked: "where have all the children of socio-political passion gone?" While I look around me quite often and ask the same question… the blogosphere reminds me that they are there, and it gives me hope.
Ok, first of all… visit the Free Alaa Blog, and find out more about the background of this whole issue as well as the updates and what is being done.
Second, take part in the digital activism and help create a google bomb.
THEN, go tell your friends offline about this. Tell your parents, tell your siblings, tell your colleagues… just let them know. People need to know.
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