a thread about the civil unrest in egypt (& elsewhere in 'the region' if necessary)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/11/world/middleeast/11iran.html?ref=iran

Iran’s authorities have increased pressure on the country’s political opposition days before a rally proposed by opposition leaders in support of the popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.

"_______ have historically considered themselves much more advanced that the other countries around them"

Until Mohammed, the Arabs weren't much in the way fo regional players. Persia was a great empire a thousand years before.

Hamas should be freaking out themselves tbh - they may have won an election once but by rights they should be facing revolts next

I'm very interested in seeing if Gaza reacts to this. The ppl there may not even have the economic/social stability to stage this kind of revolt, and Hamas doesn't seem to have any compunctions about using coercive violence to remain in power, so...

I assume that no matter what happens in Egypt now, Egypt holding up their end of the blockade is going to be an open question

The one significant thing about this for the Arabs everywhere is that Egypt is by far the most influential Arab country when it comes to music, TV and movies.

tbqh, egyptian blockade (and closed border) has been a joke for awhile. probably the best thing for the Gaza ppl would be if Egypt opens up the border + immigration more and gives Gaza residents an opportunity to work across the border, emigrate if desired, increase the flow of information from outside the little Gaza context, it could be a really great thing.

also, re Saudi, I have little idea of the scope for revolts there but suspect it's minimal and in any case may well be in the opposite direction from democracy aiui

i guess i feel like there are many reasons to be skeptical of what's going on, but the potential upside is so high and it's not like the status quo was worth anything anyway, so why not be positive and hope that there are positive reverberations?

has this been posted itt?

http://english.ahram.org.eg/~/NewsContent/1/64/5417/Egypt/Politics-/Army-and-presidency-at-odds--says-former-intellige.aspx

Maj. Gen. Safwat El-Zayat, a former senior official of Egypt’s General Intelligence and member of the Egyptian Council of Foreign Affairs, asserted, in an interview with Ahram Online, that the address delivered by President Mubarak last night was formulated against the wishes of the armed forces, and away from their oversight. He claimed that Vice Preisdent Omar Suleiman’s address, which came on the heels of Mubarak’s address, was equally in defiance of the armed forces and away from its oversight.

Attributing this information to his own sources within the Egyptian military, Maj. Gen. El-Zayat said there was now a deep cleavage between the armed forces, represented in its Supreme Council, and the Presidential authority, represented in both President Mubarak and his Vice President, Omar Suleiman.

According to El-Zayat, communiqué #2 issued this morning by the Supreme Armed Forces Council was not, as many people in Egypt and elsewhere understood it, an affirmation of the addresses of Mubarak and Suleiman, but rather an attempt to avoid an open conflict, while at the same time underlining that the army will act as guarantor for the transition to full democracy. He adivced that people should listen carefully to the anticipated communique #3.

not sure of the timing of this, has "communique #3" come out?

The one significant thing about this for the Arabs everywhere is that Egypt is by far the most influential Arab country when it comes to music, TV and movies.

― Le mépris vient de la tête, la haine vient du cœur (Michael White), Friday, February 11, 2011 2:08 PM (4 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

and its by far far the largest

comunique 3 (or excerpts at least from the guardian)

"The council will issue a statement outlining the steps and procedures and directives that will be taken, confirming at the same time that there is no alternative to the legitimacy acceptable to the people."

"The supreme council of the armed forces is saluting President Hosni Mubarak for all he has given in sacrifice in times of war and peace."

"The supreme council of the armed forces is also saluting the spirits of those who were martyred."

biden's first correct use of "literally"?

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2011/02/vice-president-biden-us-has-largely-spoken-with-one-voice.html

“You may remember that all this began when a fruit vendor in Tunisia,” -- protesting that nation’s “corrupt government and stagnant economy -- literally set himself on fire,” the vice president said, “and in doing so ignited the passions of millions and millions of people throughout that region. Word spread across national boundaries and movements emerged, led by people no older than some of the students in this room, using some of the same social media tools that the students in this room, many of you, use.”

Egypt is by far the most influential Arab country when it comes to music, TV and movies.

Really? Maybe only since Iran started throwing filmmakers in jail.

or maybe cause iran isn't an arab country

Lolololololol

close enough

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/what-is-the-muslim-brotherhood

not that i have any way of judging but this looks like an ok primer

close enough

for you

Um, somehow I don't think the Iranian films that play at Film Forum have widespread influence in the Arab world.

True 'nuff

Oum Kalthoum, Om Kolthom, Om Kalsoum, Omm Kalsoum, Omme Kolsoum, Oom Koolsum, Oum Kalthoum, Oum Kalthum, Oum Kalsoum, Oum Kaltsoum, Oum Kolthoum, Oum Koulsoum, Oum Kulthum, Oum Kulthume, Um Kalthoum,

Old-school Egyptian singing legend

oh fuck yeah, she's practically a deity

she also has one of the most fun names to say of any performer

close enough

― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Friday, February 11, 2011 1:34 PM (46 minutes ago) Bookmark

rmde

they all look alike to Morbz

I'm Irish-American. I don't see race.

Really, ONE nation in the whole area that isn't "Arab," and I'm supposed to remember which one? I have more immediate fish to fry.

morbs never fails to disappoint

J0rd, when you come of age, you will ascribe this trait to humanity as I do.

not even gonna google "rmde"

yes you are supposed to remember which one

Really, ONE nation in the whole area that isn't "Arab,"

uh

FYI there are THREE major ethnicities in the Middle East - Arab, Turk, and Persian, and they all have pretty distinct cultural heritages/histories

Meanwhile:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/02/egyptian-americans-southern-california-celebrate-revolution-egypt.html

And:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/12/nyregion/12little-egypt.html

man, comments never disappoint do they

Really, ONE nation in the whole area that isn't "Arab,"

Israel?

Also, ethnically, Egypt isn't exactly monolithic. By 'Arab world', I meant the Arabic speaking world.

exactly! whole region is too damn complex.

I'm eating some turkish delight right now to celebrate

right but iran not being arab is kind of a "thing" w/r/t how the region operates iirc

DNFTT

what even is "race".........

http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/bele_and_lokai_star_trek.jpg

As the late Shah liked to helpfully point out, the very name Iran stems from 'Aryan'.

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9209159/Social_networks_credited_with_role_in_toppling_Egypt_s_Mubarak

I guess mark zuckerberg was the real hero here. totally earned his man of the year award imo

We are all citizens of Cafe World

Morbs, it's ok to say "oh really, I didn't know that" sometimes. I know it doesn't fit easily with all-encompassing cynicism but no one's perfect.

Yeah, go on, and copt a plea

Frank Rich spent his Sunday NYT column pooh-poohing the soc network angle, saying web access for the population is at 20%. But ComputerWorld sez different!

Matt, you and nrq can, u know

michael white i see what u did there